Goals and Objectives
Students will understand the importance of the Treaty of Versailles.
Students will analyze the provisions, Britain, France, and the United States wanted out of the Treaty of Versailles by participating in a simulation where the students are divided into the different nations and will then have to negotiate for the interests of their assigned country.
Students will critique the treaty by writing a one page paper analyzing what the treaty meant for Germany and whether or not it could achieve lasting peace.
Students will analyze the provisions, Britain, France, and the United States wanted out of the Treaty of Versailles by participating in a simulation where the students are divided into the different nations and will then have to negotiate for the interests of their assigned country.
Students will critique the treaty by writing a one page paper analyzing what the treaty meant for Germany and whether or not it could achieve lasting peace.
content and common core standards
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.
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.
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.
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.
driving historical question
How did the personal interests of the countries involved in the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 influence the Treaty of Versailles?
Could the Treaty of Versailles provide lasting peace to Europe?
Could the Treaty of Versailles provide lasting peace to Europe?
lesson introduction
The teacher will introduce the lesson by first letting the classes know that they have come to the end of WWI and will now look at the treaty that officially ended the war. The teacher will let the students know that they will be doing a simulation on the Treaty of Versailles so they can better understand the negotiations that went on to arrive at such a treaty. The teacher will set the stage for the simulation by first showing clips from a video on the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. The video shows actual footage of the end of the war and shows the key world leaders that would play a central role in the negotiation process.
vocabulary
Treaty
Versailles
Negotiation
Woodrow Wilson
Georges Clemenceau
Lloyd George
Reparations
Versailles
Negotiation
Woodrow Wilson
Georges Clemenceau
Lloyd George
Reparations
content delivery
This simulation is based on a simulation created by Mr. McDonald, which was found on the site schoolhistory.co.uk. The original lesson has been modified to meet the needs of the students in this class and the unit.
The teacher will give a short presentation on the key figures that played a central role in the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. She will introduce the class to Woodrow Wilson, Georges Clemenceau, and Lloyd George.
After the short presentation, the teacher will instruct the students on how the simulation is going to work. First, the students would have to be put into groups of four. There will be six groups of four and each group would be responsible for representing the interest of a different country, Britain, France, or the United States. The teacher will pass out character sheets with the name of the key player in the conference and the interests that key player represents. For the purpose of this simulation, the class would be divided in half and there will be two groups representing the interests of France, Britain, and the United States. This ensures that the groups are not too large so the students can really focus on their negotiations and it ensures that all the students have a say in the negotiations.
The students would then study their character sheet and would also study a second handout listing the provisions that they must negotiate for. First the students would be asked to choose their stance on the provisions, based on what the character they were given would have wanted. After they have chosen their stance on the provisions, the students would then meet with the other countries. The students would make a circle with their desks and will begin negotiations. As the students are negotiating, they will have to record what they decided upon on a separate handout. On this handout, the students would record the option that they decided on and who voted for or against this option.
After students are done with their negotiations, the teacher will go over the actual provisions of the Treaty of Versailles and students would compare and contrast what they negotiated for with the actual treaty.
Students would then be asked to think about the provisions of the treaty and would be asked to write a one-page paper on what the treaty meant for Germany and whether or not this treaty could achieve lasting peace.
The teacher will give a short presentation on the key figures that played a central role in the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. She will introduce the class to Woodrow Wilson, Georges Clemenceau, and Lloyd George.
After the short presentation, the teacher will instruct the students on how the simulation is going to work. First, the students would have to be put into groups of four. There will be six groups of four and each group would be responsible for representing the interest of a different country, Britain, France, or the United States. The teacher will pass out character sheets with the name of the key player in the conference and the interests that key player represents. For the purpose of this simulation, the class would be divided in half and there will be two groups representing the interests of France, Britain, and the United States. This ensures that the groups are not too large so the students can really focus on their negotiations and it ensures that all the students have a say in the negotiations.
The students would then study their character sheet and would also study a second handout listing the provisions that they must negotiate for. First the students would be asked to choose their stance on the provisions, based on what the character they were given would have wanted. After they have chosen their stance on the provisions, the students would then meet with the other countries. The students would make a circle with their desks and will begin negotiations. As the students are negotiating, they will have to record what they decided upon on a separate handout. On this handout, the students would record the option that they decided on and who voted for or against this option.
After students are done with their negotiations, the teacher will go over the actual provisions of the Treaty of Versailles and students would compare and contrast what they negotiated for with the actual treaty.
Students would then be asked to think about the provisions of the treaty and would be asked to write a one-page paper on what the treaty meant for Germany and whether or not this treaty could achieve lasting peace.
Modified simulation for this lesson
wwi_simulation.docx | |
File Size: | 114 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Original Treaty of Versailles Simulation
versaillessimulation.pdf | |
File Size: | 514 kb |
File Type: |
student engagement
Students will be asked to participate in a simulation in which they will have to take on the role of a country during the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. Students will have to study the role they have been assigned and will have to negotiate with the other students in the class, representing the other countries. Students will negotiate on the various issues presented and will have to come to a consensus on the issues.
After students have negotiated on the issues, students will compare what they negotiated in their groups, to the actual provisions of the Treaty of Versailles.
Students will also take the time to look at the negotiations from Germany’s perspective and will have to write a one-page paper on Germany’s role during these negotiations and whether or not they believe the provisions could achieve lasting peace.
After students have negotiated on the issues, students will compare what they negotiated in their groups, to the actual provisions of the Treaty of Versailles.
Students will also take the time to look at the negotiations from Germany’s perspective and will have to write a one-page paper on Germany’s role during these negotiations and whether or not they believe the provisions could achieve lasting peace.
lesson closure
The lesson will close with the teacher holding a discussion foreshadowing what was to come after WWI ended. The teacher will ask the students to think about Germany and how the country might have felt after the Treaty of Versailles was agreed upon and how those sentiments might lead to resentment and the possibility of another world war. The teacher will remind the students that they must write a one-page paper on Germany’s role in the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and whether or not this treaty could achieve lasting peace. The teacher will whip around the classroom and ask the students what they think will happen with Germany.
assessment
Formative Assessment: Students will have to complete the negotiation handout as a formative assessment showing their participation in the activity and their understanding of the negotiations that took place in the Paris Peace Conference of 1919.
Formative Assessment: The teacher will be monitoring the negotiation process and will intervene if students do not seem to comprehend the directions or if they are getting out of task.
Summative Assessment: Students will have to write a one-page paper analyzing what the Treaty of Versailles meant for Germany and they will state whether or not they believe the treaty could achieve lasting peace.
Formative Assessment: The teacher will be monitoring the negotiation process and will intervene if students do not seem to comprehend the directions or if they are getting out of task.
Summative Assessment: Students will have to write a one-page paper analyzing what the Treaty of Versailles meant for Germany and they will state whether or not they believe the treaty could achieve lasting peace.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS, STRIVING READERS, STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
English Learners: ELs will be placed in groups with native English speakers so that they will have English language support throughout the activity. ELs will be working on this activity in small groups and will not have to speak in front of the class. Working in small groups will be a better way to assess ELs because the teacher can go over to the groups and check to see how ELs are doing and if they need further assistance with the content.
Striving Readers: Striving Readers will have the opportunity to learn this difficult content through a simulation that will make the content more accessible to them. The reading that is involved in this activity is not intensive but is very accessible to all students. The majority of the work done in this activity relies on student interaction. Students would need to understand their position and must negotiate with their classmates.. This will be very helpful to striving readers because they can show their understanding of the content through a different medium.
Students with Special Needs: The handout listing the provisions and the options will help student with special needs. There may be students who do not feel comfortable participating in a group activity. This handout allows all students to participate because in order to fill it out they would have to listen to the negotiations and record the responses of the group. This will be a great help to students with special needs because some may not be as willing to participate in group work as other students might be.
Striving Readers: Striving Readers will have the opportunity to learn this difficult content through a simulation that will make the content more accessible to them. The reading that is involved in this activity is not intensive but is very accessible to all students. The majority of the work done in this activity relies on student interaction. Students would need to understand their position and must negotiate with their classmates.. This will be very helpful to striving readers because they can show their understanding of the content through a different medium.
Students with Special Needs: The handout listing the provisions and the options will help student with special needs. There may be students who do not feel comfortable participating in a group activity. This handout allows all students to participate because in order to fill it out they would have to listen to the negotiations and record the responses of the group. This will be a great help to students with special needs because some may not be as willing to participate in group work as other students might be.
resources
Treaty of Versailles Simulation schoolhistory.co.uk