Lesson 1: Introduction to World War I

Objective: As a result of this lesson, students will be able to explain the general events that led to World War I.

Materials: Timeline of events leading to World War I, worksheets, and any primary resources related to WWI

Activity 1: Begin by introducing the concept of World War I to the class. Use a timeline to explain the order of major events that led to the war. This should include the assassinations of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, the July Crisis, and the declarations of war.

Activity 2: Divide the class into groups of three or four. Assign each group a specific focus related to the causes of WWI, such as nationalism, imperialism, arms races, and alliances. Ask each group to research and create a timeline or chart that illustrates the events and causes of the war in their focus area.

Activity 3: Lead a discussion about the results of each group’s research, and ask students to explain what each cause of WWI contributed to the outbreak of war. Then, lead the class in a discussion about the overall causes of WWI and how each cause contributed to the final result.

Lesson 2: Militarism and WWI

Objective: As a result of this lesson, students will be able to explain the role of militarism in World War I and its consequences.

Materials: Textbooks, maps of Europe pre-WWI, worksheets, and any primary resources related to WWI

Activity 1: Introduce and explain the concept of militarism and its function in the war. Focus on the growing arms race and how countries had to keep up with their neighbors in order to stay competitive.

Activity 2: Explain and illustrate how the alliance systems formed in Europe prior to WWI and how they escalated the tensions between countries. Show students a map of Europe pre-WWI and point out the alliance systems in place at the time.

Activity 3: Lead a discussion about the role militarism had in escalating tensions prior to WWI and ask students to explain its consequences. Then, ask them to think about the implications of militarism with respect to international and domestic policy.

Lesson 3: Nationalism and WWI

Objective: As a result of this lesson, students will be able to explain the role of nationalism in World War I and its consequences.

Materials: Textbooks, maps of Europe pre-WWI, worksheets, and any primary resources related to WWI

Activity 1: Explain the concept of nationalism and the role it played in WWI. Focus on how nationalistic sentiment led to an increase in national pride, a desire for power, conflicts between countries, and ultimately the outbreak of war.

Activity 2: Divide the class into small groups and assign each one a country’s nationalistic sentiment prior to WWI. Ask each group to research and present their findings on the state of nationalism in that country.

Activity 3: As a class, discuss the results of each group’s research. Ask students to explain the role nationalism had in escalating tensions prior to WWI and its consequences for the war. Then, ask the students to think about the implications of nationalism with respect to international and domestic policy.