Big IdeasThe causes of the war
The course of the war The impact of new technology on soldiers and the battlefield The effects of the war on the home front: Total war The Russian Revolution and entry of the United States The effects of the war The Treaty of Versailles /The League of Nations and lasting peace Essential Historical QuestionsWhat were the causes of the war?
How did new technology impact the way the war was fought? What is total war and what makes WWI a total war? Why did the United States enter the war? How did the provisions listed out in the Treaty of Versailles and those listed out in the League of Nations compare and contrast? Could the Treaty of Versailles provide lasting peace to Europe? |
Unit goalsStudents will understand the causes of WWI.
Students will understand major turning points of the war and life on the battlefront. Students will understand the impact new technology had on the battlefield. Students will understand what is meant by total war and why WWI was a total war. Students will understand why US entry into the war was important. Students will understand the importance of the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations. Unit assessmentsStudents will take a quiz on the causes of WWI and the major battles.
Students will complete a diary entry from the point of view of a civilian going through the effects of total war or a soldier living in the trenches. Students will give a small presentation on a primary source document regarding U.S. entry into WWI. Students will hold a discussion regarding the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations. |
Content StandardsHSS 10.5 Students analyze the causes and course of the First World War.
1. Analyze the arguments for entering into war presented by leaders from all sides of the Great War and the role of political and economic rivalries, ethnic and ideological conflicts, domestic discontent and disorder, and propaganda and nationalism in mobilizing the civilian population in support of "total war." 2. Examine the principal theaters of battle, major turning points, and the importance of geographic factors in military decisions and outcomes (e.g., topography, waterways, distance, climate). 3. Explain how the Russian Revolution and the entry of the United States affected the course and outcome of the war. 4. Understand the nature of the war and its human costs (military and civilian) on all sides of the conflict, including how colonial peoples contributed to the war effort. HSS 10.6 Students analyze the effects of the First World War. 1. Analyze the aims and negotiating roles of world leaders, the terms and influence of the Treaty of Versailles and Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, and the causes and effects of the United State’s rejection of the League of Nations on world politics. |
Common Core StandardsCCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.6. Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2.B. Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic. E |