First day on the Somme

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/first-day-on-the-somme

1. What is the date of commencement?
2. What is the designated objective?
3. What was the main goal of the first day of the Battle of the Somme?
4. Why did the British and French plan a big artillery attack before the soldiers went into battle?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the date of commencement?July 1, 1916
2. What is the designated objective?Capture of German first and second defensive positions
3. What was the main goal of the first day of the Battle of the Somme?The goal was to break German lines, help the French at Verdun, and try to finish WWI faster.
4. Why did the British and French plan a big artillery attack before the soldiers went into battle?They wanted the guns to destroy German defenses and make it easier for the soldiers to move forward.

Battle of the Somme: A major offensive battle of World War I fought by the armies of the British and French empires against the German Empire.
Attrition Warfare: A military strategy based on wearing down the enemy through continuous losses of personnel and materiel.
Verdun: A major battle of World War I fought between German and French armies, which the Somme offensive aimed to relieve.
Artillery Bombardment: Sustained firing of large guns against enemy positions, intended to destroy defenses and demoralize troops.