Our World War I studies had us learning the ins and outs of trench warfare this week. The systems that those soldiers built were completely amazing! There were many interesting conversations had about strategy; do you fight the battle first, claim the land, then build your fancy trenches, or do you quickly build temporary trenches to live in while you fight the battle? Then there were the stories that we read that made the war personal, even for people living almost 100 years later. Stories about German and British troops living in trenches only 30 feet away from each other, smelling each others breakfasts, hearing each others evening songs, decorating Christmas trees together on Christmas eve and playing an impromptu soccer game together out in "No-Man's Land" on Christmas day. I stopped our reading to talk about what that would be like - to have to fight with men who had become your friends - and sure enough, the story went on to say that shortly after a visit from a German General, the German troops were pulled out of that area and replaced with a Prussian army. The battle was over soon after.

I'm not always nice enough to make time for a crafty-type project to help cement what we've learned, but creating their own trench scenes sounded too fun to pass up. Anytime a boy gets to set up a battle scene pretty much ensures a successful school day.

Trench warfare.... joy? Well, the craft was fun anyway. : )