Year 9 - English
Writing a letter as a soldier in the trenches of World War One
Literary perspectives from the First World War
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils explore and compare texts written about the First World War. They first read Beck's 'Propping up the line', Mansfield's 'The Fly' and Wilfred Owen's 1917 letter home to his mum. They finally read Brittain's 'Testament of Youth', and then plan and write a comparative response.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to write a letter which recounts an imagined experience from the trenches of World War One, using Wilfred Owen's 1917 letter to his mother as stimulus.
Key Notes
- The date, address and greeting are important features of letters.
- A recount could balance precise facts with atmospheric details.
- A letter concludes with a sign off which could signal your relationship with the person the letter is to.
Vocabulary To Learn
- recount: to describe something that happened, to tell its story
- balance: an equal distribution of two or more things
- metaphor: a literary technique in which you compare one thing to another; Owen compares mud to an octopus in his letter
- atmospheric: creating a distinctive mood
- resentment: a complex emotion in which you feel anger, disappointment, bitterness
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- People don't use literary methods in nonfiction writing.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
The date, address and greeting are important features of letters. A recount could balance precise facts with atmospheric details.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'recount'
to describe something that happened, to tell its story.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: People don't use literary methods in nonfiction writing. Correction: Whenever you write any thing - even a shopping list - you are employing methods. Every word is a choice, thus every choice can be evaluated. In nonfiction writing (even nonfiction writing by people who aren't writers) methods will be used for effect.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Analysing the presentation of the gas attack: Ian Beck's 'Propping Up the Line' Study Guide
- Comparing texts about World War One in comparative analytical paragraphs Study Guide
- Comparing texts about World War One using comparative topic sentences Study Guide
- Creative writing in the third person inspired by Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' Study Guide
- Debating different interpretations of Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' Study Guide
- Exploring the presentation of the boss in 'The Fly' by Katherine Mansfield Study Guide
- Ian Beck's 'Propping Up The Line': Alice's experiences on the Home Front Study Guide
- Improving a letter: deliberate verbs and precise adjectives Study Guide
- Improving the style of a letter: sentence structure and rhythm Study Guide
- Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' (1922): exploring character foils and symbolism Study Guide
- Letter writing: planning, using Vera Brittain's 'Testament of Youth' as stimulus Study Guide
- Letter writing: planning, using Wilfred Owen's 1917 letter as stimulus Study Guide
- Reading 'Propping Up the Line', a short story about World War One by Ian Beck Study Guide
- Reading Katherine Mansfield's short story, 'The Fly' (1922) Study Guide
- Skim reading and close reading: 'Testament of Youth' by Vera Brittain Study Guide
- Skim reading and close reading: Wilfred Owen's 1917 letter to his mother Study Guide
- Symbolism and motif in Ian Beck's short story, 'Propping Up The Line' Study Guide
- The presentation of trauma in Ian Beck's short story, 'Propping Up the Line' Study Guide
- Understanding why people write about war Study Guide
- Using sentence structure to create rhythm in writing about World War One Study Guide
- Vivid descriptive writing using Ian Beck's 'Propping Up The Line' as stimulus Study Guide
- World War One: propaganda and trench warfare Study Guide
- Writing a letter from the British home front: tone, audience and purpose Study Guide
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