Was British nurse Edith Cavell a spy? Just doing her job? A martyr and saint? Perhaps all of the above? Edith Cavell was executed by a hastily arranged firing squad for helping wounded British soldiers in German-occupied Belgium during World War I. She wanted to be remembered as a nurse, but historical evidence suggests she was a spy. Discover the many sides of Edith Cavell and delve into the intriguing questions with an interesting video sure to please.

Concepts

world war i, women's history, nursing, famous women, england, great britain

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• After viewing the video biography, discuss the role propaganda played in the Great War 
• Offer video as research for topics about women in World War I or the development of nursing

Classroom Considerations

• Part of Who Did What in World War I? video biography series

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Narrator engages viewers with quotes from Cavell
• Biography situates Cavell in the larger context of the war

Cons

• None

Common Core

L.9-10.2.a L.11-12.2.a