All Quiet 10 - No Man's Land - Solo Work Chapter 6 pt 2
"And even if these scenes of our youth were given back to us we would hardly know what to do."
All Quiet on the Western Front - No Man's Land - Solo Work (Chapter 6 - part 2 117-136) : A fairly recent lesson for this unit. I wanted to give students a feel for what Paul and his friends were up against. A long time ago we used to - after we finished the book - watch (after school as extra credit) the 1930 movie (still the best version). So for this exercise, what I've done is to pull some together some quotes from this part of the reading along with a few pertinent quotes from The Things They Carried and one Gertrude Stein quote. The students watch an extended scene from the movie showing the horror of trench warfare - and then do a close reading of the quotes - connect them to what they saw and to each other - and try to come up with an overriding thesis - from which they will write a very short essay (a few paragraphs). The quotes are arranged thematically - as on two sides of a trench.
Lesson Overview
Either give a very short quick quiz today - or hold off and combine it with the first part of Chapter 7. See the bookmark for breaking up the reading.
Begin by showing a 10 minute excerpt from the 1930 film, All Quiet on the Western Front, that shows the horrors of trench warfare (from approximately 40:59 to 50:00. You know your students best - if you feel it is appropriate please exclude students (or have them put their heads down and listen) that may be adversely affected by viewing the video. It is explicit and it is graphic. Tell students to just watch - no notes - just absorb - they can look for specifics of what they've read - but they are just to let the video tell its story.
After the video - tell them to turn over the handouts (up to this point they should only have the blank side up) - go over (briefly) the directions. The students are to cover these handouts with their notes - continuily writing. Draw arrows - write short comments - etc. Remind them what the handout says - the quotes are thematically arranged like the trenches - and that should help. They should look for a common theme - a thesis. They are then to write a couple of paragraphs - using as much specifics and text as possible. Here are the opening instructions taken directly from the handout:
After you have watched the film excerpt (if you miss this in class and are doing this at home, it is the 1930 version of the film; we watch the trench warfare scene from 41 mins in to 50 mins in – right after they take Kemmerich away on the stretcher) – closely examine the following quotes (from All Quiet and Things) – write on them, connect them – both to each other and to what you have just seen. Give yourself 10 minutes. After the note-taking stage write as much as you can, connecting these quotes – coming up with an overriding thesis. Write what you see as that thesis – and write a mini essay 2 paragraphs is fine on the most striking connection you see between these quotes (to each other) and to the film excerpt. Hint1: Think of the geography of trench warfare. Meta-hint – when you are considering the film excerpt, consider both the effect the warfare had on the men – but also how, we, as viewers of this film are connected to the 3rd box in the 2nd column below… – closely connected to each other – and as a whole connected to the boxes in the middle. The excerpts from The Things They Carried are in a different font. Connect it all! Turn this in by the end of the day tomorrow (100 points).
Give students until the end of the period - or the next day and then collect what they've written (or collect it the next day). Oh - sometimes I tell them at the beginning (after the video) that I'm going to collect the sheet with the quotes to see how many notes and connections they made - but I do that to get them to be more focused.
Solo Work & Quizzes
Most Recent Handouts & Quizzes
The instructions for this can be found above - the video can be found below. Put these on the students desk - blank side up to save time before they come into the classroom.
You may want to hold off on this for time's sake or combine it with the next reading.
Remote Enhancements
I did do this as remote work - it meant me showing (sharing) the video with the students and making sure that they got the handout.
Trench Warfare Video
If you purchase the entire video - you should show from approximately 40:59 to 50:00. If not, you can show this slightly shorter (it's about 6 minutes) clip. Remember - before you show this to your students watch it yourself and screen for appropriateness.
All Quiet 11 - Chapter 7 Part 1 (to 153) - A Loaf of Bread - A Discussion: This Ringmaster Teacher discussion (see my page on Class Discussions) brings together so much of what has happened up to this point (including the preReading lessons). Paul and the men somehow believe that their interaction with the young French Women can bring them back from this "front" world they've fallen into. To bring them back to the youth - that's been stolen away from them. In the end - they "wake up" and realize that it is all transactional - and their salvation - if it comes - must come from somewhere else.
WHAT CAME BEFORE:
All Quiet on the Western Front 9 - Chapter 6 Part 1 Row Reading
Thoughts on the Lesson
One of my greatest honors came many years ago when I got a phone call from a teacher at an Army Base asking me if he could use my materials in his classes for soldiers that were returning from Operation Desert Storm. He had found them on the old incarnation of AwaytoTeach - and thought they would be great to use with vets that had seen combat. I was overwhelmed and honored.