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Learn Through English |
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History |
First World War |
Episode: General Hospital.
INTRODUCTION: Read the introduction about the Blackadder episode you are going to watch.
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You can find more information about World War One here.
ACTIVITIES
Before watching the video:
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Now, here is a brief summary of the episode:
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Don’t worry if you don’t understand everything they say, that’s very logical. Just focus on the tasks and enjoy the rest. If you want to follow each and every line, the script is on the internet.
While watching the video:
Segment 1 (0 min.-2.30 min.) 1. Blackadder and his comrades are playing a game for children (I spy with my little eye something beginning with ..). What does this tell you about war in the trenches? Segment 2 (2.30 min.-7.00 min.) 1. George is now in hospital and Captain Blackadder is not quite happy about it. In fact, he thinks he is very lucky he got hurt by the bomb and envies him. If you know why, you know a lot about the soldiers’ feelings during the war. Segment 3 (7.00 min.-11.24 min.) 1. Blackadder is surprised that a German spy is giving away the British plan of action because he thinks that there isn’t one. What does this mean in the context of this war? Segment 4 (11.24 min.-18.32 min.) 1. What does Blackadder mean when he tells Captain Darling that he can understand “people at the front trying to shoot themselves in their foot, but when you’re thirty-five miles behind the line!”? 2. And can you tell where exactly the “line” was? Segment 5 (18.32 min.-21.52 min.) 1. When talking to nurse Mary about his life and the army, Blackadder says: “When I joined up, we were still fighting colonial wars. If you saw someone in a skirt, you shot him and nicked his country.” Do you remember any other causes of the Great War besides colonialism? Segment 6 (21.52 min.- min.) You have seen that spies played a very important role in that war. Read some information about one of the most famous spies of all times: Mata Hari. |
After watching the video:
Once you have finished this activity you can still get further into the topic by having a tour in a French trench during the war. You can also have a look at this recreation of the Battle of Somme. |