Episode 21
5th August 2014
Activity
World War I Centenary
Key Learning
Students will gain a deeper understanding of Australia’s involvement in the First World War.
The Australian Curriculum
History / Historical Skills / Chronology, terms and
concepts
History / Historical Knowledge and Understanding /
Community and Remembrance
Days and weeks celebrated or commemorated in Australia
(including Australia Day, ANZAC Day, Harmony Week, National
Reconciliation Week, NAIDOC week and National Sorry Day)
and the importance of symbols and emblems.(ACHHK063)
Sequence historical events, developments and
periods (ACHHS205)
Use historical terms and concepts (ACHHS206)
History / Historical Skills / Historical questions and
research
Identify a range of questions about the past to inform a historical
inquiry. (ACHHS207)
Discussion Questions
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What is the Centenary of World War I?
When did the First World War start?
Why did Australia become involved in the war?
Complete the following sentence: Some young Australian men were so keen to sign up to serve in
the war they...
During which battle did the ANZACs fight together for the first time?
Describe what life for the soldiers was like in the trenches?
Where did most of the fighting happen?
How did the attitudes of Australians change as the war went on?
What is an armistice and in which year was it signed?
How many soldiers and civilians were killed or wounded in World War I?
Activities
Key words
Students will find out what the following key words mean.
©ABC 2014
enlist
Gallipoli
trenches
armistice
Anzac
allies
Snapshot of World War I
Students will find out more about World War I and create a snapshot of Australia involvement in the war. The
following questions can be used to help guide students’ research.
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Why did Australia become involved in this war?
How was Australia involved in the war?
Which events started and ended World War I?
Where were Australian troops located? Show on a map.
What were the major battles in the First World War?
What was the role of women in World War I?
Students can display their research in using one of the following:
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Prezi http://prezi.com/index/
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Glogster http://www.glogster.com/
Recruiting soldiers
Students look at the recruitment posters for the First World War and respond to the following questions:
 How are young men being encouraged to enlist?
 What words and pictures were used?
 Why would recruitment posters have been needed during the First World War?
Listen to the audio recording of five Australian solders explaining why they signed up to fight in WWI. Briefly
describe their experiences and memories.
http://www.awm.gov.au/blog/2013/12/04/sound-collection-online-recruitment-recalls/
Images from World War I
Students will look at the following images from World War 1 and then respond to the following questions:
 What is happening in the image?
 Where do you think they are?
 How do you think they might be feeling?
©ABC 2014
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Is there a message about war that come across in the image?
What three questions would you ask the person/people in the image?
Create a caption for each image.
©ABC 2014
Biography
 Students will choose an Australian who served in World War I and create a biography about them. The
person could be a well known serviceman or woman or someone related to the student.
Alec Campbell
Research questions
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Who is the biography about?
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Where are they from? Find it on a map.
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How did they become involved in WWI?
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Briefly describe their service during the war.
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What were their challenges?
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Describe their life after the war.
John Simpson Kirkpatrick
Albert Jacka
Vera Deakin
The following plan provides a guide for students when writing a biography.
 Research
 Set a direction for your biography
 Create a plan
 Start writing
 Edit
Encourage students to present their research using maps, timelines, drawings and photographs in an
interesting way, for example using Bio Cube Creator
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/cube_creator/
Remind students that they will need to cite all references in a bibliography at the end of their biography.
Further Investigation
Students investigate what life was like in the trenches for Australian soldiers. What were the conditions
like and what problems did soldiers face? Draw a picture to illustrate life in the trenches.
 Related Research Links
Behind the News – Remembrance Day
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3880227.htm
ABC – First World War Centenary
http://www.abc.net.au/news/first-world-war-centenary/
Australian War Memorial – Centenary of the First World War
https://www.awm.gov.au/1914-1918/
Australian War Memorial – Timeline WWI
https://www.awm.gov.au/1914-1918/timeline/#43
©ABC 2014
Australian War Memorial – First World War trench environment
http://www.awm.gov.au/education/schools/discovery-zone/first-world-war/
Civics and Citizenship Education – Australia’s involvement in World War I
http://www.civicsandcitizenship.edu.au/cce/fast_facts_file,9614.html
©ABC 2014