Trench Lesson: Students Participate in WWI Battle Simulation

On a recent foggy morning, in a forest clearing near Mount Madonna School (MMS), 35 high school students dressed in military-style fatigues, or even shorts, t-shirts and jeans, huddle in two opposing, waist-deep, muddy trenches. Nearby, other students peer watchfully from behind boulders and trees, scanning the surrounding terrain. Students can be overheard discussing in low voices, attack and defensive strategies, all the while listening for the signal to commence ‘battle’.