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Learning outside the classroom can be one of the most effective ways of helping pupils to understand history and this is particularly true of World War I. The conflict is documented in some superbly written books, but they cannot hope to have the same impact as a visit to the battlefields of the Somme and Ypres. The Great War can be one of the most difficult events for pupils to understand - and not only because of the happenings that triggered it. The technology used in the modern wars that are broadcast into living rooms by 24-hour news channels is so different to that used between 1914 and 1918 that it is tough for young adults to appreciate the full extent of the conflict. World War I is regarded by many historians as the most brutal war of all time, because of the massive death count, the fierceness of the combat and the horrific living conditions in the trenches. There are lots of exhibitions and people in the areas close to where some of the conflict's bloodiest battles took place who are committed to ensuring the truth about the Great War is never forgotten. The cemeteries, museums and battlefields are certain to make history jump off the pages of the textbooks and help your pupils appreciate the full extent of the war's horrors. Battlefields tours for schools that include visits to both the Somme and Ypres will give your classes the opportunity to see many of the most moving and educational sites dedicated to World War I. A trip to the scene of the Battle of the Somme will allow them to experience the atmosphere of the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. It commemorates 72,000 British and Commonwealth servicemen who lost their lives during the brutal battle but who do not have a known grave. You will also see the unique garden of remembrance at the Lochnagar Crater. The area around the Belgian town of Ypres was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting of World War I, including the infamous Battle of Passchendaele. It is now home to a number of exhibits that illustrate what conditions in the trenches were like, such as the Vampire Dugout at the Memorial Museum of Passchendaele and the Yorkshire Trench. You will also be able to visit the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery at Sanctuary Wood and shell craters on Hill 62. Few educational trips are as thought provoking as visiting the memorials to those who lost their lives in the Great War and pupils are sure to take home memories that will live with them for the rest of their lives.
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Learning outside the classroom, battlefields tours for schools,
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