a British writer (1893-1970) best known for her memoir ‘Testament of Youth’ about her experiences on the home front of World War One

a British soldier and poet (1893-1918) best remembered for his poetry about World War One

the attitude and emotion of your voice - written or verbal

an acronym for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a mental health condition

Improving a letter: deliberate verbs and precise adjectives

English

Understanding why people write about war

World War One: propaganda and trench warfare

Reading 'Propping Up the Line', a short story about World War One by Ian Beck

Analysing the presentation of the gas attack: Ian Beck's 'Propping Up the Line'

Ian Beck's ‘Propping Up The Line’: Alice’s experiences on the Home Front

The presentation of trauma in Ian Beck's short story, 'Propping Up the Line'

Symbolism and motif in Ian Beck's short story, ‘Propping Up The Line’

Vivid descriptive writing using Ian Beck's ‘Propping Up The Line’ as stimulus

Using sentence structure to create rhythm in writing about World War One

Reading Katherine Mansfield’s short story, ‘The Fly’ (1922)

Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' (1922): exploring character foils and symbolism

Exploring the presentation of the boss in 'The Fly' by Katherine Mansfield

Debating different interpretations of Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’

Creative writing in the third person inspired by Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly'

Skim reading and close reading: Wilfred Owen’s 1917 letter to his mother

Letter writing: planning, using Wilfred Owen’s 1917 letter as stimulus

Writing a letter as a soldier in the trenches of World War One

Improving the style of a letter: sentence structure and rhythm

Skim reading and close reading: 'Testament of Youth' by Vera Brittain

Letter writing: planning, using Vera Brittain’s ‘Testament of Youth’ as stimulus

Writing a letter from the British home front: tone, audience and purpose

Comparing texts about World War One using comparative topic sentences

Comparing texts about World War One in comparative analytical paragraphs

In 'A World at War: Short Stories', pupils explore the reasons for writing war literature and how it seeks to convey the suffering of soldiers and civilians, in times of conflict. In 'Power and Conflict Poetry', students explore the many types of conflict that arise through war, with themes including patriotism, propaganda, fear, guilt and duty.

In 'The Tempest', pupils are encouraged to write from the viewpoint of Caliban and Ariel, adopting character voices in creative writing. In 'A World at War', pupils emulate the writing styles of the authors that they encounter, to create an authentic voice in their writing. 

In this unit, pupils explore and compare texts written about the First World War. They first read Beck's 'Propping up the line', Mansfield's 'The Fly' and Wilfred Owen's 1917 letter home to his mum. They finally read Brittain's 'Testament of Youth', and then plan and write a comparative response.

Literary perspectives from the First World War

Depiction of war, threats of war, death or the aftermath of war.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Depiction or discussion of violence or fighting, including threats of violence or the aftermath of violence.

Depiction or discussion of serious mental health issues including eating disorders, self-harm, suicide or attempted suicide, or the aftermath of such an event.

Depiction or discussion of mental health issues

A pupil wrote a sentence inspired by poetry and short stories about WW1: "I stumble fitfully, cold and alone." Match each word of the sentence to its word class.

A pupil wrote a sentence inspired by poetry and short stories about WW1: "Nightly, I feel desolate." Match each word of the sentence to its word class.

One of Wilfred Owen's most famous poems describes the weather in the trenches. Owen begins the poem, "Our brains {{ }}".

One of Wilfred Owen's most famous poems describes a gas attack. Owen uses the first stanza to describe the soldiers in the trenches: "{{ }}, coughing like hags".

One of Wilfred Owen's most famous poems describes the weather in the trenches. Owen describes "the merciless iced east winds that {{ }} us."

In one of his most famous poems, Wilfred Owen wrote about the "clawing" flares in the trenches. What did he later change this phrase to?

Wilfred Owen's 'Mental Cases' describes soldiers with PTSD. He says in their minds they are "Wading sloughs [swamps] of flesh". Which is the verb in this phrase?

A pupil wrote a sentence inspired by poetry and short stories about WW1: "The weather is bitterly cold." Match each word of the sentence to its word class.

A pupil wrote a sentence inspired by poetry and short stories about WW1: "I survey the empty town and desolate shops." Match each word of the sentence to its word class.

it is a selection of her diary entries from WW1

it is a memoir of her experiences on the home front of WW1

it is a memoir of her experiences on the home front of WW2

it is a selection of letters from her and her husband Roland from WW1

it is an imaginative memoir about her experiences on the front line of WW1

Which option below is accurate about Vera Brittain's 'Testament of Youth'?

they are best remembered for their poetry about WW1

they are best remembered for their writings about WW1

they both used the years after the war to write and publish their work

What is accurate about both Wilfred Owen and Vera Brittain, two writers from the unit 'Literary perspectives from the First World War'?

One of Wilfred Owen's most famous poems, 'Dulce et Decorum Est', describes a gas attack. Owen uses the first stanza to describe the soldiers in the trenches, writing "we {{ }} through sludge."

Starter Quiz

Wilfred Owen's 'Mental Cases' describes soldiers with PTSD. He says in their minds they are "Wading sloughs [swamps] of flesh". Which is the verb in this phrase?