Download World War I Culminating Activity – Letters Home/Dear Diary

Grade 10 History: World War I Culminating Activity
Letters Home/Dear Diary or Propaganda Poster
Name: _______________________________________
SELECT ONLY 1 OF THE OPTIONS BELOW
Option 1: Letters Home/Dear Diary (40 Marks – KU, TI, C, A)
War is difficult not only for the courageous soldiers fighting, but
also for the loved ones left behind. Families are ripped apart never
really knowing if they are going to be together again. One way
that the soldiers and their families communicated is by letter
writing. For both me and women, letter writing became a vitally
important means of staying in communication.
For those who did not want their family members to worry about
them, many men and women overseas wrote down their thoughts in
diaries or journals. They did not want their families to experience
the horrors of war, but still needed to express their thoughts.
Your Task
Assume that you are living in the time of World War I as a soldier or nurse. You have left your family to
assume a more prominent role in the war. Choose one of the dates below and write a letter/diary entry
describing the overall mood, conditions, prospects of returning home and the general progress of the
Canadian War effort. Your written piece should be able to successfully capture what it would have been
like to be living at the time and should reflect the hopes and fears of that individual. The letter/journal
entry should also give an indication as where the letter is being written, when it is taking place and to
whom it is being written. Take careful note of the dates and create an appropriate response. Feel free to
use special paper to give your letter/journal an authentic feel and help with the aesthetics of your
project. Use appropriate language/slang from the time period to give your letter an authentic feel.
August, 1914 (Beginning of the War)
August, 1916 (Midway through the War)
August, 1918 (War is over)
Specs:
- 1 page minimum in length, typed, double space
- using size 12-14 size font
- DO NOT SHRINK MARGIN SIZE
- Use proper letter format (Date, Who it is written to, sign-off)
Option 2: Propaganda Poster (40 Marks – KU, TI, C, A)
Propaganda: The word used to describe the process of persuading people to believe in a certain
idea or set of ideas.
During WWI, Propaganda was used by both sides to convince their people of the righteousness
of their cause. In Canada, propaganda was used to persuade young men and women to join the
Armed Forces and to influence how people at home felt about the war and Germany and to also
help the Government win the 1917 Election. Often times, Propaganda always represented a
certain bias and would use tricks such as peer pressure and important sounding speech to
influence its audience.
Your Task
Propaganda posters were actively used throughout the war to
help rally support for the troops fighting overseas. Create your
own poster that includes a slogan as though it were from the time
period between the start and end of the war (1914 – 1917). Your
poster can be encouraging people to donate money to the war
effort. Your poster should have a definite message and should
include pictures/images that help support that message. You
could develop a poster encouraging people of other cultures
who had immigrated to Canada to enlist by writing the slogan in
a different language. Your poster must include a one-page,
typed rationale explaining the aim of the poster and the
techniques utilized in order to get your message across.
Specs:
- use only an 8.5 x 11 Sheet
- Poster must have a slogan
- Poster must be coloured
- Poster must contain pictures/images that support overall message
- Poster can be created on computer BUT CANNOT be copied or download from
an existing poster (Check internet for samples)
- Pictures/images MUST reflect time period!
- One page minimum typed rationale explaining aim and techniques used in your
poster.
DUE DATE:
___________________
****PLEASE MAKE SURE
TO INCLUDE YOUR
EVALUATION RUBRIC
WITH YOUR FINAL
PRODUCT.