Life at Gallipoli

Overview

This 55-minute lesson extends students' prior learning about ANZAC Day by focusing on the daily realities of life for New Zealand soldiers at Gallipoli. It is designed for Year 10 students, aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum, and develops key competencies including critical thinking, empathy, and communication while deepening understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Understand key aspects of daily life at Gallipoli for New Zealand soldiers during WWI, including challenges faced (e.g., trench conditions, food, health, morale).
• Explain how physical and psychological conditions impacted soldiers and influenced the outcome of the campaign.
• Analyse primary and secondary sources related to soldiers’ experiences to build empathy and make historical connections.
• Demonstrate skills in inquiry, communication, and critical thinking as specified in the New Zealand Curriculum for Social Sciences Level 5 (Years 9-10).

Curriculum Links

• Social Sciences Learning Area (Levels 5): Understand how people’s management of resources and environments reflect their values, and how events influence societies and cultures over time.
• Key Competencies: Thinking; Using language, symbols and texts; Managing self; Relating to others; Participating and contributing.
• Vision Priority: Developing confident, connected, and actively involved learners who engage thoughtfully with Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories.
• Values: Respect, Integrity, Equity, and Community and Participation.

Reference: New Zealand Curriculum, Social Sciences Levels 4-5; Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories focus .

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Resources Needed

• Photographs, diary excerpts, letters, and artefact images related to Gallipoli life (printed or digital).
• Whiteboard or projector.
• Student notebooks or digital devices for note-taking.
• A simplified map of the Gallipoli Peninsula.
• Worksheet with inquiry questions.
• Timer for activity management.

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Recap briefly what students learned about ANZAC Day previously to link prior learning.
• Show a map of Gallipoli and explain the terrain and setting.
• Pose the key inquiry question: "What was daily life really like for New Zealand soldiers at Gallipoli and how did these conditions affect them?"
• Explain lesson goals connected to the curriculum.

2. Source Exploration and Group Activity (20 minutes)

• Divide class into five pairs (class size = 10).
• Each pair receives a different primary or secondary source (photo, diary excerpt, letter, artefact image, soldier’s story).
• Provide a structured inquiry worksheet with prompts:
  • What does this source tell you about soldier life?
  • What physical or emotional challenges can you identify?
  • How might this have affected a soldier’s experience and survival?
• Pairs discuss and record their answers.

3. Group Sharing and Class Discussion (15 minutes)

• Each pair shares key findings with the class (2-3 minutes per pair).
• Facilitate a whole-class discussion drawing connections between sources.
• Highlight themes such as:
  • Difficult trench conditions (mud, rats, heat, cold)
  • Food and water shortages
  • Health issues (disease, injury, psychological trauma)
  • Camaraderie and morale
• Discuss how these factors impacted the soldiers' physical and mental resilience, linking to the broader historical outcomes.

4. Reflection and Wrap-up (10 minutes)

• Individually, students write a short reflective journal entry responding to:
  • "How has learning about life at Gallipoli changed your understanding of what ANZAC Day commemorates?"
• Share a few reflections aloud (optional).
• Teacher summarises the key learning and ties back to competencies developed (e.g., empathy, critical analysis).

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Assessment

Formative assessment through:

• Observation of student engagement and discussion participation.
• Evaluation of responses in the inquiry worksheet.
• Quality and insight in the reflective journal.

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Differentiation and Inclusivity

• Provide scaffolded worksheets with sentence starters for students who need support.
• Encourage paired discussion to support students with communication challenges.
• Highlight stories from diverse perspectives including Māori soldiers, addressing the Treaty of Waitangi principles and inclusive historical understanding.
• Use visual, oral, and written sources to accommodate different learning preferences.

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Teacher Notes

• Connect content to the National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP) and principles:
  • High expectations and equity.
  • Incorporating local tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori where relevant.
• Emphasise development of key competencies aligned with the curriculum's vision for active citizenship.
• Encourage use of historical empathy by asking students to imagine themselves in the soldiers’ situation.
• Link to future focus themes such as citizenship and sustainability by discussing remembrance and lessons learned.

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This lesson follows the New Zealand Curriculum framework to build on students’ prior knowledge of ANZAC Day by immersing them in the lived experiences at Gallipoli, fostering deep historical understanding along with skills for critical thinking, empathy, and communication .