Original Unit Outline

Year 9 History
World War 1
AusVELS Standards:
Students investigate key aspects of World War I and the Australian experience of the war, including the nature and significance of the war in world and Australian history.
World War I (1914-1918
1. An overview of the causes of World War I and the reasons why men enlisted to fight in the
war (ACDSEH021)
2. The places where Australians fought and the nature of warfare during World War I, including the
Gallipoli campaign (ACDSEH095)
3. The impact of World War I, with a particular emphasis on Australia (such as the use of propaganda to influence the civilian population, the changing role of women, the conscription debate) (ACDSEH096)
4. The commemoration of World War I, including debates about the nature and significance of the
Anzac legend (ACDSEH097)
(Ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au, 2015)

Lesson

Direction

1 The causes

Explanation of some causes for WW1 to students.

of WW1.

Following this show them the clip, Horrible Histories:

the causes of WW1.

Resources
Horrible Histories: the
causes of World War 1

Students are required to answer questions.

https://www.youtube.com/

From this video what do you think was the initial

watch?v=22nITSqkQM4

cause of World War 1?

From this video can you gather why Australia became (This video has been
removed from YouTube)
involved in the war?
The rest of the lesson will be spent covering the
acronym MANIA
2 Trench

Make sure students have an understanding for the

Warfare and

reasons behind the beginning of WW1.

Game- Appendix 1

the Western

Students are given propaganda posters; ask to interpret

Front

what they see. (Formative Assessment)

Following this, students move to the school oval
where a physical game is played.
Returning to the classroom students are about where
the Western Front was located, and the conditions of
trench warfare.
Class question: students are asked what they noticed
about the activity, do you think it would be easy to get
to the opposing country or army's trench under these
conditions?

3 Gallipoli

Ask students what they know about Gallipoli, place

information on the board so nothing is repeated.
Show students YouTube clip, Diary of a Gallipoli

Diary of a Gallipoli
soldier

Soldier.

https://www.youtube.com/

What do students understand of Gallipoli? What are

watch?v=luVQEZMGTnk

their opinions on the conditions, landing location, or

anything interesting about the primary source?
Cover the facts of Gallipoli, if there is a lot of time
left, introduce students to a worksheet for them to
complete.
4

The lesson will cover information that students need to WW1 Australian Women

Conscription

understand about the referendums in 1916 and 1917.

and the

The role of Prime Minister at the time, Billy Hughes

referendums

and reasons for people voting yes or no. At the end of

https://www.youtube.com/

the lesson, students should be able to give reasons

watch?v=ROOw1wd_y9E

people used to vote yes or no about conscription, as

well as name some of the types of groups that votes for
or against it.
During this lesson show students the YouTube video
WW1 Australian Women and Conscription
5 Introducing During this lesson as a class students, with the teacher
the analysis of should go through a group of conscription propaganda

and Conscription

documents.

posters, each with a set of questions to complete in

class.
Before the end of the class a separate poster should be
shown with a set of questions, students are to answer
these questions on a separate paper, and once
completed swap with a friend to be marked. The class
should discuss why they think this is the right answer,
or if any other answers different to what they were
given have occurred.

6 Analysis of

This lesson should be similar to the previous one.

Documents

During these lessons students should not only be

improving their ability to analyse the images shown,
but also their understanding and reasons for why the
population voted yes or no.

7 Line debate After completing the roll the class will be numbered
one or two and then go to either side of the room
according to their number. Tossing a coin, the winning
side going first, the students are to compete in a line
debate, one side being for and the other being against
conscription. If a student repeats a reason already used
they move to the other team, or if they cannot think of
one. This continues until there is only one side left in
the debate.
8 Revision.

During this Lesson students are given the chance to

ask questions and look back on what they have learnt
before the next class. The way in which a revision
session is held is up to the teacher and class. It would
be best to remember to cover what you initially taught
the students as they can forget over time, especially
the different reasons for why countries decided to go
to war in the first place, and which countries were
allied with each other.

9 Assessment

As educators introduce new forms of media, students analysis of images or word documents restrict
their understanding of multimodal texts. By involving the iPed pedagogy students are encouraged to
link, challenge, cocreate and share, (Mills & Levido, 2011, p. 82) Aspects of the outline could be
promoted by requiring students to produce their own video, or one that was created in pairs, on what
they have learnt and their views on a matter, in this case World War One. The use of iPed in the
classroom encourages teachers in embracing new technologies and harnessing their power to motivate our youth. (Doiron, 2011 p. 7) In a society where new technology and mediums are constantly
being produced the aim [of iPed] is to give students sufficient access to design and share digital
products with new confidence (Mills & Levido, 2011, p. 87). Introducing the activity of an online
video creation asks students to take note of what they think is most relevant of the classes covered,
and when paired with another can encourage their questioning on what they have learnt, and is their
view of what is important in the classroom different to their partners.

Lesson

Direction

Resources

1 The causes

First explaining the causes for WW1 to students.

HOW World War I

of WW1.

Following this show them the clip, HOW World War I

Started: Crash Course

Started: Crash Course World History 209.

World History 209

Students are required to answer questions.

https://www.youtube.com/

From this video what do you think was the initial

watch?v=Cd2ch4XV84s

cause(s) of World War 1?

Appendix 2, Assessment
Cover the acronym MANIA. Make sure students
write down the definitions.
ASSESSMENT
During this lesson students are to pair off in
preparation for the video assessment task that they are
to complete over the unit. Each class they will be
given some time at the end to talk to their partner and
begin storyboarding their work.

Description.

2 Trench

Make sure students have an understanding for the

Warfare and

reasons behind the beginning of WW1.

the Western

Following this, students are to move to the school oval

Front

where a physical game is played.

Game- Appendix 1

Returning to the classroom students are taught about

where the Western Front was located, and the
conditions of trench warfare.
Class question: ask students what they noticed about
the activity, do you think it would be easy to get to the
opposing country or army's trench under these
conditions?
Time spent at the end of class for students to start
assessment, ask any questions they may have.
3 Gallipoli

Ask students what they know about Gallipoli, place

information on the board so nothing is repeated.
Use answergarden.ch/

answergarden.ch/
Diary of a Gallipoli
soldier

Show students YouTube clip, Diary of a Gallipoli

Soldier.
What do students understand of Gallipoli? What are

https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=luVQEZMGTnk

their opinions on the conditions, landing location, or

anything interesting about the primary source?
Cover the facts of Gallipoli.
Are these different to what they thought they already
knew?
Students continue on with their storyboards.
4

The lesson will cover information that students need to WW1 Australian Women

Conscription

understand about the referendums in 1916 and 1917.

and the

The roll of Prime- minister at the time, Billy Hughes

referendums

and reasons for people voting yes or no. At the end of

https://www.youtube.com/

the lesson students should be able to give reasons

watch?v=ROOw1wd_y9E

and Conscription

people used to vote yes or no about conscription, as

well as name some of the types of groups that votes for
or against it.
During this lesson show students the YouTube video
WW1 Australian Women and Conscription
Any left over time is again used for storyboarding
before the following class. This is the FINAL lesson
for story boarding.
5 Animation

Students are to be given this lesson to complete as

much of their video as possible. It is suggested that
students use websites such as prezi, powtoon, or video
scribe. However it is to the discretion of the student on
which program or website they select.

6 What

In this lesson the class is broken up into groups, each

It is suggested that the

interests the

group is given a different topic that was important

class uses an online site

students?

during WW1 that has not yet been covered in class.

such as google docs to

Students are to use the time to find enough information share the information that
to give an explanation on the topic and provide a word they find.
document with links to resources on the topic.
Possible Topics are:

7 Animation

Womens role in Australia.

Propaganda and its effect on society

The ANZAC legend

Students are once again given a lesson to finish their

animations, selecting an item from the previous class
that they found interesting and putting together a
section in the animation covering the main points.

8 Line Debate After completing the roll the class will be numbered
one or two and then go to either side of the room
according to their number. Tossing a coin, the winning
side going first, the students are to compete in a line

debate, one side being for and the other being against
conscription. If a student repeats a reason already used
they move to the other team, or if they cannot think of
one. This continues until there is only one side left in
the debate.
It is suggested that the teacher keep a record of what
students have previously said so that they are aware of
if a reason has come up more than once.
9 Assessment In this lesson students are to submit their animation,
receiving the first half of the class to finish anything.
For the rest of the class students are to receive a short
summative assessment covering what they have learnt
about WW1.

In a technology-rich world we need to review and modernise what and how we learn. (QCA, 2005a
cited in Fautley & Savage, 2007, pg. 87) This is not only limited to the lessons taught but also the
assessments students are required to complete. Assessments requiring students to work with ICT is
now referred to as assessment 2.0, similar to web 2.0, which allows individuals to create and share
online. Assessment 2.0 spaces can facilitate opportunities for students to generate their own content
through collaborative efforts; this, together with the use of self and peer-review mechanisms
(Keppell, Souter & Riddle, 2012, p. 205). The iPed model encourages the use of assessment 2.0 as
the pedagogy allows students (to) have opportunities to use multiple modes to communicate meaning
by combining words, images, audio, gestural, and spatial elements in their texts. (Mills & Levido,
2011, p. 89) The use of a video as the main assessment for the revised unit outline is an example of
assessment 2.0, and the requirements are encouraged by the foundation of iPed, link, challenge, cocreate and share, (Mills & Levido, 2011, p. 82). As assessment tasks are set in order to satisfy a
diverse range of needs, (Keppell, Souter & Riddle, 2012, pg. 200) the use of multi-modal learning
is of greater importance in the classroom; it was found in one study that by the end of each quarter,
all students, including those with learning difficulties, had produced the intended digital texts. (Mills
& Levido, 2011, p. 87) By supplementing the classes with multi-modal texts and encouraging students
to create their own as a form of assessment it allows all students, even those with learning difficulties
to strive and take pride in what they create.

References

ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au,. (2015). AusVELS - History - Curriculum. Retrieved 27 April 2015, from

http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/The-Humanities-History/Curriculum/F10?y=9&s=HKU&s=HS&layout=2
Doiron, R. (2011). Using e-books and e-readers to promote reading in school libraries: lessons from
the field. Paper presented at IFLA 2011, Puerto Rico. Retrieved from
http://conference.ifla.org/past/2011/143-doiron-en.pdf
Fautley, M., & Savage, J. (2007). Creativity in secondary education. Exeter: Learning Matters.
Keppell, M., Souter, K., & Riddle, M. (2012). Physical and virtual learning spaces in higher education. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.
Mills, K.A. & Levido, A. (2011). iPed: Pedagogy for Digital Text Production. The Reading Teacher:
A Journal of Research-Based Classroom Practice, 65(1), 8091.

Appendix 1
TRENCH WARFARE PRACTICAL ACTIVITY

Equipment: soft balls from HPE Dept.; tennis court (if available) with 2 movable tennis
nets. If the tennis courts are not available, the oval is fine. If using the oval, tell the kids
where each trench is mark with something (jumpers, etc.) if they are creeping forward.

Activity:
AIM to take over the oppositions trench.
1.Explain that half the class are the French and the other half are the Germans and the aim.
2. Each team is assigned a trench and given the same number of shells (soft balls).

RULES:
3. Only 2 members of each team are allowed to run for the opposition trench at a time.
4. Balls are only allowed to be thrown underarm.
5. Once hit by a ball, you lie down (as if dead).
6. If you make it to the opposition trench without being hit, you remain there.
7. If a ball is stationary on the ground in no-mans-land, a runner may pick it up and throw it
back to their own team.

HOW TO WIN:

The team with the largest number of people in the opposition trench at the end of your
designated time wins. Feel free to count casualties too.

Appendix 2- Assessment 1

Students are to create an animation covering what they have learnt over the unit of work. There
should be a mention of what they consider to be important points from each class, and a focus
point of their choice from lesson six. It is expected that students, working in pairs would be
able to share this with somebody who knows very little to no information on World War One
and walk away with some idea of what occurred. Students are to include images, and proof of
primary and secondary sources with some referencing.
What must be included:
-

Information about the causes of WW1, the Western Front, Gallipoli, and Conscription
and how it affected Australians.

A section of the animation must be focused on a topic covered in lesson six, this is up
to the students.

Both primary and secondary sources, correctly placed according to the topic (this can
be images, text or other sources)

Video has a maximum length of 8 minutes, and a minimum of 5.

Example video covering the unit outline can be found at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2t6lNXt1uE

Topic 1: Into battle

Work Sheet 1A: World War I and the Gallipoli Campaign

GALLIPOLI
PENINSULA
DARDANELLES

Map 1
Map 2
AEGEAN
SEA

CAPE HELLES

ES
LL
NE
A
RD
DA

Commonwealth of Australia 2005

Work Sheet 1A 1

FACT FILE 1
World War I broke out on 4 August 1914. The war
was fought between two opposing groups of
countries who had formed alliances in the years
leading up to the outbreak of war. Britain, France
and Russia had formed one alliance. They were
opposed by Germany and Austria-Hungary. Turkey
later entered the war on the side of Germany and
Austria-Hungary. The war on land was fought on
two major fronts: the Western Front (Northern
France and Belgium) and the Eastern Front (between
Russia and Germany).

FACT FILE 3
By the end of 1914, after six months of fighting, the
war on the Eastern Front was going badly for the
Russians and they needed help from their allies.
Britain developed a plan to help Russia by attacking
Turkey who controlled the Dardanelle straits, the
entrance to Russias southern Black Sea ports. If the
British and their allies could defeat Turkey, they
could not only help the Russians by bringing in
supplies through the Dardanelles, but they might
also weaken Germany by knocking her ally, Turkey,
out of the war.

FACT FILE 2
Australia was a member of the British Empire and
had close ties with Britain, the mother country.
The great majority of Australians enthusiastically
supported the war. Andrew Fisher, the Australian
Prime Minister in 1914 made the now famous
declaration that: Australians will stand beside our
own to help and defend Britain to our last man and
our last shilling. Within three months of the
outbreak of war 20,000 Australian men had
volunteered to join the army and were being trained
for overseas service.

FACT FILE 4
The Minister in charge of the British Navy was
Winston Churchill. He was convinced that the
British navy, the Royal Navy, could be used to force
a way through the narrow passage of the Straits of
the Dardanelles. On 18 March 1915, a British and
French fleet of 18 battleships, and other warships,
attempted to force its way through to
Constantinople (Istanbul). But the Turkish
commanders had prepared their defences to include
carefully laid minefields, well-sited guns and
searchlights that swept the narrows at night. The
naval attack on the Dardanelles was defeated with
heavy losses.

FACT FILE 5
It was then decided that the only way to seize
Constantinople (Istanbul) was to bring in the army
who would capture the Gallipoli peninsula and make
their way overland to destroy the Turkish guns that
controlled the Dardanelle straits. This plan involved
landing allied soldiers at different locations on the
Gallipoli peninsula. The combined Australian and
New Zealand force was to land at a place called
Gaba Tepe on the west coast and British soldiers
were to land further south at the tip of the peninsula
at Cape Helles. The date for the landing was to be
25 April 1915.

Commonwealth of Australia 2005

Work Sheet 1A 2

Map 1 and Fact Files 1 and 2

1 Use the information from Fact File 1 identify the two opposing alliances of World War I by colour coding the
countries in each alliance.
2 Shade the area of the two major fronts mentioned in Fact File 1: the Western Front and the Eastern Front.
3 Use the information from Fact Files 1 and 2 to explain in your own words why Australia became involved in
World War I.

Map 2 and Fact Files 3, 4 and 5

1 How did Britain plan to help her ally Russia?

2 Find the Dardanelles and Constantinople on the map and explain why they were important in the British plan.

3 What role did the British Navy play in the first attempt to capture the Dardanelles? Why did it fail?

4 What second attempt was made after the failure of the British naval attack? How did this involve Australian and
New Zealand troops?

Commonwealth of Australia 2005

Work Sheet 1A 3

5 Find each of the following places and number them from 1 to 4 on Map 2: Dardanelles, Gaba Tepe, Cape Helles,
Constantinople.
6 Summarise what you have learned from this activity by writing a short paragraph explaining the significance of
these places in the Allied strategy to capture the Gallipoli peninsula.

7 What information suggests that the Allied soldiers who went into battle on the Gallipoli peninsula on 25 April 1915
would meet stiff resistance from the Turks?

Commonwealth of Australia 2005

Work Sheet 1A 4