Lesson Summary
Working in groups of three, each group will be assigned a
different nation involved in World War I.
Each student in the group will be assigned as the head of the military,
head of the political body and head of the economy. Each group will research the country before
and during World War I and devise a plan to prepare for war. Each group will present their plan to the
class.
California Academic Standard(s)
10.5 – Students analyze the causes and course of the First
World War.
Time Frame
(3) to (4) 50 minute classes
Goal
The students will learn critical thinking skills in a team
environment while acquiring knowledge about the political, economic and military
causes of World War I.
Learning Styles
Learning Styles
- Linguistic
- Auditory
- Social
- Intrapersonal
- Physical
- Logical
Lesson Plan
Anticipatory Set (10
min)
The instructor will write a question on the board that
states “What are key issues a country must deal with when preparing for war?” The instructor will ask the students to take
2 minutes and think about answers to the question. The instructor will ask the students to
answer the question and place the answers on the board.
Direct Instruction
(20 min)
The instructor will briefly discuss the issues that led to
World War I and the countries involved in the conflict. The instructor will provide the students a
handout with directions for the lesson activity. The instructor will verbally go over the
directions and answer any questions.
Directions
Working in groups of
three, you will devise a war strategy plan for World War I. The goal is to demonstrate how each country
in World War I was able to take advantage of its natural resources and people
to fight the war.
Each individual in the
group will be assigned a role. The three
roles include: Political Leader, Economic Leader and Military Leader.
The war strategy plan
will include three sections:
- Political – Researching the political establishment of the assigned country, describe the advantages and disadvantages it provides to the success of a war strategy.
- Economic - Researching the economy and the amount of natural resources of the assigned country, describe the advantages and disadvantages it provides to the success of a war strategy.
- Military - Researching the military strength and technology of the assigned country, describe the advantages and disadvantages it provides to the success of a war strategy.
Once each section is
complete, the team will collaborate to develop a war strategy. The war strategy will include a goal and the
tactics necessary to successfully win the war.
Using your research, think creatively to complete the war strategy plan.
After the war strategy
is complete, the political leader will need to present it to the class to
convince them that the war strategy is the most effective for victory.
Through secret ballot,
the class will then vote on the best war strategy plan (Cannot vote for your
own). The winning team will receive a
ten point bonus on the assignment.
Countries include:
- United States
- British Empire
- France
- Russia
- Italy
- Germany
- Austria-Hungary
- Ottoman Empire
- Bulgaria
- Romania
- Japan
- Serbia
- Belgium
- Greece
Modeling (15 min)
The instructor will complete a war strategy plan for any country prior to World War II.
Guided Practice (70
min)
The instructor will place students in groups of three. The students will determine which role they will choose to complete the assignment. The students will work in the computer lab or
library to complete their research. Once
the research is complete, the students will get in their groups to discuss and
complete the war strategy plan.
Checks for Understanding
(40 min)
The political leader of each group will present the war
strategy plan to the class. The goal of
the political leader will be to convince the class that the war strategy plan
will work based on the key military, economic and political resources of the
country. Through secret ballot, the
students will vote for the best war strategy plan.
Direct Instruction
(15 min)
The instructor will summarize the assignment by describing
how each country fared during World War I with their war strategy plan.