World War I – A New Kind of War 

Byron Hastings

Florence High School

Florence, Arizona 

Objective:  Trace the causes, effects and events of WWI, including:

1. the rise of nationalism, including the unification of Germany and Otto Von Bismarck’s leadership
2. the rise of ethnic and ideological conflicts, including the Balkans, Austria-Hungary, and the decline of the Ottoman Empire
3. the importance of geographic factors in military decisions and outcomes
4. the human costs of the mechanizations of war such as the machine gun, airplane, gasoline, submarine, trench warfare, and tanks
5. the effects of the Russian Revolution and the implementation of communist rule
6. the conditions and failures of the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations

Level C  (Choose activities up to 70 points) 

____ Copy notes and complete study guide (5 pts.)

____ Create a timeline of events leading up to and during WWI (10 pts.)

____ Add pictures/drawings of the events to the timeline (10 pts.)

____ Complete a map showing Allied, Central, and Neutral Powers (5 pts.)

____ Create a list and description of new weapons used during WWI (5 pts.)

____ Read Ch. 23 and complete “Using Key Terms” and “Reviewing Key Facts”

 at the end of the chapter (10 pts.)

____ Create a series of 3 journal entries describing trench warfare (10 pts.)

____ Make a chart or graph showing each country’s loss of life during the war (10 pts.)

____ Create a propaganda poster for either side, Allied or Central Powers (10 pts.)

____ Draw a diagram depicting the Western Front, Battle of the Marne, Verdun, etc.

      (5 pts.)

____ Identify and describe the following personalities of WWI: Otto von Bismarck,

      Woodrow Wilson, Tsar Nicholas II, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Gravilo Princip,

Vladimir Lenin, Alexander Kerensky, Georges Clemenceau, Leon Trotsky,

Lawrence of Arabia (10 pts.)

____ Outline Ch 23, noting key events and people of WWI (5 pts.)

____ Prepare a 5 minute presentation regarding one key figure from WWI (5 pts.) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Level B (Choose one activity for 15 points) 

____ Research the various innovations in warfare implemented during WWI.  Write a 2

      page report in which you discuss these innovations and the consequences of their

      use. (15 pts.) 

____ Prepare a lecture in which you explain the rise of European nationalism and how it

      contributed to the conflict. (15 pts.) 

____ Create a PowerPoint presentation that addresses the Russian Revolution.  Include

      the following: a timeline which chronicles the events leading up to the revolution,

      an overview of important personalities associated with the revolution, and a

      discussion of how the revolution affected the outcome of WWI. (15 pts.) 

____ Create a diorama that displays one of the following: the Western Front, weapons of

      WWI, the Russian Revolution, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

      (15 pts.) 

Level A (Choose one activity for 15 points) 

____ Create a WWI portfolio that explains the following via visual and print media:

      various causes of the war, major battles, aspects of U.S. involvement, and

      the end of the war, including the Treaty of Versailles and Wilson’s 14 points.

      (15 pts.) 

____ With a partner, develop a two-sided debate over one of the following topics:

1. Did Germany have the right to blockade American ships?
2. Was it fair to severely punish Germany for its role in the war?
3. Was ethnic conflict worse before or after the war?
4. Which country was most at fault for the onset of the war?
5. Was it necessary for the Bolsheviks to assassinate the imperial family?