Contributed by Simon Kinder, Gresham’s School, Norfolk

This versatile exercise – which can be adapted for different age groups – encourages pupils to consider reasons why Britain went to war in August 1914. Pupils work in small groups to create a poster, practising team-working skills and critical thinking, as they have to decide whether they want to advocate Britain’s joining the war or remaining neutral on the basis of selective evidence. It also encourages them to think about mechanisms of propaganda in creating their poster, and asks them to identify and question possible motives for fighting. Please refer to the file below for details. The exercise can be expanded and combined with the free National Archives education resource “Why did Britain go to war in 1914?”.

Should Britain fight