WWI Research and Analysis Essay

In this lesson, students will examine the events and people that led the world
toward global war.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
As a result of completing these activities, students will:
Investigate and document the main causes of WWI.

STANDARDS
7.1.9.8 (4)
8.1.12.B(4)
8.4.12.A(1)
ESTIMATED TIME
5 classroom periods (some research and writing to be conducted at home)
MATERIALS NEEDED
Computers with Internet access.
Print and online sources about WWI's beginnings.
Handout: Causes of World War I worksheet
TEACHING STRATEGY
Day 1
Students will be introduced to the project using links to directions and handouts on
Google Classroom
They will then be instructed by the librarian how to set up a new project in Noodle
Tools.
Students will be instructed to read through the links provided and fill out the causes
of WWI on the student handout Instruct each student to review the links to
determine the primary causes of WWI, the nations involved and/or affected by the
identified situation, and its result (other than the resultant war) Students will
document their findings on the Causes of World War I worksheet
Direct all students to the following resources on WWI (provided on Google
Classroom)
The Great War: Explosion
The Great War: Europe in 1914
The Great War: 1900 A Transforming World
The Great War: The War as Detective Story
The Great War: Germany at the Turn of the Century
The Great War: Total War - Everyone is a Target
http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/timeline/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/origins_01.shtml
Day 2
Students will continue researching the causes of WWI. By the end of day two they
should have completed the student handout and chosen one cause to prove was the
main cause in a 5 paragraph essay. (The teacher will provide the thesis statement
and students will fill in the blank, The main cause of WWI was _______)

Students will be instructed by the librarian how to cite sources in a research paper
using Noodle tools

Day 3-5
Students will research and prove their thesis using the links provided by the teacher.
Once students are completed they will turn in their completed paper using Noodle
Tools and Google Docs.