Journal

JournalFor added realism, you will need decorate journal according to the country you are from.Please put effort into this, as you will be graded.

Be creative!

Group Assignments

• You will be placed in eight different “Families”• Each family comes from a different country

(Germany, France, Britain, Belgium, Austria-Hungary, America)

• You will meet with your family and add an entry into your journal throughout the war

Journal Entry set up

• Each journal entry should start off with a date

• Add personal touches… where are you, how has your day been, how are you feeling, what is your mood? Any relevant family or personal news?

Title: Country Fact Sheet1. Read your country’s

fact sheet with your family

2. Write three interesting / important facts about your country

3. Draw the Flag of your country

4. Make a list of countries your are friendly & not so friendly with

GERMANY

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY

FRANCE

BRITAIN

BELGIUM USA

Journal Entry #1“Something happened

today…”• Why was the

assassination of Archduke Ferdinand significant?

• How do you feel as a citizen of __________ after hearing the news?

• What do you think the world implications are going to be?

Journal Entry #2September 1914

“I had to say goodbye today…”

• Describe your feelings about your brother going to war.

• Do you feel angry? scared? excited? worried? proud?

Journal Entry #3“A tragedy occurred at sea

today”• Describe your reaction

after hearing the news about the sinking of the Lusitania. Where were you? How did you hear about it? How were others around you reacting?)

• How do you think this will affect you, your family, your country and the war?

8 May 1915

Journal Entry #4&5 “ I saw this poster

today…”April 1, 1916

• Military propaganda:– How does this

poster depict the war?

– Does this make you want to enlist/help the war effort when you come of age?

– Explain.

Journal Entry #6“A poem is never finished,

only abandoned” (Paul Valery 1871-1945)

• After reading the poem, where do you think your brother was when he wrote it?

• What was happening around him? How do you think he felt?

• How does it make you feel?

One day…• It was a normal day for you.

You would have rather spent the day at home relaxing, but you went because your mother pushed you out the door; however, you made it through the day unscathed. You ran home as soon as the bell rang and flew through the screen door, eager to be home, excited to grab the closest thing on hand to eat. You are so thrilled that you nearly fly past your mother.

Then…• However, your mom

does not stop you to scold you about running into the house. Instead, your mom sat quietly, sobbing, letting her tears fall from her cheeks to the piece of paper she was holding. You grab the paper and read it.

Journal Entry #7“Goodbye was

forever”• After reading the

death certificate, how did you feel? What thoughts or images came to you? What did you do after reading it?

Group Therapy• Many families were

traumatized by the loss of loved ones during the war. Due to the fact that each of you lost a brother, you are gathered here today for some much needed “Group Therapy.”

• In pre-designated groups, you will have a chance to share your memory box and reflections, as well as understand the experiences of other children and families from other countries.

• Use your graphic organizer to prompt discussion and collect information about the experiences of others.

Journal Entry #8, 9 & 10Reflection

• Think back about the events you have collected in your memory box, your journal entries and your “Group Therapy” discussion (including your graphic organizer).

• Then write a journal entry comparing and contrasting your experience with EACH other person’s experience in your “Group Therapy” session.

• How did the experiences differ based on the country in which the person lived?