View a sample
Action-packed lessons – students perform in front of the class!
Lectures with graphic organizers.
Mapping: Why the Balkans was a tinderbox.
Mapping: Germany faced a two-front war.
Interpret quotations, photos, and political cartoons.
Trench Warfare: Which side would bleed to death first?
Timeline: We turned it into a board game.
Recall terms: “The ABCs of World War I”
Define terms: “Can you talk like a doughboy?”
Who am I? (Rank the famous people from best to worst.)
Homework on the internet. Board game. Film worksheets.
Games galore, including "The Gong Show: The 5 causes of the war"
The Turning Point: The Russian Revolution and U.S. entry into the war.
Group analysis: “Top Ten Reasons why propaganda is dreadful.”
Debate: “Resolved, World War I was a great step forward for humanity.”
“Let your classroom BLOOM!” (Using Bloom’s taxonomy, explore terms in depth.)
Learn the logic of a multiple-choice test by playing “Honk if you hate history!”
Concludes with the mother of all tests: 294 questions.
Reverse designers: give a test at the beginning of every class.
• The Causes
• The Geography
• Trench Warfare
• Turning Points: The Russian Revolution, the Americans enter the war
• The Human Cost
• Tragedy in Armenia
• Treaty of Versailles
• The Consequences
• Disillusionment
• The “Lost Generation”
The Test
294 questions
If your students can do well on our test, the state test should be a breeze.
Simple to use
One book for the whole class.
No learning curve: Lessons are ready to reproduce.
Saves time
All the facts are included:
There is no need to use a textbook or reference books.
Your students will zip through the material.
Each lesson is 20 minutes in and out. Perfect for block scheduling.
1. The Topics
Analyze the causes, results, and events of the First World War.
THE CAUSES
The Causes: Political and economic rivalries, ethnic and ideological conflicts,
propaganda and nationalism.
The definition of “Total War.”
THE COURSE OF THE WAR
The principal theaters of battle, major turning points, and the importance of
geographic factors.
THE NATURE OF THE WAR
What is trench warfare?
The human costs (military and civilian) of the war.
How colonial peoples contributed to the war effort.
THE TURNING POINTS
The Russian Revolution: It looked as if Germany would win.
The entry of the United States: It was certain that Germany would lose.
THE RESULTS
The aims and negotiating roles of world leaders.
The terms and influence of the Treaty of Versailles.
Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points.
The impact of the U.S. not joining the League of Nations.
Refugees, the Great Depression, and the changing borders of Europe and the Middle
East.
GENOCIDE IN ARMENIA
The Ottoman government’s actions against Armenian citizens.
THE VERSAILLES TREATY
The peace treaty that ended World War I was one of the causes of World War II.
POLITICAL & ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES
The map of Europe was redrawn, refugees wandered through Europe, and reparations
payments helped launch the Great Depression!
DISILLUSIONMENT
Post-war isillusionment with institutions, authorities, and values.
The rise of totalitarians.
The the influence of World War I on literature, art, and intellectual life in
the West.
Pablo Picasso, the “Lost Generation” of Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway.
2. The Lessons
The worksheets are . . .
Designed to involve students at the moment and on the day of the state test.
Chock full of facts: Using reasoning, students manipulate the facts.
Action-packed: Students perform what they know in front of the class!
| THE CAUSES
| | “Once upon a time . . .” | An overview of the war. |
| Who caused World War I? | Mapping: As you tell the story, students color their desk maps. |
| The Assassination of an Archduke | Mapping: Why the Balkans was a tinderbox. |
| The Gong Show | Game: The Five Causes |
| The Great Race | Guys vs. Gals: The Five Causes |
| Bloom! | Group Analysis: Propaganda |
| Propaganda Bills and Cartoons | Homework on the Internet: Students interpret the placards. |
| Valley Girls / Boyz in the Back | Soliciting Reactions: Propaganda |
| Life is like a Rock Group | Examine from 5 viewpoints: Propaganda |
| Military Alliances | Causes & Results: What’s wrong with military alliances? |
| Worksheet | How to analyze political cartoons. |
| Political Cartoons | Interpret: The causes of the war. |
| Brief Readings | Homework on the Internet |
| The ABCs of WW1: | The Causes Recall terms. |
| Can you talk like a Jingo? | Define terms. |
| THE COURSE OF THE WAR |
| The Two Sides | Mapping: The Allies and the Central Powers |
| Germany faced a Two-Front War! | Schieffen Plan. Western Front. Eastern Front. Hindenburg Line. |
| Map that Battle! | Mapping: Most of the battles were in France. |
| Maps of the War | Homework on the Internet |
| Timeline of the War | We turned it into a homemade board game. |
| THE NATURE OF THE WAR |
| What is trench warfare? | Stationary, war of attrition. Which side would bleed to death first? |
| Film Worksheet | “Foot Soldiers in World War I.” A&E. Hosted by Richard Karn. |
| Film Worksheet | “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Hosted by Richard Thomas. |
| Photos of World War I | Life in the Trenches, death and destruction. |
| Trench Warfare | Homework on the Internet: Summary |
| The ABCs of Trench Warfare | Recall terms. |
| Can you talk like a Doughboy? | Define terms. |
| THE TURNING POINTS |
| The Russian Revolution | No more Eastern Front: Germany would surely win. |
| U.S. entry into the war | The U.S. helped win the war: Germany surrendered. |
| Why did the U.S. enter the war? | Four Reasons |
| The Lusitania | How Americans reacted to its being sunk by German U-boats. |
| Strengths & Weaknesses | What were the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S.? |
| Two Turning Points | Homework on the Internet |
| THE RESULTS |
| The Human Cost of the War | Poem: “In Flanders Fields.” Film: “Johnny Got His Gun.” |
| “Survivor: 1918” | Chart: The number of Europeans and colonial peoples who died. |
| David Letterman | Top Ten Reasons why World War One was horrible. |
| GENOCIDE IN ARMENIA |
| The whole story | Homework on the Internet |
| THE PEACE TREATY |
| The Treaty of Versailles | The British and French sought revenge. Wilson was wise. |
| The Fourteen Points | Compare & Contrast: Versailles Treaty vs the Fourteen Points. |
| The Versailles Treaty on Trial | Each student takes on a role: Woodrow Wilson, Lloyd George, etc. |
| Bloom! | Group Analysis: The Versailles Treaty |
| Life is like a Rock Group | Examine from 5 viewpoints: The Versailles Treaty |
| Political Cartoons | The peace treaty that ended World War I led to World War II. |
| Write your own peace treaty . . . | that prevents World War Two! |
| The Great Debate | “Resolved, World War II was a great step forward for humanity.” |
| POLITICAL & ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES |
| The map of Europe was redrawn | Mapping: Empires collapsed, new nations were formed. Refugees. |
| The economy was destroyed | War debts, reparations, inflation, and then the Great Depression. |
| Pacifists & Fascists | When the war ended, the political void was filled by Hitler, etc. |
| DISILLUSIONMENT |
| “The Lost Generation” | Eric Maria Remarque, Picasso, Gertrude Stein, Hemingway |
| Artists & Authors | Homework on the Internet |
| REVIEW |
| The ABCs of World War I: Results | Recall terms. |
| Stages of the war | Graphic Organizer |
| Causes & Results | Graphic Organizer |
| Who, what, when, where, how? | Graphic Organizer |
| Hall of Fame / Hall of Shame | Photos of famous leaders |
| Great Quotations | Interpret: Quotations by Woodrow Wilson, Pershing, Clemenceau. |
| Mars/Venus | One guy vs one gal: What do you really remember? |
| Screaming Headlines | Write one paragraph about a major event. |
| Name that Concept! | On the blackboard, write clues. Class must guess the concept. |
| Rank! | Rank the revolutionary philosophers from best to worst. |
| Honk if you hate history! | Students hear the test before they take it. |
| Stump the Teacher | Whenever you miss a question, blame it on having no breakfast. |
| The Last Man Standing | Game: Based on the movie starring Bruce Willis |
|
Cart: 
