Causes of WWI Newspaper Project

1. Introduce the newspaper by explaining that wars cannot be explained with simple cause-and-effect reasoning. They have multiple causes and multiple effects. Tell learners that they are going to create a newspaper that accurately portrays the complexity of the chain of events that led up to the participation of different countries in the War. Explain that they will investigate the four M.A.I.N. (militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism) causes of World War I and the events that led to the outbreak of this war. As learners conduct research and work on their newspapers, ask them to monitor their progress using the newspaper checklist and newspaper rubric. Look at checklists daily and conduct brief group conferences to check on learners’ progress. Learners also use the self-assessment checklist to reflect on their own collaboration skills and the peer assessment rubric to assess the participation of their group members. Use the information from this assessment and anecdotal observations to plan mini-lessons on collaboration skills during subsequent group projects.
2. After the newspapers have been completed, review the four M.A.I.N causes of the war and the events that led up to the War. Follow the review by conducting a discussion about the questions: Could anything have been done to prevent this war from occurring? Could anything have been done to prevent this from becoming a full-scale world war?  Ask learners to revise the maps they made earlier to reflect what they now know about the War and to write in their journals about what misconceptions they had, if any, and why they think they had them. 

Life in the Trenches Simulation
Note: Before class begins, set the classroom tables up in two rows stretched across the room – this represents the barbed wire in the field – place plastic army figures in two different colours throughout the battlefield. Place butcher paper over the tops of the tables. Be sure that learners wait outside. 

1. When the class starts, step outside and explain to the learners that they are now soldiers during WWI.  As learners enter the room, tell them which side of the room to go to (allies or central powers) and give them a painter’s mask to cover their noses and mouths. Remind them that they are at war and should act the part by moving as quietly as possible so the enemy doesn’t hear them. After learners have found their places, read excerpts from All Quiet on the Western Front, a historical novel written from the perspective of a German soldier during WWI. Show a slide show or movie excerpt that simulates the war with pictures and sounds. Tell learners they must place the painter’s masks on when the gas attacks begin. After the slide show is completed, explain that learners will be writing a series of journal entries or letters as if they were a soldier or nurse in the war.
2. Conduct a discussion in which learners contribute what qualities they think the best letters and journals will have and record their thoughts on the board. Incorporate their ideas into the WWI journal and letters rubrics which learners use to guide their work. Encourage those learners who are taking a world language to write the letter from the point of view of a non-English speaking soldier and to include an English translation. (This activity was adapted from History Alive Curriculum series.)

Propaganda Presentation Project

1. Ask learners the Content Question: What is propaganda? and record learners’ thoughts on the board.
2. Conduct a discussion on what critical-thinking skills are necessary to determine if something is propaganda. Show examples of WWI propaganda such as those found at the Web site British Posters of World War I. Model identifying the propaganda techniques in the poster. Ask learners to look for examples of present-day propaganda to share with the class.
3. Explain that learners will be creating an individual multimedia presentation on WWI propaganda to present to the class. Tell learners to use the presentation checklist to make sure that they are managing their time wisely and to use the presentation rubric to make sure their work is high quality. As learners work on this project, use the checklist and informal interviews to monitor their progress. When they have finished a draft of the presentation, organize small groups to listen to practice presentations and provide feedback using the peer feedback form.
4. After the presentations have been completed, and have been assessed by the teacher using the Presentation Rubric, conduct a discussion on the Focus Question: Is propaganda necessary?

Conclusion

1. To conclude the project, place learners in small groups and assign individual groups to take either the role of a leader of the Allies. Present the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Ask learners to use the Visual Ranking Tool to rank and defend the terms according to their assigned role and then compare their rankings with other groups with the same role as well as groups with a different role. Then form new groups in which the roles are mixed. In these groups, they must work out their own treaty. After the activity learners will read “U.S. Rejection of the Treaty of Versailles.” Conduct a discussion about why the U.S. rejected the Treaty of Versailles and what its actual response was.  (This activity was taken from History Alive Curriculum series.)
2. Ask learners to bring examples of propaganda from other time periods, including the present, to share. Conduct a final discussion on the Focus Question: Is propaganda necessary?
3. Distribute the final essay test rubric: Could the “war to end all wars” have been prevented? Tell learners that they can bring one page of notes with them to the test, but they cannot complete the test ahead of time. Provide learners with class time to discuss their answers with small groups.
4. Ask learners to write a final reflection describing what they learned during the unit about the following topics that will help them in the future.
   • World War I
   • Propaganda
   • Collaboration
   • Their own learning processes