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Letter from Trenches

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Letter from Trenches
A letter from the trenches
Grade 9 Humanities - Assessment Task

AOI: Health and Social Education

Imagine you are a soldier fighting in the First World War in 1915…

Your character could be in the trenches on the Western Front as:
British, French or German soldier a native conscript from one of the colonies in Africa or Asia a volunteer from a commonwealth ally like Canada or South Africa

Alternatively, your character could be: a German or Russian soldier on the Eastern Front a Turkish, British or Australian soldier in the Middle East

Your task is to write a letter home from the field of battle. This will be historical fiction, meaning that the character you choose will be invented, but the living and fighting conditions described in your letter will be based on historically accurate facts and details from your research. Remember to focus on the health conditions for soldiers in the war, both physically and mentally.

Things you need to consider:

Decide who you are writing to – wife, girlfriend, parents, grandparents?
Remember to produce your letter in the proper way with a date and an address. Include your address at the front line and perhaps your regiment. Remember to end your letter properly.
Describe as much as you can about life in the trenches and what you have been through. Don’t forget to describe everyday life, the health and safety problems of the trenches, and the community spirit of the soldiers you enlisted with.
You might like to mention some weapons or ways of fighting (but you do not have to).
You could also mention how you feel about your allies and your enemies.
Don’t forget to use the language of the time – we should believe that your letter was really sent during the First World War.
Censorship – every letter was read by an officer to make sure it did not say too much about names, locations or give anything away that would be useful to the enemy. Make sure your letter would get past the censor.
You will be

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