Tara Larsens Unit Design

Professor Jank
Methods of Secondary English
4 October 2016

This unit is directed at eighth grade Social Studies. Four state standards are implemented
into the topic of World War I. Students should be able to use facts to defend their answers of the
essential questions by the end of the unit (hence, some of them are on the test). They should be
able to explain the topical understandings as well as overarching understandings using evidence
to support why the understandings are true. Students should also be able to readily apply the
overarching understandings to other curriculums as well as begin to notice their trends in both
the past and the modern world. How the students are to carry out their understanding and
knowledge in a topical setting is through the Dos, which are completed through activities and
assessments. Creating graphic organizers and making the students take notes is a way for them to
stay on task. Having a lesson/unit outline also assists in keeping the teacher on task.
The unit starts with an essential question that has many possible answers. This question is
to open students perception and get them on the mindset of topic. After that, it is important to
access the students prior knowledge on the subject. For this unit, accessing prior knowledge is
accomplished by giving the students a journal prompt. There are no initial wrong a nswers to this
prompt. If the student feels threatened to only write down correct answers, they can second guess
themselves, and end up not giving a true reading of their knowledge base. Any information is
welcome to turn into the teacher. The teacher then needs to analyze the papers. What do students
know? The common knowledge can be briefly covered in lessons, whereas topics that are
unknown to the students can be giving more class time. Another important question to use to
scan the responses is: What are the common student misconceptions? Misconceptions can be
addressed at the beginning of the lesson that they correlate to. It is important to catch
misconceptions before they spread and cement themselves into more students brains.
There are many activities to be applied to this unit. While some activities are formative
assessments, not all activities need to be formally assessed. Classroom debates and discussions
do not need rubrics; instead they can be reviewed through observation. Journal prompts, as w ell,
do not need to be added into the grade book. They are there for the teacher to evaluate which
students are struggling and what information needs to be re-taught. Allowing students to
complete projects using different mediums (poster, paper and pencil, graphic design programs,
video, voice apps, drawings, graphic organizers) allows the teacher to try to reach students
multiple intelligences. Also, having different forms of class periods (lectures, power points,
individual, partner, small group, whole class, diagrams, organizers, activities, hands-on) helps to
cover most if not all learning preferences (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic). Tests and written
assignments can be easily modified to fit all learning capacities by simplifying language to
having less problems or giving students more time to work on them. That is also why an extra
day is added to the lesson; instruction can cater to students understanding instead of material
needing to be rushed through so that the teacher can teach to the test. Students should have many
options given to them so they might explore their learning, broaden their creativity, and
strengthen their memory.

Tara Larsen

8T H Grade Social Studies

World War I

STAGE ONE:
Established Goals:
SS 8.4.2 Students will analyze the impact of people, events, ideas, and symbols upon world history using
multiple types of sources.
SS. 8.4.1.b Classify key global events in chronological order.
SS 8.4.3.b Compare and contrast primary and secondary sources to better understand multiple perspectives
of the same event.
SS 8.4.4.d Identify and analyze multiple causes and effects upon key events in world history.
Unde rstandings:
Essential Questions:
Cause and effect play important role in human
What is the reason for war?
affairs.
How does war affect citizens?
Perception of events can be a great motivator.
Would WWI have happened w/o the
Perception can warp reality.
assassination of Arch Duke Franz
War benefits economy, technology, and
Ferdinand?
industry.
What are some of the big events in
Sources hold bias. Finding the bias is important
WWI?
in any setting.
Is war beneficial? Can the benefits
Media, and other social entities people are
outweigh the costs?
exposed to, can influence their mindset.
Tensions before the war created a powder keg of
the European Countries.
World War I cut a scar into Europes population,
landscape, and cities.
America did not enter the war until the end.
Know:
Terms: Prewar (Western Imperialism, Foreign Investment, Dual Alliance, Triple Alliance, Triple
Entente, Reinsurance Treaty, Moroccan Crises) Start of War (Allied Powers, Central Powers, Black
Hand, Blank Check, U-boats, Von Schlieffen Plan, Zimmermann Telegram, Propaganda) End of
War (Womens rights, Influenza, Treaty of Versailles, Reparations)
Events: Battle of the Marne, Battle of the Somme/Verdun, Sinking of Lusitania, Treaty of BrestLitovsk, signing of armistice
People: Franz Ferdinand, Gavrilo Princip, Wilhelm II, David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau,
Woodrow Wilson, Vittorio Orlando
Do:
Analyze the atmosphere of Europe during the 20 th century (both before and during the war)
Distinguish the shift between the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente (before the war) and the
Allies and Central Powers (during the war)
Analyze how the treaties sparked war
Classify the order countries declared war
Identify and defend which events were the most important in pushing the war effort forward
Identify the important figures during WWI
Analyze how propaganda influenced the mindset of the people as a whole
Compare and contrast the benefits and costs of war

Describe each of the countries end goals at the Paris Peace Settlement

STAGE TWO:
Performance Tasks:
Make a timeline of events of WWI using any
media type. Include at least ten events. Explain
why you chose those ten events.
Take on the role of a country make propaganda
to encourage citizens to join the war effort. Types
of project could include poster board, brochure,
video, song, etc.
Test: five true or false, ten multiple choice, and
one essay from four different essay questions. (1)
Do you think WWI Could or could not have been
avoided? Use evidence to defend your stance. (2)
How does war affect citizens? Use exact evidence
to defend your points. (3) Identify and defend
which events were the most important in pushing
the war effort forward. Use evidence to support
your stance. (4) Is war necessarily a bad thing?
Compare and contrast the benefits and costs of
war using evidence as your defense.

Other Evidence:
Preassessment journal prompts
Observations
Directed questions oral responses
Visual organizers
Sketches
Demonstrations
Analyzing exit tickets
Homework: questions at the end of
each chapter of the text book

STAGE THREE:
Implementing activities:
Explanation: Explain the winners goals during
the Peace Treaty. How did it compare with the
countries grievances and viewpoints? (EX:
America vies for democracy so they would want
to push democracy on the loser country)
Explanation Implementation: Small groups.
Each group gets one country from text book
(Britain, France, America, and Italy). Class
discussion with graphic organizer on board.
(WRITE IN NOTES!)
Interpretation: Compare and contrast
multimedia documents that contain reasons why
treaties were created to identify the validity of
multiple viewpoints. Construct your own
viewpoint of whether the treaties were
worthwhile using different texts. Did the
benefits of safety outweigh the costs of a world
war?
Interpretation Implementation: Create a mind
map. Have four reasons that each treaty was
formed. Write a paragraph response that defends
your stance on whether the treaties were wise

Plan Learning Experiences:

Day 1:
1. Hook Question: What is the reason for
war? Informal Class discussion.
2. Scratch piece of paper journal time:
What do you know about WW1? (Gives
me an idea of what needs to be given
more time to focus on and what can be
briefly mentioned).
3. PowerPoint/ Discussion on the world
economy at the end of the 19th century.
4. World Market, Imperialism, and
Technological Superiority were the
reasons WW1 was so powerful.
Day 2:
5. Introduce the concepts of treaties with
game (Activity section below).
6. Research time on Interpretation. To
be turned in at the beginning of day 4.
Day 3:
1. Entrance ticket: Self Knowledge
2. Introduce situation of Bosnia and
Austria.
3. WAR HAS BEGUN! Read in textbook

choices.
Application: Debate the impact of WWI on the
future of Europe and the rest of the world. We
already know there was a second world war, will
there be a third?
Application Implementation: Start with journal
writing. Once the students have finished have
them, they will Think Pair Share with a partner.
Finally, the class with have a Debate/Open class
discussion on their thoughts.
Perspective: Discuss the war from the
perspective of the Allied Powers side and from
the Central Powers side.
Perspective Implementation: Split into small
groups. Half the groups will dig into Allied and
half, Central. Come together as class. One group
at a time will write out one major point on the
board. (Allies then Central). After each group
comes up we will discuss the point as a class.
Once the last group put up their first point, the
first group will write their second main point
(The groups will go up a total of two times in
all).
Empathy: The war lasted 53 months. Russian
soldiers were forced to fight without being given
proper equipment, weapons, or food. Research
the war conditions of Russian soldiers in the
textbook and using class notes. Then become the
character and tell of how the war is going, the
reason for enlisting, who has been left behind,
and how your personal fight has been going.
Empathy Implementation: Write a letter/record a
cosplay video as a Russian soldier.
Self-Knowledge: What are some things are you
good at? If your country was in war, would you
like to fight? How else could you help? Tie your
strengths into what could be done to help the
war effort. -OR- Would you choose not to get
involved? List your reasons why.
Self-Knowledge Implementation: Journal
response, video, drawing/comic strip. Student
can decide how to answer. If it is a type of
drawing or art, they must write a three sentence
application/explanation on the piece.
Other activities:
Game of Treaties: Print cards out saying

about assassination of Archduke Franz

Ferdinand.
4. End with two minute clip from History
Channel Causes of World War 1
Day 4:
5. Read in Textbook: Western Front Bt.
Of Verdun, Bt. Of Somme
6. Draw battles on map, show where forces
are moving
Day 5:
7. Read in textbook: Eastern Front
Russian invasion, Bt. Of Tannenberg,
Bt. At Gallipoli
8. Draw battles on map, show where forces
are moving
9. Homework: Questions from end of
chapters Eastern and Western front.
Answer two questions from each
section.
Day 6:
10. Conditions of war: Soldiers. Small
groups read sections. Write down main
impacts of soldiers.
11. Empathy (20ish mins) handwritten or
recorded by phone - turn in at end of
class (or by beginning of class next day).
Day 7:
12. Warfare at sea. Popcorn read section in
book.
13. Perspective
Day 8 (Possibly Two Days):
1. How does media influence us today?
Hook Discussion!
2. Discuss what war was like on the home
front (regulations, rationing, working
class, womens rights, etc) Show
pictures of war time propaganda.
3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b047
qhc2
4. Discuss: How did propaganda influence
the surge of home front action?
5. Start on assessment: Take on the role of
a country.
Day 9:
6. END OF WAR: Powerpoint: Bt. Of the
Marne, Lundendorff offensive,

*Person is thinking of fighting you* Each

Armistice
person in the class gets two pieces of paper,
7. Show picture on map while explaining
each with a different name on them. Students
8. Introduce Paris Peace Settlement
must then find a friend or ally to defend
9. Explanation
them. Only catch, students are not allowed to
10. Homework: Timeline. Set up first point
say who they need to be protected against.
and last point on board with students.
They can only say, I need help; will you
Day 10:
protect me? The other student can only
11. Entrance ticket: How can war be bad?
reply Yes or No. While this is going on,
Individual time, think-pair-share, class
teacher at the board makes two columns of
discussion.
names of the students in the class. When the
12. Write them on board (Have some
students are called to order, they first will
already known from text and previous
say the names of who was going to fight
knowledge)
them (connect with red lines) and the two
13. Consequences of WW1 (Based on
names of people who will protect them (blue
sections from
lines). Go through each student. (Should turn
http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/resources/l
out to be a mess of lines). Shows how
esson3.html)
complex the treaties were between European
14. Application
countries.
15. What to expect from test
Day 11: TEST DAY!
Day 12: Cus hion day in case any of the
materials need to take longer to cover.