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First World War: Letters from the Trenches

Learn what it was like to be an ordinary soldier fighting in the trenches during World War I using letters written by a soldier from North Shields.

About the Workshop

In this workshop students will use letters written by Thomas Baker Brown to his mother and father to discover what it was like to be an ordinary British soldier fighting in the trenches during the First World War. They will also take inspiration from some of the First World War comics Thomas Baker Brown collected to create their own comic strip.

Suitable for: Key Stages 2 or 3

Subject(s): History

Duration: Half a day to one day

Location: On campus (using original letters) or in school (using facsimiles).

Availability: Limited dates throughout the year. Email lib.outreach@ncl.ac.uk for further information.

N.B. We can deliver the history and archives part of this workshop in school or online upon request. Email lib.outreach@ncl.ac.uk for further information.

We also have a teacher resource pack and comic based on the letters of Thomas Baker Brown, a WWI solider, which you can use in the classroom.