Objectives (5-7 minutes)

1. Understand the underlying causes that led to the outbreak of World War I, including the formation of alliances and the increase in political and military tensions in Europe.
2. Identify the major belligerents involved in the war and their motivations, including the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire) and the Allied Powers (United Kingdom, France, Russia).
3. Analyze the major battles and events of the war, including the Battle of the Somme, Battle of Verdun, and the Russian Revolution.
4. Comprehend the long-term consequences of World War I, including the establishment of the League of Nations and the seeds of resentment that would lead to World War II.

Additional objectives:

• Develop critical thinking and historical analysis skills by evaluating the different perspectives and motivations of the belligerents in World War I.
• Foster active participation from students through hands-on activities and group discussions.
• Promote understanding of history as a living and relevant discipline by connecting the events of World War I to contemporary challenges and conflicts.

Introduction (10-15 minutes)

1. Review of prior knowledge: The teacher will begin the lesson by briefly reviewing the major historical events and figures leading up to the beginning of the 20th century. This could include the Industrial Revolution, imperial expansion, the formation of alliances, and the political and military tensions in Europe. The review will be interactive, with students encouraged to participate and share what they remember. (3-5 minutes)

2. Hook: The teacher will present two scenarios to pique students’ interest in the topic:

   • The first scenario could be a map of Europe prior to World War I, with the alliances between countries labeled. Students will be challenged to identify the alliances and predict which countries might come into conflict and why?

   • The second scenario could be a set of newspaper headlines from the era, describing events leading up to the outbreak of the war. Students will be asked to analyze the headlines and consider what the consequences of these events might be. (3-5 minutes)

3. Contextualization: The teacher will explain the importance of studying World War I, highlighting how the conflict had a profound impact on the modern world. It could be mentioned that the war reshaped the geopolitics of Europe, destroyed empires, cost millions of lives, and sowed the seeds for future conflicts. Furthermore, World War I was a watershed in the history of warfare, with the introduction of new technologies and tactics that forever changed the nature of war. (2-3 minutes)

4. Grabbing students’ attention: To capture students' attention, the teacher could share two fun facts about World War I:

   • The first fun fact could be that World War I was the first major conflict to be documented on film and in photographs, giving people an unprecedented glimpse into the brutality of the war.

   • The second fun fact could be that World War I saw the widespread use of chemical weapons, such as mustard gas and chlorine gas, which caused horrific suffering and led to a global ban on these weapons after the war. (2-3 minutes)

By the end of the Introduction, the students should be primed and ready to learn more about World War I, having a basic understanding of the causes, events, and consequences of the conflict.

Development (20-25 minutes)

1. Alliance simulation activity (10-12 minutes): The teacher will divide the class into groups of 5 students. Each group will be given cards that represent different European countries at the time of World War I. The cards will have information on each country’s characteristics and alliances. The aim of the activity is for the students to form their own alliances based on the information on the cards and the newspaper headlines presented in the Introduction.

   • Step 1: Hand out the cards to the groups and explain the information on them.
   • Step 2: The groups should discuss and form their alliances.
   • Step 3: Each group should present their alliances and justify their choices based on the information on the cards and the newspaper headlines.

2. Debate activity on the outbreak of war (10-12 minutes): Following the simulation activity, the teacher will lead a debate between the groups. Each group will represent an alliance and will have to argue why their countries entered the war.

   • Step 1: Explain the rules of the debate: each group will have 3 minutes to present their arguments, followed by 2 minutes for questions and answers.
   • Step 2: Begin the debate, allowing each group to present their arguments.
   • Step 3: Facilitate the discussion, asking questions to deepen students’ understanding of the motivations for entering the war.

3. Battle mapping activity (5-7 minutes): The teacher will provide students with a map of Europe with the major battles of World War I marked. Students, in their groups, will be given a list of battles and events and will have to locate them on the map. This activity will help the students to understand the scale and geography of the war.

   • Step 1: Hand out the maps and the lists of battles.
   • Step 2: The groups should locate the battles on the map.
   • Step 3: Review the answers together and discuss the strategic importance of the different battles and events.

These fun and interactive activities will allow the students to explore the complexities of World War I in an engaging and meaningful way. By the end of the Development, the students should have a deeper understanding of the causes, events, and consequences of the war, as well as the perspectives and motivations of the different belligerents involved.

Closure (10-12 minutes)

1. Group discussion (3-4 minutes): After the conclusion of the activities, the teacher will bring the whole class together for a group discussion. Each group will have up to 3 minutes to share their solutions or conclusions from the previous activities. The teacher should ensure that all groups have a chance to speak and encourage students to ask questions or make comments on the other groups' presentations.

   • Step 1: Bring the whole class together and explain the dynamics of the group discussion.
   • Step 2: Allow each group to share their solutions or conclusions.
   • Step 3: Facilitate the discussion, asking questions to deepen students’ understanding and encouraging students to ask questions or make comments.

2. Connection with the theory (3-4 minutes): The teacher will then make the connections between the hands-on activities and the theory. They will reiterate the key concepts of World War I that were explored in the activities and explain how these concepts apply to the real-life events of the war.

   • Step 1: Recap the main points of World War I.
   • Step 2: Connect the concepts from the lesson to the hands-on activities.
   • Step 3: Answer any questions or clear up any confusion students may have about the theory.

3. Individual reflection (3-4 minutes): To wrap up the lesson, the teacher will have the students individually reflect on what they have learned. They will ask a series of questions to guide the students’ reflections, such as:

   1. What was the most important concept you learned today?

   2. What questions do you still have?

   3. How do you feel about the topic of the lesson?

   • Step 1: Explain the reflection questions and give students a minute to think about their answers.
   • Step 2: Allow students to share their answers if they wish.
   • Step 3: Encourage students to continue reflecting on the topic after the lesson.

By the end of the Closure, the students should have a solid understanding of the major issues and concepts of World War I, as well as the ability to critically reflect on the topic. The teacher should make a note of any questions or areas of confusion that arise during the discussion to address in future lessons.

Conclusion (5-7 minutes)

1. Summary and recap (2-3 minutes): The teacher will recap the content of the lesson, revisiting the main points discussed and the conclusions from the alliance simulation activity, the debate on the outbreak of war, and the battle mapping activity. They will reinforce the major causes, events, and consequences of World War I, as well as the perspectives and motivations of the different belligerents involved. The teacher may choose to use a slide show or whiteboard to visualize the information and help students’ understanding.

2. Connection to practice and theory (1-2 minutes): The teacher will then explain how the lesson connected the theory, practice, and applications of studying World War I. They will highlight how the hands-on activities, such as the alliance simulation and the debate, allowed students to explore the complexities of the war in an engaging and meaningful way. Furthermore, the teacher could mention how understanding World War I can help us better understand contemporary conflicts and challenges.

3. Extra materials (1-2 minutes): The teacher will suggest some extra materials for students who wish to further their knowledge of World War I. These could include books, documentaries, history websites, and educational games. The teacher could prepare a list of recommendations in advance and hand them out to students, or they could simply mention a few suggestions during the lesson. For example:

   • Book: “The First World War” by John Keegan.
   • Documentary: “The Great War” (26-part series produced by the BBC).
   • Website: “The Great War: A Multimedia Project” (www.greatwar.nl), which provides a comprehensive and interactive look at World War I.
   • Educational Game: “Valiant Hearts: The Great War” (an adventure game available on multiple platforms that explores the war from multiple perspectives).

4. Importance of the topic (1 minute): Finally, the teacher will emphasize the importance of studying World War I, explaining how the conflict had a profound impact on the modern world. They could mention that the war reshaped the geopolitics of Europe, destroyed empires, cost millions of lives, and sowed the seeds for future conflicts. Furthermore, World War I was a watershed in the history of warfare, with the introduction of new technologies and tactics that forever changed the nature of war.