Military exemption

Introduction:

This lesson is about the process men had to go through in order to be excused from military service during World War I. The role play personalises the events to make them more accessible and to bring the period alive, giving the historical events more meaning. Students will practise their reading and speaking skills; the lesson culminates in a role play in which students must argue the case for and against military conscription for individual people.

Learning outcomes:

• To develop students’ speaking and reading skills.
• To give students exposure to phrasal verbs.

Age and level:

B2 /C1

Time:

90 minutes

Materials:

Download the lesson plan pdf and student worksheet below. 

Warmer: Discussion of military service in different countries (10 mins)

• Ask students if military service is compulsory in their countries. At what age do they have to do military service and for how long? Are some people excused from joining the army? If yes, in what circumstances? 
• Write the phrase conscientious objector on the board. Ask students if they can explain what this means, (a person who refuses to fight due to their personal morals, or beliefs, which may be religious, but not necessarily). Do they know anyone who is a conscientious objector?

Task 1 – Quiz about military conscription (10 mins)

• This is to introduce students to the concept of military conscription in WWI. It involves reading and pair work. 
• Tell students that at the start of the war a lot of men volunteered to fight. Then, as the war progressed, fewer men volunteered, and in 1916 military conscription (compulsory military service) for men aged between 18 and 41 was introduced. Men could appeal against conscription at their local Military Service Tribunal. This was like a court with a judge or judges who could ask questions and decide on each case. 
• Ask the students to guess what six reasons for not fighting might be accepted by a tribunal. Give them a couple of minutes to work in small groups to come up with answers. 
• Answers: Family conditions at home, business or domestic hardship, doing an important job, conscientious objection, physical health, mental health.
• Hand out Task 1 – Quiz about military conscription 
• Set up students in pairs to discuss the questions and complete the quiz. 
• When students have finished, go through the answers. 
• Elicit feedback about the quiz. Were students surprised about any of the answers? 
• Answers for Task 1: Quiz about military conscription 1.a 2.b 3.c 4.a 5.c 6.c

Task 2 – Reading: Military Service Tribunal (20 mins)

• This exercise introduces students to the concept of military exemption that students will need for Task 4 – Role play: “Please let me off!” and gives students exposure to phrasal phrases. 
• Give out Task 2 – Reading: Military Service Tribunal 
• Explain to the students that this is a formal meeting between a military tribunal judge and a conscientious objector, to decide whether or not the man should be sent off to fight in the war, even though he does not want to. Before reading, ask the students if they can predict what questions the judge might ask. 
• Then get them to read the text. 
• Elicit answers. 
• Answers for questions: The judge asks: Name? Age? Address? His reason for not fighting? His reason for being a conscientious objector? Why should he be let off? Was the reason religious, political, or because he was lazy or a coward? 
• Now ask students to see if they can match the 5 phrasal verbs in the text in italics with one of the definitions in the box at the bottom of the page. 
• Answers: 1. to suffer/endure – put up with, 2. to reject/refuse – turn down, 3. to recover (from) – get over 4. to lose control emotionally – break down, 5. to excuse – let off, 6. to avoid – get out of, 7. to compensate (for) – to make up for

Task 3 – Discussion about the text (10 mins)

• This exercise gives students the opportunity to consolidate and to practise the phrasal verbs from Task 2 – Reading: Military Service Tribunal, before using them in the freer role play exercise in Task 4 – Role play: “Please let me off!” 
• Give out Task 3 – Discussion about the text. 
• Put students in pairs and ask them to take turns to ask each other the questions. 
• Monitor and provide help if students require it. 
• Elicit feed-back. There are no suggested answers for this activity; it all depends on the students’ own points of view.

Task 4 – Role play: “Please let me off!” (30 mins)

• Divide the students up into groups. The seven role play cards are flexible and adapt to different group sizes. If you have a group of six, include both judges but remove the “Sister” card. If you have five students in a group, you could remove the “Sister” and “Young Farmer” card but keep both judges. For four students you could use “Judge 1” only and the three male characters. 
• Give each student in the group a role play card from Task 4 – Role play: “Please let me off!” These can be found at the end of the lesson plan. 
• Tell the students they have to convince the judge/s to excuse them from military service, while the judge/s decide which case to favour. The different characters must take turns to put their case forward and answer questions. At the end the judge/s must reach a decision. Only one person can be let off. 
• Ask the students to try and use some of the phrasal verbs from Task 2 – Reading comprehension: Military Service Tribunal.

Extension activities: Whole class discussion (10 mins)

• Ask the class which character they felt most sympathy for and why? 
• Would they agree to fight for their country in a war? Why/why not?

Homework

• Ask the students to imagine that, following his interview with Jack Smith, the judge in Task 2 – Reading: Military Service Tribunal decided to write him a letter. 
• Tell them to decide what the judge would have written to Jack and then write the letter.