Question

What had been put up on the bulletin-board? (The Last Lesson)

Hint:

Remember: The bulletin-board displayed the order from Berlin that French would no longer be taught in Alsace and Lorraine. This notice set the context for M. Hamel's emotional last lesson in French.

Answer 1

Step 1: The bulletin-board in the story. 
In Alphonse Daudet's "The Last Lesson," the bulletin-board is located outside the town hall. It had always been a source of bad news for the villagers, carrying messages about wars, conscriptions, and orders from the occupying forces. 
Step 2: What was put up on the bulletin-board. 
On that fateful day, a notice had been put up on the bulletin-board announcing that German would henceforth be the only language taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. A new order from Berlin had been issued, making French language teaching compulsory in the newly occupied territories. 
Step 3: The content of the order. 
The order stated that from the next day onwards, only German would be taught in all schools. French teachers like M. Hamel would have to leave, and the students would now learn German instead of their native French. 
Step 4: Franz's reaction. 
When Franz passes by the bulletin-board, he notices a crowd gathered there but does not stop to read it. Later, when he enters the classroom and finds M. Hamel dressed in his formal clothes with everyone sitting solemnly, he realizes the significance of the notice. 

Step 5: The impact of the notice. 
This notice meant that it was the last lesson of French for the students. It symbolized the loss of linguistic and cultural identity for the people of Alsace under German occupation.