Talking Maps

Gr 7 Up—The intent of the films in this series is to place important conflicts in geographical perspective. This brief program condenses World War I into 10 minutes. A map of Europe is the background throughout, with video clips on a screen inserted over portions of the map. Arrows are drawn on the map showing the movement of troops, and flames are lit up at appropriate times to highlight areas where fighting took place. There are three different maps shown: Europe before the war began in 1914, a map of Europe with the four fronts where fighting took place in 1917—18, and a post-war map. While the program does a good job of simplifying the complex conflict, by necessity it omits important facts. For example, viewers never learn why the European allies aligned with the countries they did, and why far-flung countries like Japan and China entered the war. Since the only maps shown are of Europe, the bloody Gallipoli campaign in Turkey and the fighting in Africa are never mentioned. The only battles specifically discussed in Europe are those the U.S. troops participated in toward the end of the war, omitting significant battles at Verdun and on the Somme, for example. While the narrator states that World War I planted the seeds for World War II, the link between the two wars is not elaborated upon. Still, this is a good resource to use for a quick overview of the war.—David Bilmes, Schaghticoke Middle School, New Milford, CT