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Year 9

Understanding why people write about war

I can explain why people might choose to write about war, exploring the viewpoints of different writers who have chosen to write about war themselves.

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Year 9

Understanding why people write about war

I can explain why people might choose to write about war, exploring the viewpoints of different writers who have chosen to write about war themselves.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. War literature can be impactful because it has the power to tell individual stories.
  2. War literature can be impactful because it tries to explain the experiences of war to those who have not experienced it.
  3. War literature can be used to expose the reality of war and serve as a warning to future generations.
  4. Arguably, war literature helps humans empathise with the pain of others.

Keywords

  • War literature - a text which focuses on and explores war and conflict

  • Profound - deep or meaningful

  • Specific - particular, precise, exact

  • Empathise - to share the feelings of another person; a stronger feeling than sympathy

  • Annotate - to make short notes commenting on something of interest in a text

Common misconception

It isn't important to consider the ethics of writing about war. It is a topic just like any other.

There are important questions to be asked when considering writing about any harrowing experience, particularly war.


To help you plan your year 9 english lesson on: Understanding why people write about war, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

This lesson contains summaries of different writers' accounts of war. You may wish to look at some of these accounts in more detail with your class. Information about these accounts has been provided in the speaker notes.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

You need access to a copy of the story ‘Propping Up the Line’ by Ian Beck from the 2014 Orchard Books collection ‘Stories of World War One’ edited by Tom Bradman.

content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
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Supervision

Adult supervision required

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In this unit 'Literary perspectives from the First World War', we will look at a number of conflicts but an important one will be World War One. When did World War One begin?
Correct answer: 1914
1918
1928
1939
1945
Q2.
In this unit 'Literary perspectives from the First World War', we will look at a number of conflicts but an important one will be World War One. When did World War One end?
1915
1916
1917
Correct answer: 1918
1929
Q3.
In the unit 'Literary perspectives from the First World War', we will read a number of short stories. What is a short story?
a poem that includes a narrative
a chapter of a book
Correct answer: a fictional text that can often be read in full in one sitting
an under-developed story
a story which, unlike a full length novel, doesn't include themes
Q4.
When we read short stories in the unit, 'Literary perspectives from the First World War', we will often annotate them. What does it mean to annotate a text?
to summarise the text
to highlight every quotation that includes a device (eg metaphor)
to write a paragraph about a quotation
Correct answer: to write short notes about a moment of particular interest in the text
to write quotations in your own words
Q5.
Many of the short stories that we read in this unit 'Literary perspectives from the First World War' will try and create feelings of empathy in you, the reader. What does it mean to empathise with som
to feel sad about something
to feel pity for someone else
to acknowledge someone else's feelings without engaging with them
to understand what it means to be at war
Correct answer: to share the feelings of another person
Q6.
In this unit 'Literary perspectives from the First World War', we will look at a number of conflicts but an important one will be WW1. World War One is know for trench warfare. What is a trench?
a rank of soldier
a type of gun
Correct answer: a deep ditch
a military manoeuvre

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
To with someone means to share the feelings of someone else.
Correct Answer: empathise
Q2.
One of the short stories in this unit, 'Literary perspectives from the First World War' is called 'Propping Up the Line' by Ian Beck. Its first line is, " felt something move."
Correct Answer: Alfred
Q3.
'Propping Up the Line' is by Ian Beck. Why might Beck have chosen for the first word in his story to be "Alfred"?
Correct answer: to show that the focus of the story is Alfred and his experiences
all short stories begin with establishing character
Correct answer: to create a connection between reader and protagonist
Alfred was a common name for a soldier, so we empathise with the character more
Correct answer: to show Alfred is at the heart of the story
Q4.
'Propping Up the Line' is by Ian Beck. In his Author's Note, Beck explains that he wishes to " " his grandfather, Alfred, in this story.
Correct Answer: honour
Q5.
Andy Owen (writer and former soldier) argues that war literature is important because it creates a " " between those who have experienced war and those who haven't.
Correct Answer: bridge
Q6.
'World at War' will often consider literature about WW1. Wilfred Owen is considered one of the best poets about this war. He said he wrote his poems to " " people about the horrors of war.
Correct Answer: warn

Additional material

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