Take words and phrases from any of the extracts, and write them on small slips of paper. Arrange them into your own poem. You could make a collage using printed images as a background.

Look at ‘The Square Dance’ and the article from the Daily Record about Scottish soldiers and their kilts.

What message do they convey about the war?

What methods do they use to get their ideas across?

Write a poem or an article that puts a serious message across using humour as a vehicle.

Write two different reports about the use of mustard gas. One should be in the style of a tabloid newspaper and can be as sensational as you wish. The other should be written in the style of a report to the government of the day and should be objective and informative. Choose the headline/ title and images with care.

Give both reports to others to read and assess the responses. Were you successful in getting your message across?

Look at the German cartoon on the front of the Daily Mirror and the English cartoon from ‘The War Illustrated’.

What message is each trying to put across?

Is it successful?

Do you think this sort of propaganda can be justified?

Would you believe it?

Find some examples of present day newspaper coverage of war and compare them with the First World War examples in the extracts. Are they written for a different purpose? Can you be sure that they are objective reports?