Unit Plan
3 Week Unit Plan
Minnesota Social Studies Standard:
I. U.S. History H. World Wars and the Emergence of Modern America, 1900-1930s
The student will understand World War I, its causes and effects.
1. Students will know and understand the reasons for the United States' neutrality and delayed
entry and involvement in World War I.
2. Students will explain Wilson's 14 points and Unites States' isolationism.
Essential Question:
How did the late entry of the United States affect Americans and the war itself?
The students will:
1. Know and understand the reasons for the Unites States' neutrality, delayed entry and
involvement in WWI.
2. Investigate the idea of isolationism and its effects on the United States and the rest of the
world.
3. Examine Wilson's 14 Points.
4. Understand and analyze the causes and effects of WWI.
5. Analyze primary documents, pictures, political cartoons, etc., relevant to America's
involvement in WWI.
6. Analyze connections of WWI to now.
Evaluation.
The student will:
1. Complete a test comprised of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions on the causes
and effects of WWI, background of Wilson's 14 Points, and isolationism.
2. Analyze a variety of primary sources including documents and pictures.
3. Complete a combined map and timeline of the events leading up to, during, and after WWI.
Day to Day Outline:
Day 1
Students will:
1. Understand the causes of WWI and the events leading up to it through analyzing a primary
source.
Vocabulary: Nationalism, Imperialism
Bell ringer activity- "What Happened in History?" or Current events
Before introducing the unit, students will break into groups to analyze a primary source.
Each group will take a portion of the letter and examine it. They will be asked to write a
summary of their portion of the letter and write it in an 8th grade student tone. This exercise
will begin the lead into World War I. Once each group is finished, they will present their
newly written portion of the letter so the class can get a solid idea of what happened. Once
this is done the class will brainstorm and make predictions of what they believe to be the
main point of the letter. Once they have generated a good understanding. They will again
break into their groups and analyze the Annexe Memoir following the letter. This will then
lead into the same sort of activity of creating a summary of their reading and collectively as a
class create a conclusion of the events leading up to the start of WWI.
http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Autograph_Letter_of_Franz_Joseph_to_the_Kaiser
Day 2
Students will:
1. Study the various major battles occurring during WWI and understand their significance.
2. Complete a timeline map activity to understand the separation of European countries in
WWI.
Vocabulary: Alsace-Lorraine, militarism, casualty, ally, Central Powers
Bell ringer activityStudents are involved in an interactive lecture on the major battles of WWI. They will be
asked to fill out a graphic organizer to organize specific characteristics of each battle
including name, dates, important people, specifics, and outcomes. These notes will be
important to help fill out their map/timeline. After the lecture, students are given 3 blank
timeline maps. One labeled 1914-1916, 1916-1918, and 1918-1920. They are to color the
map according to the country's position in the war at that time and relevant battles and
frontlines. They will only be filling out the first map this day and fill out the others as the
unit goes on.
Day 3
Students will:
1. Understand the meaning of neutrality and the United States' reason for not entering the
war immediately.
2. Explain the United States' role in the world at that time.
Vocabulary: Neutrality, political cartoon, propaganda
Bell ringer activity- What are some other ways to solve conflict besides fighting?
Begin lesson asking students to write what they believe the word neutrality means. Teacher
gives interactive lecture on neutrality while students take notes. "How could staying neutral
in the war cause separation in the United States?" "Does the United States have an obligation
to help other countries when they are in need?" Discuss bell ringer activity and student's
answers. Introduce political cartoon activity. Group students into 3 and give them each a
separate political cartoon. They are to answer these questions: "Are there any real people in
this cartoon? Who?", "How does the cartoonist portray each person?", "What position on the
war does the cartoonist hold?", "Are there any symbols in the cartoon? What do they mean?",
and "Do you agree or disagree with the cartoonists position?". If time allows, each group
should choose a spokesperson. The remaining 2 students in the group will rotate through
the groups to learn more about each cartoon. All work is handed in.
Day 4
Students will:
1. Analyze the reasons for the United States' entrance into the war.
2. Predict changes made at this point of the war.
3. Continue work on timeline map from 1916-1918 by taking notes on U.S. entrance into the
war and changes made during that time.
4. Create a poster or news article about the U.S. entering the war.
Vocabulary: U-boats, Lusitania,
Bell ringer activity- Why do you think the United States ended up giving in to the war?
Review causes of WWI, major battles, and neutrality in question answer style. Students are
split into two groups and take turns picking a question out of the jar regarding previously
learned subject matter. Students write the answer on the board creating a word bank. Any
remaining questions will be answered after the game. After review, the next slide will be a
breaking newsflash "WAR IS DECLARED BY U.S." Interactive slides on U-boats and Wilson's
decision to join the war. Predict with students what they think it will mean for the war once
the Americans join. "Why did they join the Allies?" "How did Germany try to pacify the
United States after the sinking of the Lusitania?" "How can the Allies benefit from the United
States joining them?" Students will then be asked to create either a poster or news article
defending or criticizing the United States' decision to enter the war.
Day 5
Students will:
1. Develop an understanding of what it was like to be in the trenches of WWI.
2. Develop an understanding of technological advances in weaponry.
3. Begin War Horse and take well developed notes.
Vocabulary: Trench warfare, mustard gas, doughboy
Bell ringer activity- What types of warfare have discussed previously?
Students actively participate in a lecture on trench warfare labeling given handout of
different front lines and specifics on weaponry. Before beginning War Horse have students
predict what the movie will be about. Give students a structured notes sheet highlighting
tactics, weaponry, armor, and technology. Stop movie after segments to review what
happened and answer questions. Watch until the bell rings. The students will only view parts
of the movie because of its length. They will only be viewing parts relevant to the war.
Day 6
Students will:
1. Finish War Horse and graphic notes sheet.
2. Discuss their views on the historical accuracy of the movie
3. Empathize with WWI soldiers in a simulation.
Vocabulary: Empathy
No bell ringer. Finish War Horse. After the movie is over, arrange desks to form a trench.
Turn off the lights and provide students with limited light (no lights, cover windows,
flashlights, etc.) Tell the students they will be asked to write a letter home as if they were in
the trenches of WWI. The letter must explain the situation and what it is like being stuck in
the trenches.
Day 7
Students will:
1. Compare and contrast war tactics and weaponry.
2. Actively participate in community member's presentation.
Bell ringer activityStudents are given a Venn Diagram handout with circles labeled: WWI, Today, and Past
Wars. Students are to complete the diagram using their knowledge of past units and what
they have learned in this unit. Students listen to a recent veteran speak on the war today and
tactics and weaponry. This will help the students make connections between WWI and the
advancements of today.
Day 8
Students will:
1. Discus Wilson's 14 Points and Isolationism
2. Predict the outcome of the war
3. Understand the outcome of the war and its effects on America and Europe.
4. Continue work on their timeline map on the outcomes of the war.
Vocabulary: 14 Points, League of Nations, reparations, self-determination, influenza,
inflation
Bell ringer activity- What does it mean to have self-determination?
Guide the students through reading the textbook and taking notes while lecturing on the
outcome of the war. Go over Wilson's 14 Points while students fill in their notes matrix. The
students will then have time to work on their timeline map and accompanied outcomes
worksheet. "Did the war end how you expected?" "Do you think the reparations are fair?"
"What problems did the peace treaties solve? What problems did they create?" "Why did the
United States Senate ultimately reject the peace treaty and the League of Nations?" "What is
the meaning of the word isolationism?" Students should discuss in groups their thoughts on
these questions.
Day 9
Students will:
1. Participate in a self-directed WebQuest completing related material as they work.
Vocabulary: All previous vocabulary
Bell ringer activity- What is the most interesting thing you have learned about WWI?
Explain to students how the WebQuest will work. Split the students into groups, or they can
work alone if more advanced. They will have extra time the next day if needed. This
webquest will be used as a review for the test. Students will not view the video. Go straight to
the Procedure section of the Webquest a proceed to page 4.
http://www.monroefordham.org/docs/LessonPlan6_World War I.pdf
Day 10
Students will:
1. Complete WebQuest assignment
2. Review all important knowledge and understandings learned during the unit.
3. Complete their timeline maps.
Bell ringer activity- How did Americans both reject and embrace the new global influence of
the United States?
Students will be given time to complete the WebQuest assignment and their timeline maps.
The rest of the time will be used to review for the test.
Day 11
Students will:
1. Submit their timeline map for evaluation.
2. Take their unit exam.
Differentiation by Content, Process, and Product
Objective
Content
Map
Analysis/
Timeline
creation
Process
Product
Used in Unit
It is critical to
This activity
understand the
provides a visual
boundaries created to the content
by WWI and the
being discussed in
events that caused
class. It does not
those boundaries.
require a lot of
Some students may reading so lower
be capable of giving a level readers will
more in depth
easily be able to
analysis of causes
complete the
and effects of WWI. assignment. ELL
This could include
students will be
Zimmerman letter, given a word bank
alliances, neutrality, for their timeline.
isolationism, etc.
The students
must complete
each map and
timeline
according to the
years indicated.
Slower learners
will be given a
word bank and
gifted learners
will be asked to
critically analyze
each event.
Students will learn
about the changing
boarders and
frontlines of
Europe during
WWI. This map will
help them see the
transformation and
organize the
fighting countries.
Primary
Document
Analysis
History requires
primary document
analysis skills to be
attained. Gifted
students have the
ability to create a
more in depth
analysis of the
document. Students
will lower reading
skills can be
provided a summary
of the document for
better
understanding.
ELL or lower level
readers may pair
up to read the
primary source.
Think-Pair-Share Students will
is used after this analyze a primary
exercise to let
source to learn and
students share
think critically
their findings and about a major
answer questions cause of WWI.
they may have.
WebQuest
The internet is a vast
source of
information and
misinformation.
Students need to
know what a
valuable viable
source looks like.
ELL/lower level
This activity must
be differentiated
because it
involves a fair
amount of
reading.
ELL/lower level
learners can be
put in groups
Students will be
asked to hand in
all related
material. No
differentiation is
needed.
Students will
engage in a
WebQuest to
review for the test
and think critically
about different
aspects of WWI.
learners will focus on while gifted
one topic. Gifted
students can work
learners can cover
alone.
more than one topic.
Compare
It is important for
This will be
Gifted students
and Contrast students to know
differentiated
will be asked to
how to compare and because of the
give an in depth
contrast to get a
number of ELL and summary on the
deeper meaning of a low level learners similarities and
topic. Comparing and in the class. These differences they
contrasting weapons students will be
discover while
and tactics used in
allowed to work in lower learners
WWI to those used in groups and/or be will be asked to
past wars and today. given a word bank give a brief
I will have students to work off of.
summary.
compare these topics
using a Venn
diagram.
Students are to
complete a Venn
diagram with
circles labeled
WWI, Today, and
Past Wars. They
will also write a
summary on their
findings according
to learning level.
Standards Addressed
The student will understand World War I, its causes and effects.
1. Students will know and understand the reasons for the United States' neutrality and
delayed entry and involvement in World War I.
2. Students will explain Wilson's 14 points and Unites States' isolationism.
This unit gives students insight on major topics of WWI. They will learn the causes of WWI
through primary document analysis and group discussion based off of background knowledge.
Interactive lecture brings enlightenment to why the United States stayed as long as they did and
what eventually motivated them to enter the war. Students will be asked to think critically when
asked thought provoking questions during whole class and partner exercises. Students will learn
about war tactics such as trench warfare and weapons used throughout the war. Students will also
analyze Wilson's Fourteen Points and evaluate the United States' decision to withhold from the
League of Nations.
Academic Language
Nationalism, Imperialism, Alsace-Lorraine, militarism, casualty, ally, Central Powers,
Neutrality, political cartoon, propaganda, U-boats, Lusitania, Trench warfare, mustard gas,
doughboy, Empathy, 14 Points, League of Nations, reparations, self-determination, influenza,
inflation.
Academic language will be taught through context reading and vocabulary building strategies.
Vocabulary will be revisited each day while moving through the unit. Students will keep a
vocabulary journal to help them refer to words they may need help on throughout the unit.
Spiral Curriculum
Many students, middle school and high school, have scribbled all over their notes or even have
fallen asleep during valuable social studies lessons. Although many teachers think knowing all of
the facts is the most important part of learning, it is boring students to the point of no
return. What social studies classrooms are missing is spiral curriculum. That is, teaching in a
way that not only promotes learning and knowing basic facts but creating a much deeper
meaning in ways to engage students in the learning process. Spiral curriculum can be
demonstrated through Bloom's taxonomy, knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis,
synthesis, and evaluation. Starting with the basics is necessary for building a strong foundation
for students to learn upon. Without that basic knowledge foundation moving to the next levels
would be difficult if not impossible. Once a teacher has instilled a sense of basic knowledge
within their student they can move on to teaching comprehension, application, analysis,
synthesis, and evaluation. These next levels cause students to think more deeply and critically
about a given topic in a step by step process until they reach the ultimate level of evaluation.
Spiral curriculum is very useful in a classroom with multiple skill levels and allows students to
think at the level they want to challenge themselves with. Spiral curriculum creates a challenging
environment for students of all levels.
This unit on World War I uses spiral curriculum in many different ways. For each major topic
the basic knowledge is introduced with interactive lecture or brainstorming activities. Not only
do these methods create the knowledge needed for a foundation to expand on learning about the
causes and effects of WWI, these activities introduce the idea of thinking critically about a
specific topic. Throughout the unit students will be asked to analyze primary documents and
defend the position they have chosen. This will not only deepen their understanding of real world
events but give them the skills to use later in school or in life. Being able to analyze newspaper
articles or documents pertinent to what is going on in the world will help students excel in
becoming better citizens. Understanding the knowledge they have obtained at the beginning of
the unit will help students piece together the causes and effects of conflict happening in the
world today. This understanding could potentially lead to exterminating violent conflict in the
future.
Comparing and contrasting is a simple task but used almost every day in people's lives. Most
outcomes are obtained through making a choice after weighing the consequences. This unit will
use comparison with military tactics and weaponry throughout history. Students will be asked
questions such as "How has the military's weapons changed throughout history?" to let them
recall previous knowledge and predict how the advancement in technology will keep progressing
from today. History is not only studying what has happened but also using that foundational
knowledge to predict what will happen tomorrow through trends and progression patterns.
Students are very technologically advanced in this day and age, so why not let them use
technology to expand their learning. By incorporating movies and internet into the WWI unit,
students will be in a comfortable environment and be given the chance to challenge themselves.
Spiral curriculum allows for teachers to make learning fun so history is not only memorizing
names and events. History can come alive when enhancing it with a spiral curriculum.
Assessment Questions
1. What were two new types of warfare used in WWI?
a. Static and Dynamic warfare
b. Trench warfare and Attrition strategies
c. The Anaconda Plan and Defensive strategies
d. "Divide and Conquer" and Cavalry charge
2. Which sequence of events best describes the historical development of World War I?
a. German U-boats sinking the Lusitania, the stock market crash in 1929, the development of a
new high grade bomb, and the creation of the League of Nations.
b. Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, pirate lords blocking the English Channel from
all trade routes, the creation of the League of Nations, and the stock market crash in 1929.
c. Pirate lords assassinating Archduke Franz Ferdinand, mutual defense alliances, the creation of
the League of Nations, and a new authority figure rising to power in Germany.
d. Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, mutual defense alliances, German U-boats
sinking the Lusitania, and the creation of the League of Nations.
3. Which would be an example of a primary source of information about WWI?
a. The Bible.
b. A biography written about a major general that served during WWI.
c. President Woodrow Wilson's speech on the Fourteen Points.
d. A novel about life in the trenches during WWI.
4.
The main idea of this WWI political cartoon is that….
a. America practiced the policy of isolationism by not involving itself in other countries affairs.
b. The president of the Unites States is pulled in different directions by congress.
c. Everyone has a conscious that is telling them to be a good Samaritan or look out for
themselves and the same time.
d. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a good book.
Essay Question:
What military tactics and weaponry advancements played a part in WWI and how have they
affected the conflict we face today?
This question uses different levels of thinking. First the student must pull from their knowledge
bucket to know what advances in military tactics and weaponry were new for WWI and what
they had come from. Then it asks the student to predict how these advancements progressed to
today and how it affects us today.
World War I
What caused the United States to become involved in World War I, and how did the United
States change as a result of its involvement?
Main Objectives:





Know and understand the reasons for the Unites States' neutrality and delayed entry and
involvement in WWI.
Explain Wilson's 14 Points and United States' isolationism.
Understand and analyze the causes and effects of WWI.
Analyze primary documents, pictures, political cartoons, etc., relevant to America's involvement
in WWI.
Analyze connections of WWI to now.
New and Exciting Words:
Trench Warfare
Isolationism
Ally
Doughboy
Mustard Gas
And so much more!!!
Dear StudentsThis unit introduces the causes and effects of World War I. We will focus on topics such as:
U.S. entry into the war, specific battles unique to WWI, Wilson's Fourteen Points, and more. We
will become expert analyzers of primary documents, internet detectives scavenging for answers
on a WebQuest, and evaluators of military tactics. An exciting adventure lays ahead as we
explore the causes and effects of World War I.