WWI What Would You Do? Interactive Roleplay (Private Peaceful)

This interactive activity encourages students to place themselves in the footsteps of young soldiers during WW1, guiding them through the choices and key events that faced young men: from signing up right through to the war’s end in 1918. It deals with key topics including conscription, conscientious objectors , trench foot and the Battle of the Somme.
The powerpoint basically works like an educational version of the ‘choose your own adventure’ books! Students are given three ‘choices,’ each of which are hyperlinked to allow them to choose their own individual experience of WW1. Depending on time, you can let several different students play or play as a class by voting and going with the majority. I’ve used it many times throughout my career, as a contextual activity alongside teaching war poetry or Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful, as well as when teaching both Year 6 and Year 7 History.