Video summary
Through the medium of sand art, Dan Snow recreates a map of Europe on the beach in Blackpool. Dan’s sand map will reveal the geopolitics of the continent as it stood on the brink of war.
The sequence of crises that took place often seems murky to the uninitiated. The mists of time and the recriminations of the parties involved have combined to make the events that led to war seem ambiguous and confusing.
Now, using remarkable sand art, Dan brings his clarity of style and presentation to bear on the subject, shedding new light on our descent into a war that would touch the lives of millions across Europe and highlighting the reasons behind a conflict that is, all too fast, receding in our collective memory.
Teacher Notes
Students could be asked to watch this short film as a homework activity.
Whilst watching, they could generate their own questions using question roots such as what, when, how and why. These questions could relate to the content of the film, or they could be questions that they need to answer in order to better understand the events in the film.
Suitable for teaching history at KS3/GCSE or 3rd Level /4th Level in Scotland.