Menu

World War One / Battlefields Trip

Transform your history classroom

ActiveHistory provides educational, award-winning interactive simulations, decision-making games, self-marking quizzes, high-quality worksheets and detailed lesson plans for the school history classroom. All resources have been designed by full-time history teacher Russel Tarr.

An ActiveHistory subscription provides everything you need to construct and deliver a History course from start to finish for the entire 11-18 age range!

These consist not just of lesson plans, worksheets and teacher notes, but also multimedia lectures and interactive games and historical simulations ideal for remote learning and self-study.

NOT A MEMBER? SUBSCRIBE NOW!

 

Resources to help you get the most out of a World War One school Battlefields Tour.
 

The following materials are designed around a World War One battlefields of the Somme and Ypres.

These materials support the WW1 Battlefields Trip which follows my studies of the Great War through such topics as: Causes of World War One | Life in the Trenches in World War One | Causes for Germany's Defeat in World War One | Remembrance Day: Activities for all Year Groups | Origins of WW1 and WW2: Comparisons and Contrasts

A. Before the Trip

Online Presentation: What were the essential causes of World War One?

This short presentation is designed to provide students with an essential overview of the main causes of the war in a single lesson. I don't teach this in any more detail at this stage as the causes of the war are a key part of the IGCSE syllabus (here).

Decision-Making Simulation: Can you survive life in the trenches? [FREE]

"In this simulation you will be a British soldier who joins the army in 1914 to fight the Germans. You will learn about the conditions which soldiers lived and fought in, and the dangers they faced. There is a worksheet to go with this activity which you should complete as you proceed.  You can also save your progress at any time so you can continue the game over several lessons or as homework. There is even a leaderboard!"

Follow-up factual test (20 questions)

This factual test ensures that students completed the worksheet from the simulation and learned the information properly.

Video: Richard Holmes: War Walks - The Somme (28m) | Student Worksheet | Teacher Answers

The late, great Richard Holmes is still the best TV military historian. Here's a video, worksheet and teacher answers on the Battle of the Somme. It is good to show this after the students have played the simulation so that they can get an in-depth understanding of this battle in particular.

How effectively did the Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemorate the Fallen?
[teacher introductory PowerPoint | student worksheet | teacher answer sheet]

Another idea is to get students considering the effectiveness with which the Commonwealth War Graves Commission paid tribute to the soldiers and their families in the years which followed the war.

"Adopt a Soldier"

One activity which works particularly well prior to the trip is to get students researching the life and career of a World War One casualty buried at one of the cemeteries we visit. They then produce a commemorative piece of writing which can be laminated and laid at the grave during the visit. This worksheet can be found here.

B. Trip Itinerary [FREE]

There are two versions of the trip available. Each one comes with a detailed student workpack (plus teacher notes) which opens in Adobe Acrobat Reader. There is also a detailed itinerary for each trip which can be opened in Google Earth. These materials have been produced to support our successful residential trips from the International School of Toulouse.

  Length of Trip Hotel Somme Ypres Oradour Google Earth itinerary
Option 1 Three full days of visits. Based in Albert. Two full days visiting sites on the Somme. One full day visiting sites around Ypres. Visit to Oradour on the way back.
Option 2 Two full days of visits. Based in Ypres. One full day visiting sites on the Somme. One full day visiting sites around Ypres. Visit to Oradour on the way up.

During the long coach journey it's a good idea to have some relevant recommended World War One DVDs to watch. I have a full list of recommended DVDs for the History Classroom.

C. Information sheets and suggested activities [FREE]

Each of these worksheets can be printed out separately and then collated into a customised workpack depending upon the exact itinerary of your school trip.

Cover sheet

Essential Context: Providing an essential narrative overview of the war on the Western Front, with specific mention of many of the sites listed below for context.

Beaumont Hamel: Site of the Newfoundland Memorial and the Highlanders' Memorial

Compiegne Armistice Site: Where the war finally came to an end

Dartmoor Cemetery: Containing the graves of a father and son, and a soldier 'shot at dawn'.

Devonshire Cemetery: Containing the graves of Duncan Martin and the poet William Noel Hodgson

Flatiron Copse Cemetery: Containing the grave of the VC Winner Edward Dwyer, whose voice was uniquely recorded.

Fricourt German Cemetery: Original resting place of the "Red Baron"

Langemarck German Cemetery: Foreboding cemetery in stark contrast to Tyne Cot, which is just a few kilometres away.

Lijssenthoek Cemetery: Casualty clearing station cemetery with an unusually high proportion of named graves; final resting place of Nurse Nellie Spindler.

Lochnagar Crater: Relic of one of the gigantic underground mine explosions which heralded the start of the Battle of the Somme.

Menin Gate: The "memorial to the missing" in Ypres.

Indian Memorial, Neuve Chapelle: Especially great to visit if you have students with Indian heritage.

Neuville St. Vaast: The largest German war cemetery in France.

Notre Dame de Lorette: Largest French war cemetery in the world; also site of the "Ring of Remembrance"

Oradour-sur-Glane: Preserved ruins of a village subject of a notorious Nazi atrocity at the end of World War Two.

Historiale de la Grande Guerre, Peronne: An especially well-constructed museum.

Pozieres Australian Memorial: Particularly good to visit if you have Australian students.

Serre Memorial: To the "Accrington Pals", and site where Wilfred Owen wrote his poem "The Sentry".

South African Memorial, Delville Wood: Originally built during the apartheid era and now redesigned to highlight the contribution of black South Africans.

St. George's Chapel, Ypres: Built after the war largely by veterans working on the war cemeteries. Packed with relics and memorials.

Talbot House: Refuge for soldiers when they were resthing behing the lines near Ypres. Now a wonderful preserved museum.

Thiepval Memorial: Commemorating the missing of the Somme. Recently improved with a new visitor center.

Tyne Cot: Largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world, situated at the site of the Battle of Passchendaele.

Ulster Tower: Commemorating the sacrifice of Northern Irish soldiers during the Battle of the Somme.

Vimy Ridge: A breathtaking memorial and visitor center, preserved trenches, and an opportunity for a tour of the underground tunnels.

Welsh Memorial, Mametz: Commemorating the sacrifice of Welsh soldiers during the Battle of the Somme.

D. After the Trip

It is important to follow-up the Battlefields Trip with meaningful activities and reflection to ensure the students get the most out of the experience. Some ideas include:

Museum Exhibition Task
Students put together a major exhibition in the school, complete with a workpack (for secondary | primary students) and "character card" activities, and acted as guides for students in Years 5-9 to share their experiences.

Design a Memorial / Visitor Center [worksheet]
Students can also use what they have learned to design their own memorial and visitor center in a group task ("The Commonwealth War Graves commission has decided to create a new memorial and visitor center to commemorate the war. Your task is to formulate your own concept for a memorial and visitor center and persuade the CWGC to commission your project"). As part of this process, students could make use of some of these Virtual Reality Images of War Memorials.

 



© 1998-2025 Russel Tarr, ActiveHistory.co.uk Limited (Reg. 6111680)
1 Torrin Drive, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 6AW, England

Privacy Policy | Contact

  WARNING: Your account expires in days. RENEW NOW to avoid losing access!

testimonials

"Creative, interactive, fun resources that challenge students at all levels. The site has become integral. I recommend it to all secondary history teachers.' "
"Active history engages pupils of all ability levels. The activities are thorough and accurate. My pupils just love to get on the games - a great incentive to get the set task finished!'"
"My students really respond to the interactive games I use to review or wrap up a topic. My personal favorite is the Life in the Trenches. The game has wonderful details about the war and how it affected the everyday soldier.'"
"A fantastic teaching resource which my classes absolutely love. It's particularly useful in bringing to life potentially difficult or dull topics such as the League of Nations with its simulation games.' "
"Active History is an excellent site full of captivating activities and interesting History. We love to visit it and it contributes significantly to our teaching of and our learning about history."
"ActiveHistory and an interactive whiteboard allows us to teach in the way that we know we should be teaching...with starters, quizzes and interactive exercises allowing the students to engaging with activites in a lively and involving way.'"
"As a teaching and studying tool it's second to none."
"Active History has helped make revision a fun experience for all students of all abilities. The decision making activities get pupils to think like the historical characters they have been studying. An excellent resource'. "
"A fantastic range of resources with imaginative and accessible material. Hard to live without'"
"ActiveHistory inspires students, it brings together their understanding to engage with the subject at a deeper level, aids revision and is a godsend for planning for overstretched teachers!'"
"Active History enthuses previously 'bored' pupils and allows them to make the vital connections whilst learning the facts. Active History is one of the reasons why our numbers are growing in KS4 History.'"
"The students love the 'talking heads'! Activehistory has effectively used the internet to achieve what we've wanted for years, the sharing of excellent resources, easily accessible, well written but adaptable'. "
"ActiveHistory is among the most useful online instructional tools that I have ever used in my history classes. The resources available foster critical thinking skills in a manner that is often fun and engaging'. "
"The department especially values the material on 16th century Europe and England. This is not covered by other websites and Active History provides a wealth of activities in these areas."
"Activehistory has enabled my History students to see that History is fun -they have been able to have an online conversation with Hitler and learn so much without realising it !!'"
"Active History gives teachers more opportunity to bring History to life in the classroom, inspring students to dig deeper and ask probing questions, not to mention the sheer enjoyment of the head to heads and other activities'"
"Active History is the best educational site for History that we have come across. There is such a wide range of material both in terms of the key stages addressed and in the variety of interactive activities for the students."
"Excellent website which brings lessons to life, and enhances teaching and learning'. "
"Every year my students rate the exercises they do from the ActiveHistory site as some of the most enjoyable and informative. Russel Tarr knows how to engage students.'"
"Active History is a gold mine of great ideas and activities. It challenges pupils to think for themselves. The games are a great way to provide educational but fun activities in stressful times before examinations."
"ActiveHistory provides a wide range of activities for use individually or with whole classes. Material is focused on the skills and knowledge required for exams and a lot of 'fun' material on the site can be used as introductions to a topic or as revision."
"I have really enjoyed using activehistory to enhance the learning of my pupils. They especially like the interview activities where they get to interview the likes of Hitler and Henry VIII!!'"
"My students learn when History is made fun. ActiveHistory makes learning fun.'"
"The great thing about 'ActiveHistory' is that it gets students and teachers alike thinking imaginatively about the subject. It forces you to get personally involved in the controversies of the past and to make informed judgments."
"ActiveHistory provides a fun and different way to experience history. The Simulations and Interviews are unique and fun for my students which always help to spark interest in the subject of history.'"
"ActiveHistory is a valuable resource and provides a multitude of interesting and inventive activities. Students particularly like the 'talking heads'. Hours of fun, and learning of course!!!'"
"My Year 9s love the Manic Miner games...and strive to get on the highest scores board barely aware that they are learning history along the way....This is a great site'"
"It does what it says on the tin! This site has been invaluable in helping me to provide historically accurate, challenging and enjoyable learning opportunities for my students.'"
"Russel Tarr is a great asset to all History teachers and should be kept under lock and key.'"

Buy the Books!

 

Latest Additions

New resources are added every single week of the year!

View more

About

ActiveHistory is the work of full-time history teacher Russel Tarr
.

Latest news from my classroom

Connect

Get full access now!

ActiveHistory provides vast amounts of worksheets, lesson plans, interactive simulations, self-marking quizzes, model essays and teacher support materials for the high school world history classroom.
Whole-school, 24-hour access for students and teachers costs less than a few textbooks!

CLICK HERE