The countless deaths of the Great War are often unimaginable to young learners. Examining the life and writings of Louis Barthas, however, paints a picture of life in the trenches. Show your pupils what life was like as a poilu, or common solider, in the Great War using a captivating video biography.

Concepts

world war i, socialism, military history, biographies, france

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Pair video with excerpts of primary sources from soldiers to develop young historians' understanding of military life 
• Show the video and ask class to write letters home from the trenches based on details 

Classroom Considerations

• Part of Who Did What in World War I? video series
• Graphic pictures of dead soldiers are disturbing for some viewers
  

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Quotes from Barthas' writing and photographs grab viewers' attention
• Easy to pair with primary source activities to build context
• Anecdotes and engaging narrator create interest 

Cons

• Does not include primary sources for extension activities

Common Core

L.9-10.2.a L.11-12.2.a