FIRST WORLD WAR
Hard Work and Danger

1: Meeting a Challenge (WORD WALL)

As the soldiers of the NFC walked the woodlands where they were to harvest timber, likely two kinds of words and phrases came to mind: some described the difficulties of working in such difficult terrain, others described the ways they could overcome these challenges.
In your mind’s eye, imagine the forested sides of Craigvinean Hill. If you are from or familiar with Newfoundland and Labrador, picture hilly terrain on the Island or in parts of Labrador below the tree line. Brainstorm your impressions using an idea web or graphic organizer. If you are in a classroom, print the words and phrases on craft paper and create a wall of words. Refer to these words and phrases as you learn more about the hard work and dangers of logging in difficult terrain and add to the word wall as new insights emerge.

2: Innovators at Work (DIORAMA)

The notion of constructing a chute to move the timber felled on Craigvinean off the hillside and down to the mill is a great example of innovation: people responded to a challenge using a combination of creative thinking and problem-solving that built on their knowledge and expertise.
Look at the photograph of a chute used by the Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Company that is featured in “Hard Work and Danger.” If possible, research the use of chutes to move timber in the early twentieth century, to gain more insight into how they were built. Using this information, construct a scale model or diorama that enables others to better understand how a chute works.

3: Impossible? (MUSIC/RECITATION/SPOKEN WORD)

At Craigvinean Hill, the NFC encountered rough terrain on which they needed to first cut the trees, then move them to a mill for processing. In fact, the forest there appeared to be so difficult to harvest that the Canadian Forestry Corps said the task was “impossible.”
It was, and still is, common for military and non-military groups to sing or chant while working together—it helps set a coordinated pace and serves as a motivator, especially as tasks become tiring.
With a partner or as part of a small group, craft a “chant” or song that describes the NFC’s work on Craigvinean Hill and reflects the immense pride its members felt in completing work that another country’s woods workers had deemed “impossible.”

4: We Are So Strong! (SCRIPTWRITING/PLAY OR FILM)

The photo captioned Members of the Women’s Forestry Service felling trees, ca. 1917 is powerful and striking. Write a single scene (that could be a part of a longer play) based on this scenario:

Setting: Three young women return to their barracks, at the end of a long day of working to harvest timber for the war effort. As they chat about their day, they reveal the breadth and depth of their experiences, ranging from sore muscles, potential love interests and an upcoming social occasion, to missing loved ones, their feelings of pride and satisfaction in their accomplishments in doing what many thought of as “men’s work” and their optimism for a more equitable society after the war is over.

5: In the News . . . (WRITING)

Assume the job of a news reporter (journalist). Using five texts or photographs in “Hard Work and Danger,” write a news story for one of the newspapers that published during the First World War—choosing one located in the UK, Newfoundland, Canada, or even the United States (The New York Times, for example). Remember to follow the standard practices of news story writing, such as the “inverted pyramid” and the five Ws.

6: Who Were They, Really? (CONSIDER)

In exploring the website so far, you have viewed photographs, read letters and stories, and tried to gain insight into the lived experiences of the members of the NFC.

Of course, one can never fully understand the experiences of another person. However, to live together successfully in families and communities, we need to be considerate of others’ viewpoints and experiences as we interact.

Carefully “read” the photograph captioned Four foresters standing together, with snow-covered Craigvinean Hill in the background, ca. 1918.

What do you see as you study and contemplate the faces of these young men? Describe your impressions to a friend or in a journal entry.