A-Level – First World War

	Wilfred Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decorum’ In this resource, students work with a cloze version of Wilfred Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decorum’. Students are asked to look at the choices that Owen made in drafting and redrafting the poem, and consider what difference the choices made. The resource could be used as a whole class activity on a whiteboard, or by individual students at desktops. For full notes on how to use this poem in the classroom, see our teachers’ handbook.
	Eve in Khaki – a resource focusing on the changing role of women during the First World War. A collection of extracts from ‘Eve in Khaki’, propaganda put out during the First World War to encourage women to join up. This would be extremely useful for looking at the language of propaganda, and is particularly interesting for the social aspects of the First World War. It also shows the role of women during the war, and focuses particularly on the changes in gender roles in war time. A number of questions are included in the resource.
	The War Illustrated – a weekly illustrated periodical from 1914 A collection of scanned pages from The War Illustrated, a periodical from 1914. The periodical includes photos, drawings and articles. To zoom in more closely to the articles, you will probably need to save them to your own computer and use a graphics program. This would be extremely useful for looking at the language of propaganda, and is particularly interesting for the social aspects of the First World War. This is particularly useful for reminding students of the role of women, Indians and Africans during the First World War.
	The Theatre at War – a resource focusing on Shakespeare in war time This resource contains a number of extracts describing the different situations in which theatre took place during war time, focusing on the way in which Shakespeare was understood during the First World War. It is intended to provide starting points for class discussion of both the war, and of the ways in which Shakespeare has been interpreted in the past. This would be particularly useful for A-level students studying Shakespeare and the First World War synoptic paper.
	The B.E.F. Times – a magazine published in the trenches Extracts from the B.E.F. Times, a magazine published by the soldiers in the trenches on the First World War. This includes a range of poetry and ironic ‘news items’. It is intended to give students a better idea of the context in which the war poets were writing. This gives a closer view of the ordinary soldier’s experiences during the First World War. This would be particularly useful for A-level students studying the First World War synoptic paper.
	Armageddon – a review of a play written during the First World War This review from The Times shows how the war was influencing theatre in different ways. It is intended to give students a better idea of the context in which the war poets were writing. This would be particularly useful for A-level students studying the First World War synoptic paper.
	The Queen’s Gift Book – a collection of poems and stories published in aid of wounded soldiers A collection of poems, stories and illustrations from ‘The Queen’s Gift Book’, published in 1915. It is intended to give students a better idea of the context in which the war poets were writing. This would be particularly useful for A-level students studying the First World War synoptic paper. Patrick Leigh Fermor comments briefly on ‘The Queen’s Gift Book’ in ‘A Time of Gifts’, below. To zoom into an image, hold your mouse over it and wait for a ‘zoom in’ icon to appear.
	Patrick Leigh Fermor – A Time of Gifts Patrick Leigh Fermor was growing up during the First World War, and in this extract from his autobiography he recalls the Armistice, and the way in which he was affected by anti-German propaganda. He contrasts this with the ways in which the Germans he meets think of the English. It is intended to give students a better idea of the context in which the war poets were writing. This would be extremely useful for looking at propaganda and the social aspects of the First World War. This would be particularly useful for A-level students studying the First World War synoptic paper.
	Rabindranath Tagore – an Indian war poet? Rabindranath Tagore was an Indian writer, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature. Although not particularly well known in Britain today, he was extremely popular before and druing the First World War. His war poetry forms an interesting contrast to that of writers such as Wilfred Owen (one of Tagore’s poems was found on Owen’s body). It is intended to give students a better idea of the international literary context in which the war poets were writing. This would be particularly useful for A-level students studying the First World War synoptic paper.
	The Bombardment of Reims in 1914-1918, shown through propaganda postcards A collection of postcards showing Reims after the First World War. These could be used in the classroom to give some idea of the impact of the First World War on France.
	May Wedderburn Cannan, poet and MI5 employee, recalls the First World War Extracts from the autobiography of May Wedderburn Cannan, a poet and MI5 employee during the First World War. These can be used in class to give a very different view of the war, particularly for women. Cannan shows the life-style that young women had during the war and immediately after it. Cannan also recalls how people thought of poets like Sassoon and Owen during the war.