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World War I Lesson Plan

🌍Echoes of the Great War: A Journey Through Lives and Legacies 📜

Subject

History

Grade

7

Methodology

Direct Instruction

Duration (minutes)

55

Overview
  • Introduction (5 min) 🚀

  • Present New Material (15 min) 📚

  • Guided Practice (10 min) 📝

  • Individual Practice (10 min) ✍️

  • Assessment and Reflection (10 min) 🧐

  • Review and Closure (5 min) 🔚

Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7

Background Knowledge

Students should have a basic understanding of World War I, including its timeline, major participants, and causes. Familiarity with analyzing historical documents and the social context of the early 20th century will help them connect individual experiences to broader historical themes.

Skills

Problem solving , Critical thinking , Teamwork

Objectives

  • Understand the key events and themes of World War I.

  • Analyze primary source documents to gain multiple perspectives on the war.

  • Develop empathy by writing from the perspective of individuals living during World War I.

  • Reflect on the lasting impacts of World War I and relate them to current global issues.

Materials

  • Interactive Timeline Software: TimeToast or Sutori to visually map significant events.

  • Primary Source Documents: Letters from soldiers, political cartoons to analyze perspectives.

  • Multimedia Presentation: PowerPoint with embedded videos and images to introduce key events.

  • Student Handouts: Guided notes, graphic organizers to help structure learning.

  • Group Activity Materials: Butcher paper, markers, sticky notes for collaborative tasks.

  • Reflection Journals: For students to write personal reflections.

  • Exit Tickets: To assess understanding at the end of the lesson.

Lesson Activities

Introduction (5 min) 🚀


Engage students with a provocative question

"How do you think World War I changed the lives of ordinary people?" Show a brief, impactful video clip from the era to activate prior knowledge.


Teacher Note

Use a video clip that shows both the battlefield and the home front to provide a broad perspective.



Present New Material (15 min) 📚


Use a multimedia presentation to introduce key events and themes of WWI, breaking the content into manageable chunks. Incorporate storytelling techniques to make historical events relatable, focusing on individual stories of soldiers and civilians. Utilize the interactive timeline software to visually map out significant events.


Teacher Note

Highlight major battles, technological advancements, and social changes during the presentation.



Guided Practice (10 min) 📝


Divide students into small groups and provide each group with primary source documents. Ask students to analyze the documents using a graphic organizer, identifying key details and perspectives. Facilitate a class discussion to share findings and connect them to the broader historical context.


Teacher Note

Encourage students to consider the emotions and motivations of the individuals in the primary sources.



Individual Practice (10 min) ✍️


Assign students to write a short diary entry from the perspective of a person living during WWI, using information from the lesson and primary sources. Encourage creativity and self-expression while ensuring historical accuracy.


Teacher Note

Provide a prompt such as "Imagine you are a soldier writing home or a civilian describing daily life."



Assessment and Reflection (10 min) 🧐


Distribute reflection journals and ask students to write about how WWI might have impacted their own lives if they had lived during that time. Use exit tickets to assess understanding, asking students to list three key takeaways from the lesson.


Teacher Note

Look for reflections that show empathy and connection to the historical context.



Review and Closure (5 min) 🔚


Summarize the key points discussed during the lesson. Relate the historical events to current global issues, encouraging students to think critically about the lasting impact of WWI. End with a brief discussion on the moral and social implications of the war, fostering empathy and self-regulation.


Teacher Note

Pose a question like "How can we learn from the past to prevent future conflicts?"

Downloads

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the Blanks

Presentation

Presentation

Worksheet

Worksheet

Exit Tickets

Exit Tickets

Resources

Peace moves and U.S. policy to February 1917

Academic Article

Peace moves and U.S. policy to February 1917
World War I Overview

Video

World War I Overview
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