Trench Brothers commemorates the achievements and contributions made by ethnic minority soldiers during the First World War with an education programme for schools. The project delivers a wide range of in school activities including Artefacts Handling sessions, visits from a Costumed Interpreter, Composition Workshops, Puppet Making workshops all of which lead to interactive performances of a new music theatre work. Using students’ research into soldiers’ stories, Trench Brothers enables students to develop a creative, artistic response thereby immortalising the deeds of these forgotten soldiers for their fellow students and wider audiences.
The Trench Brothers Education Zone supports the project by providing contextual information on the First World War, with an emphasis on the Indian Army, black British soldiers and the British West Indies Regiment, together with a comprehensive selection of Lessons and Activities for most curriculum subjects at Key Stage 2 and early Key Stage 3 level, mapped to the new 2014 curriculum.
- This section introduces schools to the First World War and aims to give a coherent overview of all the themes, which students will need to know in order to both undertake the accompanying lessons and participate fully in the project’s extensive workshops. The information has been designed to be comprehensive and accessible and a series of related links will take you to further information when required.
- At the core of Trench Brothers is research students undertake into specific soldiers using the designated project tool kits. Where their stories are relevant to a particular historical aspect being illustrated, you can click to find out more about them.
- At the end of each chapter, links will take you directly to related lessons and activities so that you can immediately find a relevant lesson on the topic you have just read about.
- This section offers a range of detailed lesson plans in ten main curriculum subjects. Where appropriate, the information needed to undertake these can be found in or is linked to the Historical Context section or if relevant, other sites. Many of the activities link to other lessons in different subjects, offering a comprehensive cross-curricular approach and an expansive insight into each topic.
- With over 90 lessons available, teachers can use this Education Zone for much of the term during which they are involved in the Trench Brothers project.
- Activities are also accessible and relevant for anyone finding this site who wishes to use them to offer their students an innovative and appealing yet still rigorous approach to learning.
Many thanks go to our researchers and contributors and in particular to partners the National Army Museum for their contribution to the Historical Context section and their generous loan of photos and images.
Tertia Sefton-Green
Creative Director
HMDT Music is grateful for the support of:
