Trenches of Tech Worksheet
Trenches of Tech
Short Constructed Response: Industrial Warfare in 1917
Name:
Date:
The film 1917 depicts a world caught between traditional warfare and high-tech destruction. Technology dictates the survival or death of the men in the mud.
Mission Prompt
Analyze how the advancement of military technology in 1917 impacts the psychological and physical experience of the soldiers. Use two specific pieces of evidence in a single paragraph.
Field Report Response
Success Checklist
- Clear claim about technological impact
- Evidence #1 (specific scene/detail)
- Evidence #2 (specific scene/detail)
- Analysis connecting tech to soldier experience
Scoring Guide
Claim / Thesis /5 pts
Evidence & Context /10 pts
Critical Analysis /5 pts
Total Score /20 pts
Trenches of Tech Answer Key
Answer Key & Teacher Guide
SCR: The Impact of Industrial Warfare in 1917
Teacher Resource
Standards
Advanced (18-20)
Analyzes shifts in soldier agency. Specific evidence and rich context.
Proficient (14-17)
Identifies two tech impacts. Clear but surface-level analysis.
Developing (Below 14)
Missing evidence or fails to connect evidence back to impact.
Evidence
- • Bunkers: Trip-wires/explosives show how tech makes survival a game of traps.
- • Plane Crash: Mechanical death invading domestic spaces, injuring soldiers.
- • Crater-scape: Artillery reshaping the earth, alienating men from nature.
- • Engineering: Contrast between British mud and reinforced German lines.
Model Response
In the film 1917, the advancement of military technology creates a psychological landscape of constant, unseen dread that physically isolates the soldiers from any sense of safety. This impact is most visible when Schofield and Blake enter the abandoned German bunkers, where industrial-grade trip-wires and explosives nearly kill them; this demonstrates how technology turned the very ground beneath their feet into a weapon, forcing a state of hyper-vigilance. Furthermore, the terrifying crash of the German biplane directly into the farmyard highlights how the industrialization of flight brought modern destruction into previously domestic spaces, physically wounding Blake and showing that no area was beyond the reach of mechanical warfare. Ultimately, technology in the film serves to strip soldiers of their humanity, reducing their journey to a desperate race against mechanized clocks and high-caliber weaponry.
Teaching Tips
Encourage students to look at environmental technology (barbed wire, flares, gas masks). Remind them that an SCR requires a connection sentence—they must explain how the technology impacted the soldier's agency or mental state. Focus on the contrast between the organic environment and industrial machines.
