World War I - 3 Week Digital Unit for World History - WWI Activity High School

This comprehensive 3-week bundle for World History includes everything you need to guide your students to explore WWI. It is all no-prep & fully digital and editable. Students will evaluate a variety of sources and demonstrate their learning through reflections and check for understandings. Includes Pear Deck, EdPuzzle, and other engaging options along with digital notebooks and gallery walks which are all ready to post. Save hours of prep time and stress with this complete unit!

LEARNING TARGETS COVERED:

1. I can explain and evaluate the significance of the causes of World War I.
2. I can describe the reasons for the failure of the Schlieffen Plan and the characteristics of trench warfare.
3. I can explain the way the Home Front contributed to World War I.
4. I can evaluate how certain battles were turning points during World War I.
5. I can analyze themes in literature and poetry inspired by World War I.
6. I can describe the negotiation of the Treaty of Versailles and the extent to which it embodied the 14 Points.
7. I can compare the Spanish Flu of 1918 to the 2020 Pandemic.
8. I can describe the total cost of WWI: human cost and economic cost.

UNIT PLAN:

1. Main Causes (“MANIA”) Digital Notebook (approx. time needed: 60 minutes)

This digital interactive notebook for World History or AP European History covers the topic of the Causes of World War I: Militarism, Alliances, Nationalism, Imperialism & Assassination.

Students will watch videos, read primary/secondary sources, analyze images/political cartoons, etc. to build their understanding of what caused World War I. They will watch an Edpuzzle about the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, and ultimately evaluate which causes are most significant and how the causes are linked to each other.

2. Outbreak of WWI: Schlieffen Plan & Trench Warfare NB (approx. time needed: 60 minutes)

This digital interactive notebook for World History covers the Outbreak of WWI and will allow students to understand the shifting perspective of war. Students will examine an image and song that show the excitement for war but will then learn how the Schlieffen Plan failed and trench warfare commenced with the battle of the Marne. Students will explore life in the trenches and ultimately "bring it together" by answering: How was WWI different than people anticipated at the outbreak of the war? Why did it turn out differently than people had anticipated?

3. War Stories Pear Deck (approx. time needed: 60 minutes)

Students will watch a video of a WWI soldier recounting his experiences many years later, learn about shell shock, read an actual WWI soldier's letter home, analyze a poem by Siegfried Sassoon, and more! This engaging activity will get your students reflecting and discussing life as a soldier in World War I. 

This assignment has been “Pear Deck-ed,” making it interactive! Here is a quick video overview of Pear Deck if you are unfamiliar with the program.

4. 1917 Film Analysis & Trench Warfare Journal (approx. time needed: 3 days)

This 11 question, time-stamped movie guide will help deepen students' understanding of the film and bring alive the experiences of soldiers in WWI. Questions go in order and are frequent enough to keep students engaged, but not so overwhelming that they can't watch and enjoy the film. Full answer key provided for film questions.

Also includes an extension & application assignment for students to put themselves in the "boots" of a soldier during WWI & write a journal based on the film and what they have learned in class. A planning sheet & full student samples are provided.

Assignments can be completed digitally or printed as a hard copy. Both assignments are fully editable, so you can customize them to fit the needs of your class.

NOTE: This film is rated R, so you may need a permission slip or authorization from your admin to show in class or assign to your students.

5. Home Front + Propaganda Analysis (approx. time needed: 60 minutes)

This digital Gallery Walk or Digital Stations activity will allow students to explore and discuss the Home Front experiences of Britain, German, and Russia during World War I. By reading a one page summary and investigating propaganda posters, charts, and images, students will develop an understanding of the home front experience in each country and then draw parallels between the three countries.

Students will define & explain with examples the following terms/concepts:

• total war
• war of attrition
• propaganda
• war bonds
• rationing
• war production
• women's roles

6. Battles (approx. time needed: 90 minutes)

This digital interactive notebook will allow your World History students to explore major battles, strategies & technology of WWI. Students will watch videos, visit curated web resources, interpret & label maps, and evaluate quotes to deepen their understanding of how World War I was fought.

Topics Covered:

• trench warfare
• Battle of Tannenberg
• Battle of Gallipoli
• Battle of Verdun
• Battle of the Somme
• Military technology: machine guns, artillery (Big Bertha), U-boats, poison gas, tanks, and planes, ultimately explaining the quote: “One really clear way of understanding the shift in World War I in terms of technology is that soldiers rode in on horses and they left in airplanes.”

7. End of WWI, Treaty of Versailles & 14 Points (approx. time needed: 60 minutes)

This digital interactive notebook is also Pear Deck compatible to interactively teach World History students about the End of WWI, the 14 Points & the Treaty of Versailles. Students will watch video clips, annotate reading, create symbols, drag & drop, and more as they learn about the events that brought about a "resolution" to World War I.

NOTE: This PEAR DECK was created with premium features (drawing & draggables) You may need to switch those to a text option or delete the slides for the free version

8. Spanish Flu (approx. time needed: 60 minutes)

This digital interactive notebook will guide your World History students to explore the 1918 Spanish Flu and make comparisons to the 2020 coronavirus. Students will watch videos, visit curated web resources, interpret primary sources, analyze charts, and more to learn about the two pandemics. It also includes a full answer key. Utilizes sources hyperlinked from the CDC to ensure reliability of data. 

9. The Impact & Aftermath of World War I (approx. time needed: 90 minutes)

World War I dramatically altered the world. Its consequences were immediate and lasting, including the following topics:

Staggering Human and Economic Costs

Political Changes: Collapse of Empires & a New Map of Europe

A “Lost Generation” & changing views on warfare

10. World War I Children’s Book (approx. time needed: 2 - 3 days)

This digital or printable project can be used as a summative assessment or a fun way to recap and remember World War I. Students will use the colorful templates provided to write their own short rhymes about WWI. All instructions, rubrics, and templates are fully editable, so you can remove rhyming requirements. However, I find the search for rhymes causes students to think more deeply about the term. This book is patterned after the 1899 British children's book on Imperialism "ABC for Baby Patriots" & a link to the book is provided for students to get inspiration.

COMPREHENSIVE  REVIEW PPT INCLUDED

ALSO INCLUDES 2 ASSESSMENT OPTIONS: A 40 question multiple choice exam & a short answer version that can be done as a written or verbal exam.

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Please let me know if you have questions. You can email me at yeoldeushistoryshoppe@gmail.com and I am happy to help.

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