COVER SHEET TO BE SUBMITTED WITH ASSIGNMENTSNAME Duncan RoseSTUDENT ID TTXDR13MODULE NO 3 DATE SUBMITTED 24/10/2014

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CLIL and Scaffolding in Essay Construction for Singaporean Secondary Students

Duncan Rose

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Contents

Introduction 4

Context and Topic Selection 4

Course Aims and Objectives 4

Subject Content and Lesson Planning 5

Assessment 6

Groupings 7

Reflective Commentary 7

Conclusion 11

Bibliography 12

Appendix 1 14

Appendix 2 14

Appendix 3 15

Appendix 4 16

Appendix 5 61

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Introduction

In this assignment I will plan, teach and evaluate a sequence of 5 lessons which form one module of the Secondary 2 syllabus for a group of Singaporean teenagers. I will begin with an overview of the Singaporean context before moving into the course aims and planning. Finally, I will critically reflect upon the success of the lessons in meeting their aims.

Context and Topic Selection

Singaporean secondary students attend the British Council Singapore (BCS) for one lesson per week. Each lesson is two hours long and is explicitly tied to the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) English Language curriculum (MOE 2010). The group is entirely Singaporean with a mix of girls and boys. The context for instruction is ESL and students are preparing for an O-level examination which contains four papers (Appendix 1).

Consequently, BCS material focusses heavily on relevant examination skills and ties its courses directly to the outcomes required by students to excel in their O-level examinations. BCS teaches modules lasting five weeks. The module is themed and contains a variety of the skills required by the MOE. It culminates in the construction of a text type i.e. essay. BCS has flexibility to select topics around which to frame the content and language instruction.

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) (Coyle et al 2010) is a dual focussed educational approach in which English language and content are concurrently taught. CLIL is currently much in vogue in Singapore with the MOE training its teachers in CLIL techniques to improve English language standards. BCS materials are designed to fulfil its remit of improving awareness of British culture and history, for which CLIL can be effectively employed. For this set of lessons I have chosen to prepare a module on World War 1 (WW1). There are several reasons for this choice:

1. British theme with relevance i.e. 100th Anniversary2. Ability to utilize war poetry to teach figurative language3. Range of resources including Blackadder Goes Forth DVD which are uniquely British4. Lack of awareness of the topic by students - allowing for CLIL input5. Ability to craft a challenging argumentative essay based on a controversial topic

Course Aims and Objectives

Based on the MOE curriculum (2010) the aims and objectives of my course are outlined in Appendix 2.

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Subject Content and Lesson Planning

Subject content is defined by the Singaporean Curriculum for English Language (MOE 2010). This stipulates that students must write in grammatically accurate language fit for academic purpose. They must also identify and use figurative language in texts such as narratives and poems.

Structurally, the lessons are planned to Vygotskian principles and encourage interaction and communication amongst students in order to facilitate Vygotskian scaffolding and the communicative language approach espoused by BCS. This reflects my belief in Vygotskian and Social Constructivist Theory (Vygotsky 1994).

The use of CLIL in this set of lessons ensures the scaffolding of knowledge required to produce an argumentative essay utilising historical facts learned within the module. This ensures that students operate within their Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) – defined as the difference between a student’s ability and their potential level of achievement when collaborating with a ‘more knowledgeable other’ (MKO) (Larkin 2002). The teacher acts as an MKO through the scaffolded CLIL materials as well as students receiving support from peers within the class (Vygotsky 1978). CLIL is sometimes presented as critical thinking activities and games to pique the interest of the students. The CLIL content is specifically selected to allow students to formulate stronger arguments in the essay which forms the summative assessment for the module.

The lesson sequence is designed to lead students through ever more complex conceptual arguments which establish that some ‘positives’ have come out of war. In this respect, lessons pose a ‘cognitive change’ for the students as they add to their existing knowledge and reconstructed or reorganised existing schematic knowledge to facilitate the new data presented them through the CLIL based materials (King 2008).

Lesson structure and course construction were informed by EFL and ESL course-design principles which advocate reverse engineering the course based on the students’ needs and the examination aims (Nation and Macalister 2010). This was supplemented by Nunan’s (1988) concept of product-orientated syllabus which advocated the construction of a text-type focussed module. Finally, individual activities were constructed in-line with the concepts laid down by McGrath (2002) in relation to developing scaffolded materials which seamlessly transition between activities without a jarring shift in linguistic focus or subject matter, thus allowing students to immerse themselves in the topic and benefit fully from their activated schemata and intellectual investment in the subject matter.

Not only is the ‘content’ of the subject matter addressed but activities connected to their O-level examinations are recycled to ensure that there is progression and revision of the skills within the module. This follows Kyriacou‘s (2007) concept that more experienced teachers are able to look beyond individual lessons to see how the content of a lesson fits into the broader teaching of the curriculum. Therefore, certain skills in this module are recycled not only within the module but are from topics taught earlier in the year.

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Appendix 2 shows the skills and the content in relationship to the final outcome. The structure of the module allows essential CLIL and linguistic instruction in the first three lessons to build to a productive outcome in the fourth lesson. The fifth lesson is used to exploit and remedy errors identified in the students’ output. This embodies the notion of scaffolded input with formative assessment i.e. repeated skimming and scanning/comprehension activities followed by a summative assessment i.e. the argumentative essay, upon which further input and instruction is based after analysis of student errors. This conforms with Vygotskian theory (1978) advocating the utilisation of student errors to inform future instruction targeted on student needs.

The sequence of lessons constitutes a form of guided discovery in contrast to pure self-discovery (Mayer 2004). This fits with the rationale that the students do not know this topic and is in keeping with my belief that both the CLIL and the linguistic instruction should be scaffolded to match the students’ respective ZPDs. However, it is important to acknowledge that students can be over-taxed by a heavy concentration of guided discovery activities and that a balance should be maintained with direct instruction (Kirschner, Sweller and Clark 2006). Therefore, critical thinking activities are dispersed throughout the module and CLIL input is guided through targeted questions in skimming and scanning activities that draw attention directly to historical facts which can be utilised by students within the their essays during the summative assessment stage.

Assessment

Assessment takes a variety of forms including self and peer assessment (Black and William 1998) as well as formal assessment of the composition task. Peer assessment is identified as improving engagement with material and encouraging learners to be more autonomous (Black et al 2002). Peer feedback was utilised for discrete point questions and simple comprehension activities that were easy to provide definitive answers for. Additional feedback was delivered orally by the teacher. The emphasis on grading was diminished to reduce student stress and to focus on skill development rather than testing.

However, the summative essay task was marked by the teacher to MOE standards and criteria for the O-level essays. Feedback included a range of comments which identified areas of strength and those for improvement as students should receive balanced feedback to ensure minimal damage to language learning ego at the same time as building confidence that improvements are being made (Black et al 2002).

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Groupings

Grouping of students throughout the lessons was dependent upon the type of activity. However, the activities designed allowed for variations in student grouping (McDonough and Shaw 1993). Viewing comprehension activities naturally lean to individual work. However, pair and group work were utilised and many activities were grounded in the social constructivist learning theory and communicative language methodology which underpins my module. This is best exemplified in the critical thinking game which starts lesson 3 and encourages students to work together to solve a problem through collaboration and discussion whilst in competition with other groups.

Heterogeneous groupings of students established a range of abilities and talents in group activities (Johnson and Johnson 1999). I ensured that groups were not streamed by ability but paired weaker and stronger students as streaming would have led to polarised results within the class (Gamoran 2000). Instead I utilised stronger students to act as team leaders to guide and facilitate learning amongst the weaker students. The benefit to the stronger students is the ability to ‘formulate and explain their ideas to others’ (Barkley et al 2005:14). This co-operative group work benefits confidence, motivation and leads to increased participation and more effective peer relationships as well as developing students’ interpersonal skills (Gillies 2004).

Reflective Commentary

Effective teachers operate a policy of constant evaluation and assessment not only of their students but their own performance and delivery. It is part of their constant drive to the unobtainable goal of the ‘perfect lesson’. The evaluation of lesson plans allows teachers to establish to what extent the needs of the learners’ have been met (Kyriacou 2007:20). To effectively reflect upon lessons, a teacher has to be open to critique and feedback from others, as well as trying to establish to what extent the aims of the lessons were met and how those lessons might be further shaped and improved for future use.

Overall, this sequence of lessons was successful in engaging the students and achieving specific outcomes; the majority of students produced solid, well-written essays employing both the CLIL and linguistic instruction from the module. Students fed back on their experiences via a simple diagnostic tool at the end of the lesson (Appendix 3). This enabled evaluation as to the extent they were engaged by the material, activities and content.

Lesson 1 proved to be the most challenging to teach. This was a natural offshoot of the introduction of a challenging topic through poetry. Students in Singapore have an aversion to poetry, for despite being on the syllabus it is not tested in the examination. However, the use of figurative language is testable. This led to a disconnect as students initially failed to see the value of the activity. Therefore, starting the lesson with a piece of descriptive writing may have proved more accessible. Despite this, students responded relatively well to the topic and consolidated their reading skills (predicting/skimming/scanning/identifying question types) while activating schemata and improving their meta-cognitive skills in the comprehension tasks. The lesson had a balance of activities, however the

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most effective was the guided discovery aspect of the picture discussion activity during which students collaborated and shared knowledge to commence the process of ‘positive interdependence’ which would become the mainstay of future lessons (Johnson and Johnson 1999:81).

Lesson 1 specifically reintroduced skills and concepts previously taught i.e. figurative language, skimming and scanning skills and reading comprehension questions. This was done to a focus on the CLIL element of the lesson which developed students’ awareness of the topic. It was essential to gain student confidence and recycle skills previously taught. However, they continued to be stretched within their ZPDs by the poems’ challenging vocabulary. The lesson was effective in conveying a basic overview of a previously unstudied topic through the skimming and scanning activity. However, the multi-sensory use of poetry, video and pictures lent weight to students’ understanding of the horrific nature of WW1.

The introduction to lesson 2 was visually stimulating and students worked effectively in mixed-ability groups inferring from the visual texts and using a process of elimination to effectively identify the main message behind the propaganda posters. Skimming and scanning skills were effectively recycled from the previous lesson with students’ peer assessing and establishing greater accuracy than in the first lesson. During this activity students engage in interesting discussions and none were noted to be off task. The notion of collaboratively constructing meaning from sources fits Kutnick’s (2011) hypothesis that students and more engaged when not merely sharing facts. It also conforms to the concept of students gaining a deeper understanding of a topic by talking about it (Dean et al 2012).

In lesson 2 the use of the Blackadder DVD to introduce the concept of developing technology and to teach the use of topic sentences was very effective. Students were engaged and enjoyed the DVD with many asking if there were similar activities to follow. This activity appealed to a variety of learning styles while covering note-taking, comprehension and composition skills within a thematically linked series of activities. Students remembered most of the details of the DVD note-taking activity allowing them to effectively support ideas in this task. Additionally, the scaffolded nature of the activities allowed students’ to receive scaffolded instruction through partial guided self-discovery in line with the Vygotskian principles I aimed to espouse.

Students worked in groups to discuss and answer comprehension questions (Appendix 4 p27-30). However, I distributed different questions to different groups based on ability and then used class feedback to ensure understanding. This was effective in ensuring that all students operated within their ZPD and were able to respond in front of the classmates when challenged. This supported Wood’s (1986) hypothesis that by breaking tasks into manageable chunks that they will be able to achieve something they would not otherwise have succeeded in. While a reliance on the MKO of their groups further supported the ability of weaker students. As the task was manageable it also ensured that students did not go off task as is often the case in group work activities (Kutnick and Jackson 1996).

Interestingly, when challenged for a response to the CLIL content students were able, by the end of the lesson, to name a number of different technologies to come from WW1 (Appendix 4 p27-28) and many of these were effectively revisited in the summative assessment as appropriate examples to support topic sentences thus indicating the presentation of the CLIL component was memorable.

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Lesson 3 started with a critical thinking activity which lent itself to social constructivist principles as team members worked together to make decisions based on collective knowledge (some of which was previously established in the CLIL component of the previous lessons). This activity is ‘dressed-up’ as a collaborative, competitive game in which teams competed against each other. This section of the lesson was particularly successful and students responded positively to it in feedback. This supported Freire’s (2000) notion that active participation in activities led to greater learning and skills cannot simply be deposited within a student but understanding gleaned through interaction with the content and input.

The remainder of the lesson involved revisiting skills i.e. reading comprehension, paraphrasing, skimming and scanning, viewing comprehension all of which saw students build on their performance from the previous two lessons. The exception to this was the introduction of a grammar item relating to essay structure. Students fared well in this lesson and the familiarity with the activities and the sub-skills required to tackle them ensured that students were comfortable and confident in their responses. This ‘quiet confidence’ bled into the grammar activity, which despite covering ‘new’ material was tackled effectively. This demonstrated the importance of weaving new instructional items, which are potentially harder, into lessons where they are surrounded by familiar activities or recycled content. This had the effect of bolstering student confidence.

The final part of the lesson was a group brainstorming activity based on the CLIL content from the previous three lessons. Group work was employed to test Vygtoskian theory (1978) that students collaborating in group work demonstrate greater levels of retention than those working individually (Frey et al 2009). This was effectively tackled due to well-scaffolded CLIL content in the preceding lessons and subsequently ensured that students were well-prepared for the formative assessment in lesson 4. This co-operative activity was fed back to the entire class and was facilitated by team leaders as opposed to the teacher to shift the exchange away from ‘teacher dominated discourse towards a more pupil-centred, open discourse’ (Johnson & Johnson 2008:10). However, this became a little disjointed as students struggled to understand the responsibility of their leadership role leading to some discussions which went off topic (Auster and Wiley 2006).

In lesson 4 I utilised various scaffolded worksheets with different groups of students according to confidence levels. These include essay construction frames, a peer evaluation checklist and a model essay which the students dissected for examples of appropriate grammar and structure (Wood 1986). Providing this level of support and scaffolding allows for differentiation and supported the needs of students’ individual ZPDs within the class.

Recycling of CLIL and skills occurs through the reiteration of the main ideas relating to the essay which are revisited in the first activity of lesson 4. Students were also reminded of the skills taught in previous lessons and introduced to new ideas relating to the essay introductions and conclusions through a model essay (Appendix 4 p50). This was well-received by students and no student failed to follow the suggested essay structure.

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Lesson 4 concluded with peer evaluation of essays. Black et al (1998) suggest that students require a degree of training with peer evaluation. However, this was obviated by well-structured peer evaluation tools and guidelines. The students were able to use the evaluation checklist to effectively grade their partner’s work. The ‘3 things’ section of the evaluation checklist foreshadowed the feedback technique the students would receive from the teacher in lesson 5 while establishing the notion of positive critique which supports learning (Bruner 1965) but is alien to many Singaporean students whose teachers focus on errors to the detriment of the learner’s ego and risk taking capacity.

Lesson 5 was spent on activities directly connected to the students’ output (Kyriacou 2009) and follows the concept that teachers should adapt and develop in response to the needs of the students. Activities included a grammar auction focusing on common Singlish errors generated in the class essays, a paragraph analysis based on some of the stronger and weaker paragraphs produced in class and an explicit grammar task relating to ‘will vs. would’ which was misused by around 60% of students. This notion of error analysis also supports Vygotskian principles regarding the review of student errors to inform learning (Vygotsky 1978). The reminder of the lesson involved the rewriting of essays to amend errors and for display purposes. This reinforced the value of the work the students produced and encouraged pride in their own work.

Overall, the greatest challenge posed by this module came from the volume of material produced and the Dogme nature of lesson 5 (Thornbury 2006) allowed me to complete some of the less-essential skimming and scanning activities from lessons 1-4 by giving them to fast finishers to support differentiation of activity in line with individual ZPDs.

This notion of the flexible lesson built into the course to allow for recycling, exploitation of students’ errors and ensures the teacher focuses on ‘teaching the students not the material’ (Nunan 1988, McDonough et al 1993, McGrath et al 2002). It is something which is often absent from courses which have a clear outcome for each lesson rather than respond to the needs of the learners identified through assessment.

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Conclusion

In retrospect the module worked effectively because of three factors:

1. Clear scaffolding2. Recycling of skills 3. Integrated CLIL

Student feedback indicated clearly that the poetry was not the best way to start the module. However, the greatest issue was the volume of material produced. Fortunately the flexible lesson at the end made this less of an issue, as the majority of activities which were non-essential or recycled more than once could be transferred to this flexi-lesson.

Ultimately, the module has reinforced my belief in Vygotskian principles and socio-cultural theory. Scaffolding and social interaction facilitate learning while encouraging the development of social skills. They enable a teacher to effectively manage students of differing abilities while effectively employing weaker and stronger students to encourage mutual support and reinforce previously learned concepts.

Words: 3334

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References

Auster, E. & Wiley, K. (2006) Creating Active Learning in the Classroom: A Systematic Approach. Journal of Management Education. 30(2), p333-353

Barkley, E., Cross, K. & Major, C. (2005) Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B., and William, D., (2002) Working Inside the Black Box: Assessment for Learning in the Classroom. London: Nelson.

Black, P. and William, D. (1998) Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards through Classroom Assessment. London: School of Education, King’s College.

Bruner, J.S (1965) The Process of Education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Coyle, D., Hood P., & Marsh, D. (2010) CLIL – Content and Language Integrated Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Dean, C. B., Hubbell, E. R., Pitler, H., Stone, B. (2012) Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement (2nd Ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum

Frey, N., Fisher, D. and Everlove, S. (2009) Productive Group Work: How to Engage Students, Build Teamwork and Promote Understanding. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Freire, P. (2000) Challenging the ‘banking’ concept of education. In Pollard, A. (2002). Readings for Reflective Teaching p112-114. London: Continuum International Publishing Group

Gamoran, A. (2000) High-Standards: A Strategy for equalizing opportunities for learning? In Kahlenberg, R. (ed.) A Notion at Risk: Preserving Public Education as an Engine for Social Mobility, p93-126, New York: The Century Foundation.

Gillies, R. (2004) The Effects of Cooperative Activities in Junior High School Students During Small Group Learning. Learning and Instruction. 14(2), 197-213.

Johnson, D. and Johnson, R. (1999) Learning Together and Alone: Cooperative, Competitive and Individualistic Learning (5th edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

King, A. (2008) Structuring Peer Interaction to Promote Higher Order Thinking and Complex Learning. In Gillies, R., Ashman, A. & Terwel, J. (eds.) The Teacher’s Role in Implementing Co-Operative Learning in the Classroom p73-91 New York: Springer.

Kirschner, P., Sweller, J., & Clark, R. (2006) Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work: An Analysis of the Failure of Constructivist, Discovery, Problem Based, Experiential and Inquiry Based Teaching. Educational Psychologist 41(2) 75-86.

Kutnick, P. (2011) Social Pedagogy in the Classroom: relating group work to the promoting of learning and thinking. In Dillion, J. & Maguire, M. (eds.) Becoming a Teacher: Issues in Secondary Education (4th Edition) p157-174. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Kutnick, P. & Jackson, A. (1996) Group work and computers: the effects of type of task on children’s performance. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 12:162-71

Kyriacou, C. (2007) Essential Teaching Skills. Cheltenham: Nelson

Kyriacou, C. (2009) Effective Teaching in Schools: Theory and Practice (3rd Ed). Cheltenham: Nelson

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Larkin, M. (2002) Using scaffolded instruction to optimize learning. Arlington, VA: ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education (Retrieved June 13 2014 from ERIC No ED. 474 301)

Mayer, R. (2004) Should there be a Three Strikes Rule Against Pure Discovery Learning? The Case for Guided Methods of Instruction. American Psychologist [online] http://projects.ict.usc.edu/itw/vtt/MayerThreeStrikesAP04.pdf [accessed October 12 2014]

McDonough, J. and Shaw, C. (1993) Materials and Methods in ELT A Teacher’s Guide. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

McGrath, I. (2002) Materials Evaluation and Design for Language Teaching. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press

Ministry of Education, (2010) English Language Syllabus. Singapore Curriculum Planning Division,

Nation, I. & Macalister, J. (2010) Language Curriculum Design. New York: Routledge

Nunan, D. (1988) Syllabus Design. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Thornbury, S. (2006) An A-Z of ELT. London: Macmillan.

Vygotsky, L. (1978) Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes (M. Cole, V. John Steiner, S. Scribner & E Souberman eds.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Vygotsky, L. (1994) Extracts from Thought and Language and Mind and Society. In Stierer, B. & Maybin, J (eds.) Language, Literacy and Learning in Educational Practice. Cleavedon: Open University

Wood, D. (1986) Aspects of Teaching and Learning. In Richards, M. & Light, P. (eds.) Language, Literacy and Learning in Educational Practice. Clevedon: Open University

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Appendix 1 – Overview of Singaporean O-Level Examination

Paper Skills Required

1. Composition Error Correction, Situational Writing, Essay Writing2. Comprehensio

nVisual Literacy, Literary Techniques, Main Ideas and Supporting Evidence, Summary Writing

3. Listening Note-Taking, Listening for Detail

4. Speaking Reading Aloud, Conversation based on a Picture

Appendix 2 - Overview of Lesson Content and Aims

Lesson

Skills Covered CLIL Input

1 Skimming and Scanning (Paper 2)

Figurative Language Techniques and Use (Paper 2)

Rhetorical questions (Paper 1 and Paper 2)

Picture Discussion (Paper 4) Comprehension Questions

(Paper 2)

Introduction to World War 1 – Context and Outcomes (skimming and scanning cards)

War poets and war poetry Understanding of gas attacks and the

development of gas weaponry Discussion around the concept of war

being just and patriotism

2 Inference based on visual texts (Paper 2)

Skimming and Scanning (Paper 2)

Listening and viewing skills – note taking and chart completion (Paper 3)

Brainstorming and Planning (Paper 1)

Topic sentence construction (Paper 1)

Identifying supporting evidence (Paper 1 and Paper 2)

Grammar – Adverbs to introduce ideas (Paper 1)

Reading Aloud (Paper 4) Critical Thinking Skills (All

Papers) Skimming and Scanning

(Paper 2)

Discussion around the propaganda used by governments to support patriotism in wartime

Reading passages on military, civilian and medical technical advances as a result of war

Topic sentences on the negative outcomes of war i.e. loss of life, infrastructure and land

Introduction to examples of specific conflicts (skimming and scanning cards)

3 Critical thinking skills (All papers)

Skimming and scanning skills (Paper 2)

Grammar – Conjunctions (Paper 1)

Listening and Viewing – Note taking (Paper 3)

Planning and organising (Paper 1)

Critical thinking game showing the complexity of war and how lives were lost in WW1

Introduction to famous people and their role in positive outcomes of conflict i.e. Turing, Tubman, Whittle etc. Demonstrating clear social and technological advances as a result of WW1

Introduction to the fallacies of war i.e. people not wanting to go ‘over the top’

Patriotism vs. cowardice Discussion on the futility of war

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4 Planning and organising (Paper 1)

Essay organisation and structure (Paper 1)Writing an argumentative essay (Paper 1)

Error correction (Paper 1)5 This lesson is a free lesson.

Teachers recycle and go over the outcome of the essay produced in lesson 4.

Error correction Grammar Auctions Further input on paragraph

construction Completing any activities not

finished in L1-4.

The aim is to encourage students to identify and learn from the mistakes made in the formative assessment.Teachers may also wish to teach a specific grammar point in depth if the majority of the class have experienced the same issues with it i.e. will vs. would which is a common Singlish error

Appendix 3 – Student Feedback Tool

Name:

What did I learn in this module?

What did I enjoy in this module?

Which skills do I need more help with?

Which activities did I not enjoy and why?

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Appendix 4 – Students’ Notes

Lesson 1:Dulce Et Decorum Est

Outcomes

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

“When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die.”  ~ Jean-Paul Sartre

Fact Hunt

Skim the texts which your teacher has given you to answer the following questions:

1. What was the measure of a successful attack in World War One?

2. Name two ways in which the German nation was more prepared for war than any of the other European powers before 1871?

3. Why was the British army at a disadvantage when war broke out in 1914?

4. How did the governments of Europe try to prevent war diplomatically?

5. Which major new technologies would first appear on World War One battlefields?

6. What problems ensured that the war would never be “over by Christmas”?

7. Which two factors ensured that men continued to fight despite the conditions?

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understand how to do well when reading aloud in the oral test

understand various literary techniques practice comprehension questions

The War Poets

You are going to read a poem called ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ by Wilfred Owen. He is known as one of the ‘war poets’ – young men who wrote poetry during the First World War. This war was known as ‘the war to end all wars’ and a huge number of young men enlisted in armies all over Europe in a patriotic fervour. Wilfred Owen joined the army at the end of 1915 and was sent to the front at the beginning of 1916. He was sent back to England in 1917 suffering from shell shock. He went back to the Western Front in 1918 and died in November 1918 just one week before the armistice was announced. His parents heard of his death on the 11th November which was the day of the armistice (the day when the end of the war was announced). He was 25 years old.

Poetry

This poem is called Anthem for Doomed Youth. What does the title imply about the writer’s attitude to war?

Anthem for Doomed Youth

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?Only the monstrous anger of the guns.

Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattleCan patter out their hasty orisons.

No mockeries for them; no prayers nor bells,Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, -The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;And bugles calling for them from sad shires.What candles may be held to speed them all?

Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyesShall shine the holy glimmers of good-byes.The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;

Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

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Can you match the correct word from the poem above to its meaning below? You will need to infer the meaning from the text.

Word Definition

Insulting ceremonies

Instrument played at military funerals

Important song, maybe a national song

Item lit in the room which contains a coffin

Ending of a day or symbolically a life

Funeral prayers

Paleness

English regions

Mad

Action performed in the room of a coffin as a mark of respect

Vocabulary Building

Below is a list of words from the poem which are used by the poet because of their descriptive qualities. Use a dictionary to identify the meaning of the word. Do not copy the description given in the dictionary, instead, in no more than 5 words, explain the meaning of each word.

Word Definition

stuttering(verb)patter(verb)hasty(adj)shrill(adj)

voice of mourning(adj)

wailing(adj/verb)glimmers

(verb)

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Personification

This is a literary device in which objects are given human characteristics. For example: As I opened it, the door quietly groaned.

Can you find examples of personification in the above poem?

Alliteration

This is when consecutive words in a sentence begin with the same sound. For example: ‘Patient people politely waiting ….’

What examples of alliteration can you find in the poem?

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a type of word that sounds like the thing it is describing. For example: ‘boom/crash/hiss’

Can you find examples of this in the poem?

Rhetorical Questions

These are question that do not require an answer. They are asked in order to make a point or to make the reader/listener think.

Can you find any rhetorical questions in the poem?

What point was Owen trying to make in his first rhetorical question?

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Imagery

Look at the following words from the poem. What situation connects them?

flowers candles pall orisons Bells

prayers mourning choirs bugles Drawing down of blinds

Picture Discussion

Your teacher will now show you a picture. The picture was painted in 1918 by John Singer Sargent.

Discuss the following:

1. Who are the men?2. Where are they?3. Why are they standing in line?4. What is a common feature of all the men?5. Where are they going?6. What do you think their life has been like in the past 24 hours?7. What do you think their life will be like in the near future?8. Which one word title would accurately describe this painting?

Picture Quest

In order to fully understand the horrors of World War I it is necessary to understand what people went through. The best way to do this is to look at pictures as these represent a first-hand experience of the war itself. Your teacher has placed a series of pictures around the walls of the room. Look at the pictures and record what is happening in them in order to understand the topic of the poem on the following page.

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Dulce et Decorum est Pro Patria Mori

We are now going to look at another poem by Wilfred Owen which is connected to the pictures you have been looking at. With a partner discuss what you think the poem may be about. We think the poem is about:

“Dulce et Decorum est pro Patria Mori” is the title of this poem. It is a symbolic phrase in Latin. It translates approximately as:

“It is sweet and fitting to die for your country.”

With reference to the pictures you have just seen, why do you think this title might be an “ironic joke”?

Now read the poem and do the exercises which follow:

Dulce et Decorum est Pro Patria Mori

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling, Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time; But someone still was yelling out and stumbling, And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime …Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. If in some smothering dreams you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin; If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud  Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori.

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Comprehension Questions

Using the description of the techniques described in the previous activity and your inferential skills can you answer the following questions?

1. How does the poet indicate the appearance of these soldiers?

2. How are the soldiers feeling? Which words exemplify this?

3. What are the “helmets” which the men clumsily fit?

4. What do you think the “misty panes” are that are referred to?

5. Can you explain the phrase “And floundering like a man in fire or lime…”?

6. “Green sea” and “green light” are mentioned in the poem. What do these allude to?

7. A Five-Nine is:

a. A Shell from a cannon b. A shoe size

c. A distance d. A geographical location

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8. Read the section below on Gas Warfare. And answer the questions which follows:

The use of poisonous gases in World War I ranged from disabling chemicals, such as tear gas and the severe mustard gas, to lethal agents like phosgene and chlorine. This chemical warfare was a major component of the first global war and first total war of the 20th century. The killing capacity of gas, however, was limited – only four percent of combat deaths were due to gas. Because it was possible to develop effective countermeasures against attacks, gas was unlike most other weapons of the period. In the later stages of the war, as the use of gas increased, its overall effectiveness diminished. This widespread use of these agents of chemical warfare, and wartime advances in the composition of high explosives, gave rise to an occasionally expressed view of World War I as "__________________________".

Which of the following nicknames would best describe World War I?

a. The Pharmacist’s Warb. The Stinky Warc. The Chemist’s Ward. The Technological War

9. Give reasons for your choice and explain why the other phrases are not suitable for describing the war.

10. In no more than 60 words can you recount what happens in the poem.

Check your partner’s work to see if they have a similar story.

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Poetry

Now try and write your own war poem on one of the following topics.

1. The death of a fellow soldier2. The horror of going into battle3. Conditions on the battlefield

Try using some of the literary techniques described on the previous pages to make your work interesting and evocative!

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Lesson 2:The War to End all Wars

Outcomes

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

“If we don’t end war, war will end us.” ~ H.G. Wells

Introduction

Take a look at the posters displayed around the room. Can you match the poster to the meaning stated below?

A Appeals to pride and challenges your relationship with your friends.

B Suggests that other people want you to fight.

C Suggests that enemies aren’t human.

D A shaming tool suggesting that everyone is working hard in multiple job types except you.

E A shaming tool directed at joining the armed forces.

F Appeals to a sense of revenge.

G Plays on national pride and patriotism.

H Suggests that you should be careful because of spies.

I Suggests possible regret.

J Encourages women to fill the job roles previously occupied by men.

K Makes you think about using resources sensibly.

L Suggests you should consider your actions in order to save lives.

Discuss25

Infer meaning from imagery Answer comprehension questions Identify topic sentences Give supporting information Examine and comment upon war poetry

What do you think you can learn about the First World War from these images? Would these influence your decision to join the army?Why / why not?

War of Invention

One of the most fascinating aspects of World War I was the speed at which technology developed to cope with military deficiencies.Read the following information about World War I in preparation for the next activity:

World War I was a curious war, it was fought using the most modern of technologies and yet it employed the most barbarous of tactics.

The problems began early in the 19th century. The countries of Europe started to develop technology and industrialisation changed the way weapons were designed and constructed. Countries engaged in “arms races” for the first time as scientists, supported by wealthy governments desperately attempted to out-gun their rivals.

From 1815 when Napoleon was finally defeated until 1914 when World War I broke out, only a few wars were fought on European soil. The rest were fought in far-flung colonies against technologically disadvantaged countries often employing modern technology against men armed with spears and other crude weapons.

However, this meant that by the time World War I started European armies were huge, bloated, confident and well-armed despite never having faced a technologically equal enemy.

Everyone went to war hopeful of victory.

Things soon went wrong. Firstly, cavalry employed for over a thousand years suddenly had to face machine guns. Unsurprisingly, they lost. This in turn meant that armies lacked any fast moving element. Instead armies only had foot soldiers and huge artillery pieces. Unable to advance quickly or safely owing to the firepower of machine guns, armies bedded down in trench systems and prepared to fight a defensive war.

The problem with a defensive war was that nobody moved. Soon a trench line stretched across Europe and armies sat watching each other warily behind lines of barbed wire, mud, mines and shell craters.

Between 1914 and 1918 millions of men on the Western Front lost their lives moving no more than 20 miles forward or back, often fighting over the shell of a town or the ruins of a forest.

Was science able to move things forward? Yes, and it did so in leaps and bounds. World War I saw the development of many technologies which we still employ today.

Over the Top

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In teams choose a different runner for each question. They are going to run and collect the information from the information cards around the room. It is important to pay attention to key words as this will help you identify which card is likely to give you the information.Answer the 14 questions below in the shortest possible time. One word answers are acceptable.

1. The first tank was designed in World War I. True or False?

2. Aircraft use in war was new in World War I. True or False?

3. Gas warfare was legal in World War I. True or False?

4. Name 3 professions which benefitted from the development of the gas mask.

5. What led to the failure of the Zeppelin as a form of transport?

6. Which aquatic technology led to man stepping onto the moon?

7. Name two developments in infantry equipment.

8. Which improvement to bicycles can be found in modern road vehicles?

9. Which two weapons led to cavalry becoming obsolete in battle?

10.How did a general’s pain lead to a whole army’s treatment?

11. Name one benefit that came from the development of the aircraft carrier?

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Inventions and Innovations

12.Which modern devices rely on the communication technology developed in World War I?

13.Which engineering breakthrough can be used in areas affected by earthquakes or tsunamis?

14.Which “borrowed vehicle” led to the development of infantry transporters?

Now with your team make a list of inventions and innovations which came out of the First World War.

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Topic Sentences

Writing a good essay paragraph is a skill. One way to improve your paragraph construction is to understand how topic sentences work. A good topic sentence is able to convey the general idea of the whole paragraph and is clearly supported by several sentences which connect to it.

Read the following examples.

1. Highlight the topic sentence2. Identify the strong paragraphs and the weak paragraphs3. Identify weaknesses in the arguments.

ParagraphStrong/ Average / Weak

Why?

1

The cost of war is not only measured in lives. Buildings are often destroyed as they support government functions for example police offices. Transport links are often a target and train lines and roads are destroyed in order to reduce the ability of the country to transport goods or its army. Raw materials are rapidly expended in order to manufacture weapons and to keep repairing damaged buildings and transport links.

2

Wars fought over territory are futile. Land won is illegally held and the United Nations refuses to accept the victor as the owner of the conquered land. The people within the territory are often rebellious and the cost of preventing rebellion is often more than the money received from the oppressed land. Troops stationed in the land don’t enjoy staying there because it isn’t their home.

3

When a larger country’s army occupies a smaller country the likelihood is that it will remain oppressed forever. The smaller country is rarely unable to fight back. The larger army effectively controls the whole country. The smaller country is occupied.

4

Wars are not always fought for territory. The American Civil War was fought to unite a fractured nation and to secure emancipation for slaves. The Gulf War was fought to save a smaller country from occupation by a dictator. The Football War was fought as a matter of pride between two countries.

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Goodbye!

Rowan Atkinson is famous for his portrayal of Mr. Bean. However, before Mr. Bean he starred in a comedy called Blackadder. Blackadder charts the bittersweet story of a group of soldiers during the First World War who are desperately trying to avoid being sent “over the top” into no man’s land to assault the enemy. The final scene has been praised as one of the poignant (moving) moments of any British drama or comedy series as it reflected the fate of millions of soldiers who died fighting a terrible and tragic war.

Blackadder Goes Forth - Communication

In this clip you are going to see some of the ways in which communication occurred during the First World War. Watch the clip and answer the questions which follow.

1. What are the men waiting for?

2. What is the first form of communication that headquarters uses to order the men?

3. How does Blackadder sabotage the communication?

4. Why do you think Blackadder wants to sabotage the communication from headquarters?

5. What is the second form of communication used by headquarters?

6. Why does Blackadder ignore it?

7. What is the third form of communication used?

8. How does Blackadder remove it?

9. What is ironic about Blackadder’s sabotaging of the third form of communication?

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Communication Topic Sentences

Now use the DVD clip to add supporting sentences to the following topic sentences.

1. Blackadder confuses the officer from headquarters on the telephone in a variety of ways.

Firstly,

Secondly,

Finally,

2. There were several methods of basic communication between headquarters and the front line during the First World War.

One method was…

Additionally,

Finally,

Facts and Figures - Discuss

World War I was a source of unimaginable slaughter and death, the like of which the world had never seen. As a result it received the nickname “the war to end all wars”.

Country Population (millions) Military deaths Deaths as % of population

United Kingdom 45.4 885,138 2.19%

France 39.6 1,397,800 4.29%

Russian Empire 175.1 1,811,000 1.89%

Austria-Hungary 51.4 1,100,000 3.05%

German Empire 64.9 2,050,897 3.82%

Ottoman Empire 21.3 771,844 13.72%

What kinds of effects would these losses have had on these countries?

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Blackadder Goes Forth – Trial

Watch the second part of the DVD and answer the following questions:

1. Why does Blackadder think he’ll get off without any charges?

2. Who is the judge?

3. Why does this affect the likely outcome of the trial?

4. Who is the first witness called to the stand?

5. Why does this witness not help the defence?

6. What instruction from Blackadder does the second witness misunderstand?

7. Who is the third witness? How does he seal Blackadder’s fate?

Trial Topic Sentences

Now use the DVD clip to add supporting sentences to the following topic sentences. In each case try to use linking words such as “firstly” and “additionally” to link the ideas together.

1. There are many different roles in a court.

Firstly,

Secondly,

Finally,

2. Blackadder knew that he was guilty before the sentence was read out.

Initially,

Then

Finally,

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Blackadder Goes Forth - Freedom

Blackadder realises he is likely to survive if he gets George to send a telegram to his uncle who has just been made Minister of War. Baldrick returns to George to tell him to send the telegram but unfortunately they fail to send the telegram because they are too busy celebrating getting Blackadder out of prison.

Watch the third part of the DVD and answer the following questions:

1. What does George suggest he is going to do to himself?

2. Why are they surprised when Blackadder arrives in the trench?

3. How did he escape?

4. What revenge does Blackadder take on George and Baldrick?

5. What is the name of the operation he sends them on? Why is this ironic?

Adverbs for Introducing Ideas

In the topic sentence activities above there are several adverbs which are given to you to help start a sentence. These are words which allow you to introduce and link ideas back to the topic sentence.

Can you unscramble the following phrases which could be used to introduce or link ideas?

llyfain alstyl

dnlysoec hent

siftryl neo thmeod saw

atdaydiionll xent

teraf thsi Anertho thodme saw

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Now try the following exercise. Below are a series of paragraphs however they are lacking both adverbs and topic sentences.

1. Firstly, read the sentences and decide upon a suitable topic sentence.2. Secondly, add in suitable adverbs to link the ideas back to the topic sentence.

Tanks

_________________________it enabled the deadlock of the trenches to be broken.

_________________________ it protected men from artillery and machine gun fire.

_________________________ it returned mobility to armies.

Airplanes

_________________________ could be used to survey the battlefield.

_________________________ were employed as fighters.

_________________________could drop bombs on towns and cities.

Communication

________________________ telephones became lighter and better quality.

______________________ more sophisticated wireless technology was developed.

_______________________ modern devices such as i-phones etc were produced.

Blackadder Goes Forth – Discussion34

The characters shown in the Blackadder are “caricatures”. This means they are exaggerated representations of real characters. The officers are portrayed as upper-class and rather stupid and the men as determined but terrified. Men were forced to undertake suicidal missions for officers who they felt did not respect or appreciate their sacrifices. If they failed to undertake the mission they were punished by firing squad. In English there are several expressions to illustrate their situation.

“Between a rock and a hard place”

“Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea”

“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t”

“Out of the frying pan into the fire”

How do you think these phrases exemplify people’s situation during the First World War?

Military Puzzles

1. Dead on the field lie ten soldiers in white, felled by three eyes, black as night. What happened?

2. An army general wanted ten soldiers to cross a river. There was no bridge and the soldiers could not swim. The general saw a rowing boat with two children in it. The boat could only hold two children or one soldier at once. How did the soldiers cross the river in the boat?

3. Soldiers line up spaced with pride, two long rows lined side by side. One sole unit can decide, if the rows will unite or divide. What am I?

4. You are working on improving the survival rate of the WW2 fighter planes. You collect statistics on the number of bullet holes in fighter planes that have just returned from their missions, and use this to recommend improvements to the plane’s design. After studying 10,000 planes that returned from the battle field, you discovered that A) 60% of the bullet holes are found in the wings of the airplane, B) 39% around the cockpit and C) 1% in the engine. Which area (A, B or C) needs increased armour plating? You can only increase the armour plating on one area because of weight restrictions. Justify your rationale for your choice of section.

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Reading Aloud

Sit back to back with another student. Your teacher will give you a copy of a poem. Some of the words are missing. Student A will read and student B will complete the poem and then vice versa. Read the poem again and answer the following questions:

1. What does the writer suggest happens to the bodies of soldiers who die on foreign battlefields?

2. What effect will the presence of a soldier’s body have on ‘that rich earth’?

3. How does the writer suggest that, with death, the soldier is in some way purified?

4. How would you describe the writer’s memories of time spent in England?

5. And what, in the writer’s opinion, happens to these memories?

6. What is the writer’s attitude towards death?

7. How is the writer’s attitude towards death different to yours?

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Weird Wars

Your teacher has put up 7 cards with information about some of the weirdest wars in history around the room.Read the following questions and then try to answer the questions which follow.

1. What is the name of the longest war?

2. What is the name of the shortest war?

3. Which war started because of the death of an animal?

4. Which war against animals ended badly?

5. What was ironic about the Football War?

6. How could faster communication have stopped one war from happening?

7. Which war was the friendliest and yet the saddest? Why?

8. Which war do you think was fought for the stupidest reason and why?

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Lesson 3:Over the Top

Outcomes

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

“There was never a good war, or a bad peace.”Benjamin Franklin

Fight and Discuss

Congratulations General. You and your team of advisors have been appointed to lead an army of 50,000 men. Your objective is to achieve a victory in the face of overwhelming odds. You will need all of your guile and cunning in order to achieve victory. Collect your information bulletin from your teacher. Read it and prepare to make decisions. Remember every decision costs lives.

1. How many men did you lose?

2. What did you learn about tactics and weapons in World War I?

3. Why do you think it is so difficult to make any advance without losing men?

4. Any small movement forward cost thousands upon thousands of lives. How do you think this affected the men who fought in the First World War and how do you think it affected their opinion of the necessity of fighting the war?

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Critically think about a problem Answer reading comprehension

questions Understand and use conjunctions Infer from a viewing text Discuss and brainstorm ideas

The Spoils of War

Your teacher will give you some cards detailing the lives of seven people who changed the world. Read the cards and take notes below.

Name How war led to them changing the world…(No more than 10 words!)

1. Clement Atlee

2. Emmeline Pankhurst

3. Florence Nightingale

4. Harriet Tubman

5. Alan Turing

6. Frank Whittle

Now discuss which one of these people you feel had the greatest impact on the world today and why.

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Comprehension Questions

In your own words answer the following questions in full sentences.

1. How do you think the formation of a free national health service helped people who had suffered from years of war and lived on rationed food?

2. Why do you think Atlee was able to beat Winston Churchill in an election to become Prime Minister?

3. In your own words explain why Emmeline Pankhurst felt that women were entitled to the vote.

4. Name some of the causes of mortality (death) discovered by Florence Nightingale.

5. How did Harriet Tubman suffer discrimination from those she freed?

6. In your own words explain what a cryptanalyst does.

7. What would you consider to be Frank Whittle’s greatest impact on the modern world?

8. What was Frank Whittle’s greatest failure during his life?

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Conjunctions

These are words which join ideas and link parts of sentences together. By doing so they add to the essay’s cohesion and make the ideas flow in a logical and orderly fashion.

Some conjunctions are used to link ideas within sentences.

E.g. and, so, but, because

Others are used to link sentences and ideas within a paragraph.

E.g. However, In addition to, Therefore, In order to

Can you match the conjunctions used within a sentence to those that may be used to start a sentence?

Within a sentence To start a sentence

1. and a) Therefore,

2. so b) In addition to / Additionally, / Moreover, / Furthermore,

3. but c) In order to / Consequently,

4. because d) However, / On the other hand

What do you notice about the punctuation of 3 of the phrases/words used to start a sentence?

Look at the following paragraph and correct the errors within it.

But soldiers in World War 1 also suffered because of their diet. Often there were not

adequate food supplies to the front line because they suffered from malnutrition. And

diseases such as scurvy were recorded amongst the troops. So the army generals tried hard

to encourage and promote better dietary habits and provide better supplies of food to the

men at the front. And this failed to have any major impact owing to the poor transportation

facilities to the front line additionally food stocks in the UK were low resulting in a

continuation of the status quo. On the other hand, this meant that the troops suffered an

increase in mortality.

There are many different forms of conjunction. Can you write the letter of the example next to the category it belongs to?

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Type Examples Sentences

Conjunction of time

1. The men fought because they were proud and patriotic.

2. The men had suffered since entering the trenches.3. The Somme was the place where many British soldiers

fell on the field of combat.4. The troops wouldn’t have fought better even if they had

been provided with better equipment.5. German soldiers refused to give up unless they were

offered an “honourable” peace.6. The tank was developed so that the deadlock in the

First World War could be broken.7. The soldiers caused death and destruction wherever

they went.8. The war raged on in the trenches while people worked

in the factories making ammunition and war materials.9. As the war was fought on two fronts, Germany lost.10. If a man didn’t want to go to war he was given a white

feather as a sign of cowardice.11.The aeroplane was used heavily during the First World

War in order to scout enemy positions.12.Although Russia had many soldiers, it was defeated

technologically.

Conjunction of place

Conjunction of reason

Conjunction of

concession

Conjunction of condition

Conjunction of cause-and-effect

Which of the conjunction types would you use in an argumentative essay? Why?

Can you finish the following sentences using an appropriate conjunction? More than one answer is possible.

1. _______________ the war continued for many years, Germany ran out of resources.

2. _______________ gas masks were used the threat from gas attacks was greatly reduced.

3. Women went to work in factories ______________ production in England wasn’t reduced.

4. Britain could not have defeated Germany ______________ they had used soldiers from all

of their colonies.

5. Conscription meant that men had to fight for their country _________________ they were

in a reserved occupation such as doctor, civil servant or other essential worker.

6. Young men were asked to fight ________ they were healthy of mind and body.

7. ____________________ tanks were used towards the end of the war there weren’t enough

of them to make a dramatic difference.

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Now try joining the following sentences together using an appropriate conjunction. You may need to change the order of the sentences!

1. Cavalry were used in many old wars. They quickly attacked and defeated an enemy.

2. Men sometimes didn’t obey orders. These men faced a firing squad.

3. Tanks couldn’t move well. The ground had to be hard.

4. Men were ordered to attack. They refused to obey orders.

5. War poets wrote powerful poems. People could understand the horrors of the war in more detail.

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Blackadder Goes Forth – Over the Top 1

After 3 years of war on the Western Front millions of men had died and the front line had barely moved. The war would continue for one more year with thousands upon thousands of casualties. Men took extreme measures to get out of the trenches. Some even shot themselves in the foot in order to be sent home. Mutinies occurred but still the war rolled on.In 1917 the British prepared for a great offensive designed to win the war. Like many previous plans it was to fail with a heavy loss of life

Watch the DVD and answer the following questions:

1. What do you think conditions were like in the trenches for the men in their day to day life?

2. What does “going over the top” mean?

3. Why does Blackadder refer to the war as “madness”?

4. What happened to George’s friends? What do you think the writer is trying to imply?

5. Predict Blackadder’s plan.

Blackadder Goes Forth – Over the Top 244

Watch the DVD and answer the following questions:

1. What does Blackadder do to ensure he is sent home?

2. What does Baldrick tell Blackadder that suggests that conditions in the trenches have become very poor over the past 3 years?

3. What does Baldrick’s opinion suggest about people’s understanding of why the war occurred?

4. Why do you think the general is aware of the strategy Blackadder is using?

5. How does Blackadder get revenge on Darling?

Discuss

Many men faked injuries, shot themselves in the foot or feigned insanity in order to leave the front line.What does this tell you about the nature and conditions of the First World War?

Hint

In the book Catch-22 one of the characters is a pilot who fakes madness to avoid fighting. However, he is informed that he must fight if he is mad, as only a madman would be prepared to fight. What do you think the phrase “a Catch-22 situation” means?

45

Blackadder Goes Forth – Over the Top 3

Blackadder is unable to prevent himself being sent over the top. However, he is about to receive a surprise…

1. What words do you think describe the main characters’ feelings regarding the imminent assault?

2. Why do the men get excited?

3. How does George’s reaction to “going over the top” contrast with his reaction in the first part of the DVD?

4. Do you think Blackadder’s final line sums up the First World War? Why?

5. What does the final image of the DVD represent and how do we mark our respect for fallen soldiers today?

46

Thinking

In the space below organise some of your ideas from the previous lessons about war under the following headings:

Good things which have come out of war Reasons why war is terrible

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Lesson 4:All is Lost!

Outcomes

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

“An unjust peace is better than a just war.”Marcus Tullius Cicero

Introduction

Around the room are 8 pictures which represent 8 positive or negative consequences of war.Walk around the room and write no more than 5 words for each to explain what they represent.

1 5

2 6

3 7

4 8

Argumentative Essays

Are the following statements true or false?

In an argumentative essay, you: True / False

have to state your opinion clearly

have to give supporting evidence to main points

can use informal language, such as: kids, Ang Moh,m8, 2gether

don’t have to use paragraphs

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Analyse an argumentative essay Correct the structure and content of an

argumentative essay Plan an essay in a structured way Write a first draft of an argumentative

essay

Planning an Argumentative Essay

Use the words in the box below to complete the hints and tips for argumentative essay construction.

indent writing start checklink contractions paragraphs easyread formal conjunctions informalplan short expand

1. You must always make it ____________________- for the reader to follow your ideas.

2. Every piece of _______________ has 3 parts, and therefore at least 3

____________________.

3. You should leave a space between each paragraph and _____________ the first sentence of

every paragraph.

4. Don’t write ___________________ sentences.

5. Use ___________________ to link ideas together within a sentence e.g. and, so, but,

because.

6. Don’t ___________________sentences with “so, because, and, but”

7. When starting a sentence, we can use “However, …It is also true that …”

8. ________________________ your writing before you start.

9. Try to ____________________ ideas within each paragraph by using:

Conjunctions: and, but, so, because

This is because … As a result of this…

10.In tests:

_________________ the question write it

make notes __________________ it for errors

organise it into paragraphs

11.Don’t just make a series of main points one after the other. You should make each point and

then ______________________ it in sentences which follow.

12.Don’t use __________________ words when there is a ____________________ word that is

more appropriate. e.g. kids children

13.Do not, ever, use ___________________________ in a formal piece of writing such as an

essay, or. (E.g. it’s, doesn’t, isn’t etc…)

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Reading

Read the essay below paying attention to the notes in the column. Can you use coloured pencils to codify the boxes by colour and highlight examples within the essay? The first one has been done for you.

War is Futile

Wars have been fought throughout the centuries. The reasons for fighting them have been many and varied although they have not always been logical. The question remains however, “Is war futile?” Many people believe that wars are fought and there is little to be gained from armed combat.

Wars are often fought over territory. Dictators fight to take control of land and use their superior forces to pick on smaller countries. However, even if they are successful and succeed in occupying the smaller country they face a large number of problems. Firstly, the people often rise up and oppose the occupation. This is very costly for the invader who is forced to keep a large army stationed in the occupied land. This means that any money gained from the new territory is eaten up paying for the cost of occupying the land.

Secondly, the United Nations exercises a great deal of power across the world. When one country invades another the United Nations takes a vote and often decides on military action. The United Nations is particularly keen on protecting small, defenceless countries from larger, aggressive neighbours. This means that the aggressive country can end-up being attacked by several very powerful countries. The result is often a loss of both the occupied country as well as massive damage to the aggressor’s own country.

Additionally, some wars are fought for ludicrous reasons. The Pig War was fought because someone shot a pig and the Football War was fought over a matter of national pride involving who was better at playing football. Did the soldiers fighting in this war give away their lives for a noble cause?

Despite this some wars are fought for sincere and valid reasons. Wars such as the American Civil War led to changes in the rights of black Americans and took away the barbaric practice of slavery which had blighted and destroyed the lives of many in America. World War 2 sought to protect the democracy of many nations and helped fight against racial prejudices which led to genocide against Jews.

All in all I feel that while some wars are valid, many are fought for insincere or ridiculous reasons. Equally, wars fought for resources or territories are likely to end in disaster for the aggressor. Consequently, while a minority of wars can be deemed to be in the interest of the greater good the majority could be said to be futile.

1. Title

2. Clear paragraphing

3. Exemplification of ideas

4. Conjunctions to connect

ideas

5. Adverbs to introduce

ideas

6. Emotive language

7. Rhetorical questions

8. Topic sentences

9. A conclusion emphasising the writer’s

opinion

10.Consideration of both sides

of the argument

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Essay

Now brainstorm and plan an essay entitled:

“War has never led to anything positive” Discuss.

This is an argumentative essay and you will be asked to consider both sides of the argument.Use the framework below to help construct your essay.

Section What do I need to do? My ideas

Introduction

Tell the reader what you are going to

write about but don’t tell them if you are for or against the

argument.

Write this after the body paragraphs

Positive things from

war

Brainstorm anything positive that has

come out of war i.e. rights

1.

2.

3.

4.

Negative things from

war

Brainstorm anything negative which has come from war i.e.

casualties

1.

2.

3.

4.

Conclusion

Remind the reader what you wrote

about and tell them your decision.

Write this after the body paragraphs

When you have written down your positive and negative statements compare which side of the argument has more potential. If you have more positives than negatives then your essay will challenge the statement. If you have more negatives than positives it will support the statement.

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Breakdown

Now we need to see which ideas can be used effectively within the essay. Write your ideas into the framework below and then try to think of examples and supporting sentences to support each idea. You do not need to fill in every box.

Positives

E.g. Improved Health Care

Fewer people died Improved sanitation Better medicines i.e. penicillin Better nutrition for wounded Florence Nightingale

1

2

3

4

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Negatives

E.g. Damage to Property

Roads destroyed reducing transport Fewer supplies being transported Police and other services affected Rebuilding costs money People have poor living conditions

1

2

3

4

You can now use this framework to write your essay.

Don’t forget to get the balance right! If you are supporting the idea tilt your essay towards more negative ideas. If you are against it tilt you essay to include more positive ideas.

Write your body paragraphs first. Take two or three positive ideas and one negative one or vice versa.

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Essay Help Sheet

You can use the guide below to help write your essay.

Introduction – what’s in it?• Rephrase the statement and give world / general opinion

• Define terms

• Go from “global statement” to explain what you will do in the essay

↓

Body Paragraphs – what’s in it, and how is it organised? Firstly, + main idea / point

Expand on that point – give examples, implications, reasons

In addition to this, …….+ next main point

Expand on that point – give examples, implications, reasons

↓ ↓

Opposing views On the other hand, + main point give examples, implications,

reasons Furthermore, …….+ next main

point give examples, implications,

reasons

Same view Secondly, + main point give examples, implications,

reasons Moreover, ….+ next main point give examples, implications,

reasons

↓ ↓

Conclusion - what’s in it and how is it organised? To sum up…In conclusion …

Admit that the opposing argument is partly true

Give your own decision

Recommend future action

Ask a hypothetical question …

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1st Draft

Now in the space below use the breakdown of ideas to write your essay.

“War has never led to anything positive” Discuss.

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Evaluation56

Now read your partner’s work and try to complete the following evaluation form. Try to give them some help so that they can improve their work.

My partner has shown / has included: Yes or No

Clear paragraphing

Exemplification of ideas

Conjunctions to connect ideas

Adverbs to introduce ideas

Emotive language

Rhetorical questions

Topic sentences

A conclusion emphasising the writer’s opinion

Consideration of both sides of the argument

Clear well-argued ideas

Accurate grammar

Accurate spelling

Total out of 13

3 Things I like about my partner’s work….

1.

2.

3.

3 Things my partner could do better….

1.

2.

3.

2nd Draft

Now use your partner’s feedback to redraft your work.57

“War has never led to anything positive” Discuss.

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Crossword

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Across:

1. E.g. silently, slipping, softly, 3. This introduces a paragraph in an essay (2) 9. A silent, deadly weapon 10. Horse riders defeated by machine guns 11. Automatic war wagon 12. Defensive position in WW1 14. War poet (2) 15. Surname of famous nurse 16. Telegram, Telephone etc. 18. When there is no hope of victory

Down:

2. The space between two trenches (3) 4. A cynical character in a comedy about WW1

5. Phrase to describe an infantry attack in WW1 (3) 6. Cryptographer (2) 7. First name of tank inventor 8. National Song 13. It sounds like the sound itself! 17. Blackadder shoots one of these (2)

Appendix 5 – Teacher’s Notes

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Please note that owing to the size of this document it has been saved as a separate pdf.

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