Lesson Plan and Introduction
Lesson Introduction
In the previous lesson, students had explored the traditional explanations for the causes of WW1 (militarism, nationalism, etc.) In this lesson, I wanted the students to explore the alliance system more in depth. Instead of merely explaining the timeline of alliances and its impact on Europe, I challenged students to create their own visual representation of alliance system, documenting the timeline of events in their guided note packet as they created the alliance system with yarn, tape and desks. Students were organized in groups, and each group represented a different European country. I chose very tactile/kinesthetic learners to use the yarn to connect the desk groups with each alliance. Before each alliance was announced, I decided to challenge each group to assume the role of the country’s leaders, requiring them to suggest what alliances they would make and why. I then had the students compare their suggestions to the actual alliances.
By the end of the activity, the students had created a complex system of alliances with yarn. We had a short discussion to connect the notion of a ‘domino effect’ to their visual creation. The students then acted out that domino effect after I provided the ‘spark’, Gavrillo Princip’s assassination of Franz Ferdinand. Using their yarn alliances as a guide, each country group was asked to declare war on the appropriate countries. Students visually demonstrated this war declaration by standing and pointing at the countries they went to war with. The entire lesson was grounded in two map activities. At the beginning of the activity students were asked to fill in and analyze a pre-war map. After the activity, students were asked to color in and label a WW1 alliances map.
In the previous lesson, students had explored the traditional explanations for the causes of WW1 (militarism, nationalism, etc.) In this lesson, I wanted the students to explore the alliance system more in depth. Instead of merely explaining the timeline of alliances and its impact on Europe, I challenged students to create their own visual representation of alliance system, documenting the timeline of events in their guided note packet as they created the alliance system with yarn, tape and desks. Students were organized in groups, and each group represented a different European country. I chose very tactile/kinesthetic learners to use the yarn to connect the desk groups with each alliance. Before each alliance was announced, I decided to challenge each group to assume the role of the country’s leaders, requiring them to suggest what alliances they would make and why. I then had the students compare their suggestions to the actual alliances.
By the end of the activity, the students had created a complex system of alliances with yarn. We had a short discussion to connect the notion of a ‘domino effect’ to their visual creation. The students then acted out that domino effect after I provided the ‘spark’, Gavrillo Princip’s assassination of Franz Ferdinand. Using their yarn alliances as a guide, each country group was asked to declare war on the appropriate countries. Students visually demonstrated this war declaration by standing and pointing at the countries they went to war with. The entire lesson was grounded in two map activities. At the beginning of the activity students were asked to fill in and analyze a pre-war map. After the activity, students were asked to color in and label a WW1 alliances map.
ww1_day_2_lp.docx | |
File Size: | 122 kb |
File Type: | docx |
alliances_day.ppt | |
File Size: | 5075 kb |
File Type: | ppt |