Year 7 – Private Peaceful – Chapter 6-10 Workbook
An electronic version of the text is accessible by following the below link:
http://www.queenmargaret.sayr.sch.uk/uploads/9/7/5/1/9751352/private_peaceful_lp_
t16.pdf
Read Chapter 6 - Nearly Five to One
Task 1 – Chapter 6 Questions
1) Why does the whole village help to look for Big Joe?
2) What does this suggest about the Peaceful family?
3) How does Molly guess where Joe might be?
Year 7 – Private Peaceful – Chapter 6-10 Workbook
What is Tommo’s reaction to finding his brother?
Task 2 – Diary Entry
Imagine you are either Molly, Charlie or Mother.
Write a diary account of the day that Big Joe went missing.
Try to include:
• What you thought had happened to him.
• Why you thought he had gone missing
• What you did to help in the search
• How you found out that Big Joe had been found
• How you felt when you heard he had been found
Read Chapter 7 – Twenty-Eight Minutes Past One
Task 3 – Recruitment Posters
Select one of the four recruitment posters below. Some posters may be familiar to you from
your work on propaganda poetry earlier this year.
Look at your poster and create a list of all the persuasive elements used to encourage men
to enlist to fight in World War One.
Focus on:
Images and the effect they’re meant to have
The use of language (what is said, and how)
The social and moral message of the poster
Year 7 – Private Peaceful – Chapter 6-10 Workbook
Year 7 – Private Peaceful – Chapter 6-10 Workbook
Task 4 – The Sergeant’s Persuasive Speech
Reread the sergeant’s speech below. How does he attempt to persuade the men in the
village to sign up to fight in WW1?
Using the questions below to help you, show your ideas as annotations on the blank copy
of the speech on the next page.
Year 7 – Private Peaceful – Chapter 6-10 Workbook
The Sergeant’s Persuasive Speech – blank copy to annotate
I shan’t beat about the bush, ladies and gentlemen. I shan’t tell you it’s all
tickety-boo out there in France – there’s been too much of that nonsense
already in my view. I’ve been there. I’ve seen it for myself. So I’ll tell you
straight. It’s no picnic. It’s hard slog, that’s what it is, hard slog. Only one
question to ask yourself about this war. Who would you rather see
marching through your streets? Us lot or the Hun? Make up your minds.
Because, mark my words, ladies and gentlemen, if we don’t stop them out
in France the Germans will be here, right here in Hatherleigh, right here on
your doorstep.
They’ll come marching through here burning your houses and killing your
children. They’ve beaten brave little Belgium, swallowed her up in one
gulp. And now they’ve taken a fair slice of France too. I’m here to tell you
that unless we beat them at their own game, they’ll gobble us up as well.
Well? Do you want the Hun here? Do you?
Shall we knock the stuffing out of them?
Good. Very good. Then we shall need you. You and you and you. And you
too my lad!
Your king needs you. Your country need you. And all the brave lads out in
France need you too. And remember one thing, lads – and I can vouch for
this – all the girls love a soldier.
Year 7 – Private Peaceful – Chapter 6-10 Workbook
Read Chapter 8 – Fourteen Minutes Past Two
Task 5 – Chapter 8 Questions
1) What atmosphere is created in the opening of this chapter? Try to include at least
one textual reference in your answer.
2) What is your impression of the training the men went through?
3) What are your first impressions of Sergeant Hanley?
4) What do you think about Charlie’s reaction to him?
Year 7 – Private Peaceful – Chapter 6-10 Workbook
Task 6 – How is Charlie Peaceful presented in Chapter 8?
Complete the analysis grid below. The first column has been completed for you as an
example.
Charlie is Example from the text Close language analysis
presented as…
skilled and ‘Charlie didn't have to be taught. The fact that Charlie ‘didn’t have to be taught’
competent On the rifle range he proved to be implies he had a natural talent when it came to
far and away the best shot in the shooting. The adjective ‘best’ implies his skills
company.’ are superior to everyone else’s.
"You know what you are? You're
a blot on Creation, Peaceful.
What are you?”
Charlie thought for a moment
and then replied in a clear, firm
voice, and utterly without fear:
"Happy to be here, Sergeant.”
Charlie had broken ranks and run
at Hanley, screaming at him. He
hadn't actually hit him, but he
had stood there nose to nose
with Hanley telling him exactly
what he thought of him.
Read Chapter 9 – A Minute Past Three
Year 7 – Private Peaceful – Chapter 6-10 Workbook
Task 7 – Life in the Trenches
Watch the video linked below about life in the trenches during WW1 (duration – 2.26
minutes)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zwwv9j6
Note down three details you’ve learnt about conditions in the trenches from the veterans in
this clip:
How does Morpurgo make life in the trenches seem unpleasant? Try to include at least two
quotations from the novel in your answer.
Task 8 – Charlie rescues Captain Wilkes
Reread the excerpt below:
Year 7 – Private Peaceful – Chapter 6-10 Workbook
"I won't make it," Wilkie says to Charlie. "I'm leaving it to you to get them all back, Peaceful,
and the prisoner. Go on now."
"No sir," Charlie replies. "If one goes, we all go. Isn't that right, lads?"
That's how it happened. Under cover of an early-morning mist we made it back to our
trenches, Charlie carrying Wilkie on his back the whole way, until the stretcher bearers came
for him in the trench. As they lifted him, Wilkie caught Charlie by the hand and held it.
"Come and see me in hospital, Peaceful," he said. "That's an order." And Charlie promised he
would.
How do you feel about Charlie’s actions here? Try to include at least one quotation from the
excerpt above in your answer.
Read Chapter 10 – Twenty-Five Past Three
Task 9 – Chapter 10 Questions
1. How does life change for the men when they get closer to Ypres?
Year 7 – Private Peaceful – Chapter 6-10 Workbook
2. Why did Tommo ‘feel a surge of triumph’ on page 140?
3. How did Charlie feel about his injury?
4. How did Tommo feel about Charlie going ‘back to Blighty’?
5. Who was their greatest enemy at the end of the chapter?
Task 10 – Comparing key moments
Using the comparison grid below, you will compare two moments from Private Peaceful.
Year 7 – Private Peaceful – Chapter 6-10 Workbook
Tommo’s first day at school (pages 7–13)
Tommo and Charlie’s first taste of action at ‘Wipers’ (pages 139–143).
School Battlefield
What state is
Tommo in when
he enters into this
new situation?
What does Charlie
do about this?
What effect does
this have on
Tommo?
How and why does
Charlie disappear?
What does Tommo
feel when Charlie
disappears?
