REEL CANADA
Lesson Plan
Passchendaele
History
Grades 10-12
PASSCHENDAELE LESSON PLAN
TARGET GRADE LEVELS: Grades 10 - 12
SUBJECT RELEVANCE: History
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Curriculum Connections 1
Pre-Viewing Activity 2
Post-Viewing Activity 3–4
Quiz 5–6
MAIN THEMES AND MESSAGES
Canada’s role in World War I; the Battle of Passchendaele; courage; finding love;
World War I battle conditions; World War I weaponry
LESSON PLAN OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES
This lesson guide is to supplement the high school History courses (grades 10 to
12). The lesson activities are presented to provide the teacher with ideas for
implementation and assessment of strands of the Canadian History since World
War I (Grade 10), World History since 1900: Global & Regional Interactions (Grade
11) and World History since the Fifteenth Century (Grade 12) courses.
The film PASSCHENDAELE provides a contemporary avenue for infusing
relevance and interest into the content of the high school History courses. For each
of the aforementioned strands, clear connections (and extensions) between the film
and content will be provided:
• “Premise” - shows the connection between the curriculum material and the
contents of the film.
• “Guiding Questions” - can be used to engage student thinking in class-
discussions, or can serve as the core-questions in mini-assignments or
projects,
• “Sample Activities” – ideas for formative or summative assessment
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
GRADE 10 – CANADIAN HISTORY SINCE WORLD WAR 1 (CHC2D)
Historical Inquiry & Skill Development
1.2 select and organize relevant evidence and information on aspects of Canadian history
since 1914 from a variety of primary and secondary sources, ensuring that their
sources reflect multiple perspectives
1.6 evaluate and synthesize their findings to formulate conclusions and/or make informed
judgments or predictions about the issues, events, and/or developments they are
investigating
Canada, 1914 - 1929
1.4 explain the impact on Canadian society and politics of some key events and/or
developments during World War I
2.1 explain the main causes of World War I and of Canada’s participation in the war, and
analyse some of the consequences of Canada’s military participation in the war
2.2 analyse, with reference to specific events or issues, the significance of and
participation in international relations between 1914 and 1929
GRADE 11 – WORLD HISTORY SINCE 1900: GLOBAL & REGIONAL INTERACTIONS
(CHT3O)
Historical Inquiry & Skill Development
1.2 select and organize relevant evidence and information on aspects of world history
since 1900 from a variety of primary and secondary sources
1.6 evaluate and synthesize their findings to formulate conclusions and/or make informed
judgments or predictions about the issues, events, and/or developments they are
investigating
Empires & Nationalism, 1900 - 1919
2.1 explain the main causes and short-term consequences of World War I
3.3 explain how various factors impeded the development of citizenship rights during this
period
GRADE 12 – WORLD HISTORY SINCE THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY (CHY4U/C)
Historical Inquiry & Skill Development
1.2 select and organize relevant evidence and information on aspects of world history
since 1900 from a variety of primary and secondary sources
1.7 evaluate and synthesize their findings to formulate conclusions and/or make informed
judgments or predictions about the issues, events, and/or developments they are
investigating
The World since 1900
2.1 explain the main causes and consequences of some major global and regional
conflicts during this period
2.2 describe significant developments relating to warfare during this period and assess
their consequences
2.3 explain how the actions of some significant individuals and groups contributed to
conflicts within and between various countries during this period
1
PRE-VIEWING ACTIVITY
Pre-Viewing Activity: “Weaponry and Vehicles in WWI”
Materials: Computers/internet for research
Time Allocation: ~1 – 2 classes, depending on homework
War is often romanticised as heroic and glorious. As a result, it is easy for those of us who
have not fought in a war to forget just how horrific war can be. It is important for students to
understand what Canadian soldiers faced during the First World War.
Assign each student a type of military weapon or vehicle that was used during World War I.
Examples include mortars, the Ross rifle, the Huot automatic Rifle, the Sopwith 1/12
Strutter (aircraft), the Mark V (tank), and chlorine gas. Ask each student to research their
weapon or vehicle and write answers to the following questions:
1) Which country, or countries, used this weapon or vehicle?
2) When was it introduced?
3) When was it retired?
4) Why was it introduced? What was its role in the war?
5) How effective was it in fulfilling its role? (Provide some numbers here)
Modifications and This could be adapted into an assignment where each student
Notes: gives a short presentation of his or her assigned weapon or
vehicle using visual aids such as slides and photographs. This
way, each student gets to see and learn from the work of all the
others.
2
POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY
HISTORY
Premise:
The Battle of Passchendaele marks one of Canada’s most famous and most important
contributions in the First World War. This film therefore lends itself to a number of topics
relevant to history classes, including the repeated invocation of Canada’s War Measures
Act, the heroic actions of some of Canada’s bravest soldiers, and the tactical
considerations and fighting conditions associated with trench warfare.
Activity 1: “War in the Trenches: Bristol Board Display”
Materials: Internet access, Bristol board and poster-making materials
Time Allocation: 1 – 2 classes
Ask students to visit the Spartacus Educational entry on Trench Warfare (see resources section)
and have them pick 1 or 2 of the topics (e.g. waterlogged trenches) from each of the larger
categories (Life in the Trenches, the Trench System, and Trench Warfare).
Each student will therefore have 3 or 6 topics in all.
Students will create a Bristol board display with written sections summarizing the information
found in the entries they have chosen. Students should focus on providing the information that
answers the guiding question associated with the larger category that topic belongs to. Pictures
and artistic elements are encouraged.
Guiding Questions:
Life in the Trenches – How did this aspect of life in the trenches affect the soldiers?
The Trench System – What role did this aspect of the trench system play in the war?
Trench Warfare – What are the goals of these aspects of trench warfare?
For example if a student has chosen the topic “waterlogged trenches” from the Life in the
Trenches category, he or she will provide a summary of the information in that entry while
focussing on how waterlogged trenches affected the soldiers in the trenches.
Modifications and Notes: • Students should be warned that some of the images may be
difficult to look at.
• This may be adapted into an oral presentation assignment,
in which students can learn from one another.
Resources:
• Spartacus Educational – “Trench Warfare”:
http://spartacus-educational.com/FWWtrench.htm
• Spartacus Educational – “Weapons”:
http://spartacus-educational.com/FWWweapons.htm
3
Activity 2: “The War Measures Act and Its Successors”
Materials: None
Time Allocation: 1 – 2 classes (less if assigned for homework)
The War Measures Act was brought into force three times before it was replaced in 1988. It has
been criticised for limiting the freedom of Canada’s inhabitants. Its successor, the Emergencies
Act, is subject to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Assign each student one of the three periods during which the War Measures Act was brought
into force – the First World War, the Second World War, or the October Crisis – and ask them to
prepare a written report answering the following guiding questions.
Students must conduct their own research using cited reliable print and electronic sources.
Guiding Questions:
1) What is the War Measures Act and when was it adopted?
2) How many times was the War Measures Act been brought into force? What caused it to be
brought into force each time?
3) How was the War Measures Act employed during the period you have been assigned? What
are the most notable consequences? (This should be the longest part of your report and
convey the most amount of detail)
4) What act replaced the War Measures Act in 1988? What are the main differences between
the War Measures Act and its replacement?
5) Between the War Measures Act and its successor, which act is preferable? Why?
Activity 3: “Canada’s Heroes: The First World War”
Materials: Construction paper, art supplies, printer, internet access
Time Allocation: 1 – 2 classes, depending on amount of homework
Ask students to choose a celebrated Canadian World War I soldier. Examples include Billy
Bishop, William George Barker, and Sir Richard Ernest Turner. Each student will prepare a
commemorative “plaque” out of construction paper, art supplies, and a picture. The plaque
should display an appropriate photograph, sketch, or painting of the soldier and include (using
appropriate fonts and formatting) the soldier’s:
1) Name
2) Rank
3) Role in the war
4) Most notable actions
5) Awards received
6) Birth date and date of death
Each plaque should be decorated appropriately to commemorate the sacrifice these and other
soldiers made for their country.
Guiding Questions:
1. Why do you think we choose to commemorate certain people and events? How do we
decide who deserves commemoration? What would we lose if we didn’t commemorate
certain Canadians? Are there any drawbacks to the ways we commemorate certain
Canadians (e.g., money spent on expensive memorials, risk of glorifying war, overlooking
important contributions from women and people of colour, etc.)?
4
PASSCHENDAELE: POST-VIEWING QUIZ /10
1. What does Sarah ask Michael to give to David when he sees him?
_______________________________________________________
2. Why won’t the officers let David sign up to become a soldier?
_______________________________________________________
3. What does Michael say is the single greatest challenge to a soldier on the
battlefield?
_______________________________________________________
4. Who does Michael fight (thinking it is a bad person) in his hotel room?
_______________________________________________________
5. How fast can a person circle the globe using the man’s inventions? (15
minutes)
_______________________________________________________
6. After David runs away, where does Michael find him?
_______________________________________________________
7. How long has the party at Passchendaele been going on for? (3 months)
_______________________________________________________
8. When Michael and David are hiding in the trench, what do they see come out
of a dead soldier’s mouth?
_______________________________________________________
9. How did Michael’s mother die?
_______________________________________________________
10. How does Michael get David to safety during the battle?
_______________________________________________________
5
PASSCHENDAELE: QUIZ (ANSWERS)
1. What does Sarah ask Michael to give to David when he sees him?
SARAH ASKS MICHAEL TO GIVE HER NECKLACE TO DAVID.
2. Why won’t the officers let David sign up to become a soldier?
THE OFFICERS WON’T LET DAVID SIGN UP BECAUSE HE HAS
ASTHMA.
3. What does Michael say is the single greatest challenge to a soldier on
the battlefield?
“KEEPING YOUR MATCHES DRY”
4. Who does Michael fight (thinking it is a bad person) in his hotel room?
MICHAEL FIGHTS HIS OLD FRIEND “ROYSTER”
5. How fast can a person circle the globe using the man’s inventions?
THE MAN SAYS A PERSON CAN CIRCLE THE GLOBE IN 15
MINUTES.
6. After David runs away, where does Michael find him?
MICHAEL FINDS DAVID IN THE CEMETARY, BY HIS MOTHER’S
GRAVE.
7. How long has the party at Passchendaele been going on for? THEY
HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR 3 MONTHS.
8. When Michael and David are hiding in the trench, what do they see
come out of a dead soldier’s mouth?
THEY SEE A RAT COME OUT OF THE DEAD SOLDIER’S MOUTH.
9. How did Michael’s mother die?
SHE DIED OF A BROKEN HEART.
10. How does Michael get David to safety during the battle?
MICHAEL CARRIES DAVID ACROSS THE BATTLEFIELD.
