By; JGHMT

Lesson 5
Lesson Title
California
State
Standards

Total War & Weaponry

10.5 Students analyze the causes and course of the First World
War.
1. Analyze the arguments for entering into war presented by
leaders from all sides of the Great War and the role of political
and economic rivalries, ethnic and ideological conflicts, domestic
discontent and disorder, and propaganda and nationalism in
mobilizing the civilian population in support of total war.
2. Examine the principal theaters of battle, major turning points,
and the importance of geographic factors in military decisions
and outcomes (e.g., topography, waterways, distance, climate).
4. Understand the nature of the war and its human costs
(military and civilian) on all sides of the conflict, including how
colonial peoples contributed to the war effort.
Objectives How were the countries involved in the War able to mobilize?
Students will learn what Total War is and what are its
consequences?
Students will analyze propaganda used by countries at the time
of war. How the Home-front created a demand for a new Labor
Force? What were womens role in the War and why is it
significant. Students will gain a greater knowledge of the
weapons used during the War and why are they so significant.
Introduction Start the class with a small clip of a war scene. Have the
/ Overview students describe what they think and then display pictures of
the war and the weapons used.
Vocabulary/ Chemicals, Poison Gas, Mustard Gas, U-boat, Battleships, Naval
Key Terms
Blockade, Machine guns, Air planes, Tanks, Pistols, Hand
grenades, Bayonets, Rifles, Flamethrowers, Artillery guns, Shell
Shock, Total War, Mass Mobilization, Social Liberalism,
Nationalism.
Context
Total war involves a mass mobilizations of a country for war,
usually industrial countries. Total war was a product of the
industrial revolution. The mass mobilization applies to all levels
of society, economically, military, and politically. Individual
states gear for war, their factories produce war material such as
truck, air planes, and weapons. There is also a political mass
mobilization in which government uses nationalism to mobilize
the states population. Fight and die for your country. The
government uses propaganda to gain public support. Mass
military mobilization also takes place. Millions of men are call
upon to serve in the military. The consequences of a total war
are: very costly, high human toll (military personal and civilian),
changes the face of war to make it more deathly and

By; JGHMT
destructive. A total war thus becomes exhausting, costly for
society and the environment. The significance is that a total war
was present in both Worlds Wars, it is too costly that leaves
countries in a bad economic stand, responsible for the horrifying
number of causalities.

Focal Ideas

Materials

Activities

Time
Assessment

Reflection/N
ext Lecture
Preview

Who were the first country to use poison gas? In what battle and
against who? What were the impacts of this modern weaponry?
Why is its significant?
What other weaponry ware first used in The Great War? What
were its consequences? Did any had an advantage in their use?
What is Total War? How did countries engage in it? What were its
major components? Is this the first and only Total War?
PowerPoint Presentation and Classroom Clickers
Computers with Internet access or tables
Pictures of Artillery used in the War
Video of a war scene
Students will be divided in groups of five. They will be given a
weapon (topic) to research and find quick facts about it. Then as
a group they will present briefly (3mns) their findings to the rest
of the class.
(50 Minutes Class Meeting) ---25 Minutes designated for class
activity.
Using a clicker, students will complete pop quizzes (may include
extra credit points) during the lecture. This is aim to be as a poll
to make sure that the students are understanding the content
discuss. Students will talk to a peer next to them explaining
what the lecture was about at the beginning of the next class
meeting. By presenting their findings of the activity, students
gain a greater understanding of the weaponry used at the time
and its consequences.
Students will be asked to do a 3 minute quick write as a
reflection of what the lecture was about (it could be an outline,
simple sketch, key words, etc.)