Considering the context of Sheers' 'Mametz Wood' and the futility of war
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can understand the story of the poem ‘Mametz Wood’ and explain the events that inspired it.
Key learning points
- ‘Mametz Wood’ was inspired by the Battle of Mametz Wood in 1916.
- Sheers tells the story of the discovery of the bodies of 20 young men, all of whom were slaughtered in battle.
- Some people attribute the 4000 deaths in the battle to poor tactical decisions made by commanders.
- The poem conveys how devastating, destructive and futile war is.
- The poet illustrates that war affects not only people, but nature too, as the land has been scarred by violence.
Keywords
Futile - pointless
Relic - an object (usually of historical interest) which has survived an earlier time
Inexperienced - having little knowledge or experience in something
Fortified - made strong or secure
Slaughter - the killing of many people or animals unjustly, or in a particularly cruel manner
Common misconception
Students often make the mistake of thinking that, like many of the other war poems, this poem was written by a soldier at the time of the war.
This poem is not a personal account; Sheers wrote this poem in 2005. He wanted to raise awareness about the loss of Welsh lives in Mametz Wood and illustrate how destructive war is.
Teacher tip
There are some insightful photographs of the damage that the battle has done to the land, as well as some very useful photographs of some of the remnants of dug-up graves that students might find interesting and useful to see when reading this poem.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the Eduqas poetry anthology for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.If something is futile it means that it is...
Q2.What is propaganda?
Q3.When was World War 1?
Q4.What is a relic?
Q5.Which word means to 'make strong or secure'?
Q6.A is a direct comparison between two things.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.'Mametz Wood' was written in 2005 but based on events which occurred in 1916. Which war does this relate to?
Q2.What is true of the solders who were place in the 38th Division in WW1?
Q3.Match the key vocabulary to its definition.
Q4.Starting with the first, order the events of 'Mametz Wood' as we read them in the poem.
Q5.In 'Mametz Wood', Sheers illustrates that war affects not only people, but too, as the land has been scarred by violence.
Q6.What do some people attribute the death of the soldiers who fought The Battle of Mametz Wood to?
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Considering the context of Sheers' 'Mametz Wood' and the futility of war, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Considering the context of Sheers' 'Mametz Wood' and the futility of war, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 English lessons from the Poetry anthology (Assessment until summer 2026) unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.