Materials

• Outline map handout showing Europe at the time of World War I
• Blank timeline handout for the World War I years
• Computer with Internet access

Instructional Activities

1. Review what has been covered thus far in study of this organizing topic, as needed.
   
   
2. Tell students that this session will be devoted to a study of World War I. Begin with brainstorming what students know about this topic. Ask students:
   •  What were the causes of World War I?
   •  What countries were involved?
   •  When was the war fought?
   •  Where was the war fought?
   •  What was the outcome of the war?
   
   Allow a few minutes for students to respond. Display student responses on an overhead that can be referenced at the conclusion of the session for comparison purposes.
   
   
3. Instruct students to begin a timeline of the events of World War I. Distribute timelines for the WWI period but without any data so that students can include the key events. Also, distribute outline maps of Europe for students to color-code as they study the progress of the war. The following Web sites may assist in guiding discussion:
   •  <http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/timeline/>. (chronology of WWI)
   •  <http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/>.
   
   
4. Explain to students that by the early 1900s, European nations entered alliances that laid the foundation for future problems. The two major alliances that contributed to the problems were:
   •  Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria (the Central Powers)
   •  Britain, France, and Russia (the Allied Powers).
   Explain that other factors contributing to World War I included a growing sense of nationalism in European nations, a growing militarism as European countries began to develop larger armies, and proliferation of powerful weapons.
   
   
5. Display the following prompts on the board or overhead:
   
   In June of 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist, assassinated the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary because Austria-Hungary was preventing the Serbian government from creating a large, independent Slavic state.
   
   By July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, which had an alliance with Russia.
   
   By August 1914, Germany, allied with Austria-Hungary, declared war on Russia and France. Germany attacked through Belgium, and Great Britain entered the war against Germany.
   Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria, and Germany were at war with Serbia, Russia, France, and Great Britain.
   
   In May, 1915, Italy attacked Austria-Hungary.
   
   Instruct students to identify these countries on their maps and color code the Allied powers and the Central Powers. Remind them to code Italy with the Allied Powers. Encourage the students to comment on how the war began, and ask them to propose possible solutions that might have worked. Remind students that the United States had not yet entered the conflict.
   
   
6. Display the following prompt on the board or overhead:
   
   The United States remained neutral as the war progressed.
   
   Encourage the students to comment on whether the United States really was neutral. Ask them to define what “neutral” means.
   
   
7. Display the following prompt on the board or overhead:
   
   The United States’ decision to enter the war in 1917 was the result of British/American connections and specific actions by the Germans, especially submarine warfare.
   
   Briefly describe U.S. reaction to the sinking of the Lusitania and the Sussex as well as the Zimmerman telegram. Encourage students to share their thoughts on whether the United States was justified in declaring war.
   
   
8. Display the following prompt on the board or overhead:
   
   President Woodrow Wilson’s speech in support of the war stated: “The world must be made safe for democracy.”
   
   Ask students to explain what Wilson meant. How would war have ensured democracy? Is this concept valid in today’s world?
   
   
9. Display the following prompt on the board or overhead:
   
   The Unites States’ entry into the war gave the Allies an advantage, as both sides involved were exhausted by this time.
   
   Ask the students to consider what the advantages the U.S. involvement brought to the Allies. (Examples: U.S. troops were fresh — not worn from three years of battle. The U.S. had an abundance of natural resources that could be used for the war effort.)
   
   
10. Explain that at the beginning, the United States was not in a strong position to fight the war. Also explain that the Bolshevik Revolution occurred in Russia, and Russia withdrew from the war. The following Web site may assist with discussion: <http://www.sss.gov/induct.htm> (This site provides numbers of soldiers drafted during World War I.)
    
    
11. Display the following prompt on the board or overhead:
    
    The armistice to end fighting in World War I was signed at 5:05 a.m. in Germany. The cease-fire went into effect at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (11:00 a.m. Germany time, November 11, 1918).
    
    Point out that this date was once celebrated as Armistice Day, honoring the end of World War I, but now it is Veterans Day, which honors American veterans of all wars.
    
    
12. Assign a teacher-selected reading, worksheet, or other reinforcement activity, using available resources that will prepare the students for the next day’s instruction on the Treaty of Versailles. Alternatively, administer a test on World War I, and then give the students a homework assignment that will prepare them for study of the Treaty of Versailles in the next session.