Thread: Round table
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Old 06-15-2017, 12:38 AM   #26
sexobon
I love it when a plan comes together.
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 9,793
I've lectured high school students on the role of US Special Forces (aka Green Berets) in warfare. They seemed to be most interested in the elements for which they had no experiences for comparison.

With your topic, there will be much to contrast. The students may not; however, find contrasting a WWI compass & map with a present day GPS to be particularly interesting since GPS; or, smartphone with navigation app may be something they already take for granted. Perhaps it would be better to not spend as much time elaborating on those kinds of items.

OTOH, there may be something that you take for granted that they have no experiences to compare with. Something like Gore-Tex wear (or other brand of waterproof-breathable, moisture vapor permeable material) would be worth elaborating on since they probably don't have any. You could explain that it's used in parkas, over-trousers, gloves, socks, bivy bag covers...etc. and that it consists of billions of pores per square inch that are too small for water molecules to pass through yet large enough for water vapor molecules to pass through. In addition to being rainproof, it enables perspiration to evaporate out through clothing to keep people drier and prevents condensation from building up in a bivy bag. It's worth its weight in gold in the field.

Another item they probably have no comparable experience with is a gas mask (i.e. full face respirator). They've seen pictures; but, have no idea what it's like on the inside looking out. At the beginning of your presentation, you could loosen the head harness and demonstrate how to don a mask. Then you can let the students pass it around to look at and/or try on while you're continuing the presentation. Pass a box of alcohol prep pads around with it so students can wipe inside nose cup between them. Tell them to think about what it would be like having to work in one of those.

Anyway, you get my drift. When contrasting WWI items to today's counterparts, the items of today they're least familiar with may be the most interesting comparisons for them and you may want to allot those more time.
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