CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 1

Curriculum Archive Scaffold Assignment

Daniel Fox

Website: https://worldwar1scaffold.weebly.com
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 2

Table of Contents

Teacher Materials………………………………………………………………………………….3

Teacher Instructions for Student Activity 1………………………...……………………..3

Teacher Instructions for Student Activity 2………………………...……………………..6

Student Activity 1………………………...…………………………………...………..………..10

Student Activity 2………………………...…………………………………...………..………..17

CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 3

Teacher Materials

Unit Compelling Question: What lessons could the world have learned and implemented from

the causes of WWI that would have prevented future global conflict?

Teacher Instructions for Student Activity 1

Central Question: Which of the four MAIN causes of WWI was the most significant?

Purpose and Goal: The purpose of this activity is for students to identify the four MAIN causes

of WWI; militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism. The students have the goal of

being able to use primary sources to understand the four MAIN causes of WWI, identify those

causes within primary sources, and form an opinion on which cause was the most significant.

Materials: The “Student Activity 1” packet which contains the four primary documents, graphic

organizer, ranking activity, and writing prompt (the packet is attached at the end of this

document). Students will also need a scratch piece of paper to take notes. The rubric for

assessment of the students final writing prompt could be distributed to the students as well.

Prior Knowledge: Students should have already received instruction and be familiar with the

four MAIN causes of WWI, including the definitions of each cause. However, this activity can

be used before or after the student’s familiarity with the assassination of Archduke Franz

Ferdinand.

Plan of Instruction:

Step One

Distribute the packet with the four primary documents to the students. Instruct the students to

independently read (or view) each of the documents. Encourage the students to highlight,

underline, or circle any information from the document that they believe could connect to one of

the MAIN causes of WWI. Students should take notes on their scratch paper about the
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 4

documents and their connection to the MAIN causes. The teacher should be circulating the room

helping answer any clarifying questions students may have about a document, while ensuring the

students are staying on task. After students have had an adequate amount of time to individually

evaluate the documents, allow students to work with a partner or table group to discuss the

contents of the documents and their interpretation.

Step Two

Distribute the graphic organizer to the students. Have the students work individually to use the

graphic organizer to organize their notes, thoughts, and interpretation of the documents.

Encourage the students to be sure to cite specific evidence from the documents to support which

MAIN cause the student believes the document is referencing. Teachers should again be

circulating the room answering questions and helping the students stay on task.

Step Three

Distribute the ranking activity to the students. Have the students work individually to use the

ranking activity to form an opinion on the significance of the MAIN causes of WWI. Encourage

the students that there are no wrong answers to this assignment, that the activity is entirely about

their opinion. However, be sure to instruct students that their opinions must be justified and

supported with factual evidence from the documents and/or previous instruction.

Step Four

Instruct the students to complete the writing activity. This could be done in-class or as a

homework assignment depending on time constraints. Encourage the students to use the

documents, graphic organizer, and ranking sheet to aid their writing, while supporting their

position with evidence from the documents. Use the assessment rubric to assess student

performance.
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 5

Assessment Rubric:

Excellent (5) Very Good (4) Average (3) Needs Poor (1)
Improvement (2)

Thesis The thesis is The thesis is The thesis is This thesis is never The thesis is
expertly stated clearly stated in vaguely stated stated in the writing, never stated in
Score ___ in the writing the writing and is in the writing but a central idea is the writing and
and is mostly supported and is mostly supported with the writing
supported with with content and supported content and evidence. lacks a central
all content and evidence. with content idea.
evidence. and evidence.

Content All the content Most of the The content The content from the The content
from the content from the from the writing is adequately from the
Score ___ writing is writing is writing is stated but contains writing is
expertly stated expertly stated adequately multiple historical poorly stated
and rooted in and rooted in stated and inaccuracies with and contains
historical historical rooted in major errors. multiple
accuracy. accuracy with historical historical
minor errors. accuracy with inaccuracies
minor errors. with major
errors.
Evidence The writing The writing uses The writing The writing uses The writing
uses evidence evidence from uses evidence evidence from the does not use
Score ___ from the the document’s from the document’s rarely evidence from
document’s occasionally and document’s and irrelevantly. the documents.
multiple times relevantly. rarely and
and relevantly. relevantly.
Grammar The writing, The writing, The writing, The writing, The writing,
grammar, and grammar, and grammar, and grammar, and grammar, and
Score ___ sentence sentence sentence sentence structure is sentence
structure is structure is structure is poorly constructed structure is
excellently properly properly with a few major poorly
constructed constructed with constructed errors. constructed
with very few a few minor with a few with multiple
minor errors. errors. major errors. major errors.
Total

____/20
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 6

Teacher Instructions for Student Activity 2

Central Question: How could the Treaty of Versailles have been better constructed to avoid

future global conflicts?

Purpose and Goal: This activity will have students imagine that they are charged by the Paris

Peace Conference with the construction of a peace treaty that will avoid a future global conflict.

The purpose of this activity is for students to synthesize various perspectives from multiple

parties communicated during the Paris Peace Conference as to the construction of the peace

treaty. The goal of the activity is for students to evaluate the perspectives, form a plan supported

with evidence, and offer recommendations to the conference of elements that should be included

in the treaty to avoid a future global war.

Materials: The students can visit the lessons website to work through the activity online. If the

activity is being done in class, then the students will need access to the visual PowerPoint

presentation that describes the goals of each country for the Paris Peace Conference. This

presentation can be downloaded and displayed in the classroom or printed and distributed to the

students. The students will then need the “Student Activity 2” packet which contains the three

primary documents, graphic organizer, and final activity. The rubric for assessment of the final

activity could be provided to the students as well.

Prior Knowledge: This activity should be conducted after the students have acquired knowledge

and understanding about the causes and events of World War I, but before any instruction about

the Treaty of Versailles. Ideally, the students should be creating their final activity without any

prior knowledge about what elements the Allies included in the treaty. This will allow students

to compare and contrast their version of the treaty with the actual treaty, and evaluate the
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 7

effectiveness of their treaty and the Treaty of Versailles when receiving future instruction about

the events leading to World War 2.

Plan of Instruction:

Step One

Describe the purpose of the activity to the students by reading the introduction. Mention the

culminating activity so the students understand what they are building towards. Use the

provided PowerPoint presentation to review the goals various countries had for the outcome of

the Paris Peace Conference. This presentation is visible on the website and available to

download. Feel free to include any additional instruction to the presentation that you as the

teacher find relevant. This presentation can be viewed either individually, discussed in pairs or

groups, or guided by the teacher and discussed with the entire class.

Step Two

Instruct the students to individually examine the three primary documents in their packet and

answer the questions at the end of each document. These documents provide firsthand points of

view regarding the desired outcome of the Paris Peace Conference from statements made by

leaders of France, the United States, and Germany. The teacher should be circulating around the

room guiding students, helping them stay on task, and answering any context questions they may

have about the documents.

Step Three

Guide students to the graphic organizer for them to compile and organize the information they

have acquired thus far. Students should be using both the presentation and documents to

complete the graphic organizer, which will help guide their final recommendations on what
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 8

should be included in the peace treaty. After students have completed the organizer individually,

encourage them to work with groups or pairs to discuss their responses.

Step Four

Instruct the students to use all previous information provided and gained from the activity to

complete their personal recommendation to present the Paris Peace Conference. This activity

should be done individually as it provides for students to express their unique view on the

construction of the treaty. This portion could be completed in class or at home, depending on the

time constraints.

Step Five

Have students work in pairs or groups to discuss their recommendations. Each group should

evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the group members recommendations for the treaty

before negotiating with each other to construct a new final recommendation to present to the

Paris Peace Conference. This recommendation should be in a written format that will eventually

be orally presented.

Step Six

Have the student groups present their recommendations to the Paris Peace Conference in front of

the class in a formal speech. Students in the audience should have the opportunity to question

the logic and weaknesses of each groups stated recommendation, while the presenters should be

prepared to defend their recommendations in front of the class. Teachers should control the

environment to ensure that the questioning of the recommendations is done in a civil manner.

After the group’s presentation, the class should be engaged with an open discussion about the

strengths and weaknesses of the group’s presentation for student feedback. Use the assessment

rubric to assess student performance.

CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 9

Assessment Rubric:

Excellent (5) Very Good (4) Average (3) Needs Poor (1)
Improvement
(2)
Content All the content Most of the The content The content from The content from
from the content from the from the the the writing is
Score ___ recommendation recommendation recommendation recommendation poorly stated and
is expertly is expertly is adequately is adequately is not justified.
stated and stated and stated and stated but lacks
justified. mostly justified. mostly justified. justification.

Evidence The The The The The

recommendation recommendation recommendation
recommendation recommendation
Score ___ uses evidence uses evidence uses evidence
uses evidence does not use
from the from the from the
from the evidence from
documents and documents and documents and
documents and the documents or
presentation presentation presentation
presentation presentation.
multiple times occasionally and rarely and
rarely and
and relevantly. relevantly. relevantly.
irrelevantly.
Oral Students Students Students
Students are Students are off-
expertly adequately struggle to
unable to topic and
Presentation articulate and articulate and express their
communicate communicate
express their express their recommendation
their concepts not
recommendation recommendation clearly.
recommendation connected to the
Score ___
to the class. to the class. in an activity.
understandable
manner.
Defense of Students are Students are Students can Students struggle Students refuse
easily able to easily able to defend their to defend their to defend their
Position defend their defend their recommendation recommendations recommendations
recommendation recommendation but do not or incorporate to the class.
with evidence. but struggle to incorporate evidence.
Score ___
incorporate evidence.
evidence.
Total

____/20
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 10

Student Activity 1: Identifying the Causes of WWI

Document A: “A Chain of Friendship” July 1914
Context
The following cartoon appeared in the American newspaper the Brooklyn Eagle with the caption,
“If Austria attacks Serbia, Russia will fall upon Austria, Germany upon Russia, and France and
England upon Germany.”

Retrieved from https://www.crf-usa.org/images/pdf/gates/Cartoons-of-WorldWarI.pdf

CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 11

Document B: Bernhard Von Bulow’s “Hammer and Anvil” Speech before the Reichstag
Context
Bernhard von Bulow was the Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs for Germany from 1897-1900
before eventually becoming chancellor of Germany from 1900-1909, serving as the head of the
government. This speech was given to the Reichstag (the German Parliament) in 1899 in
response to the expansionist policies of England and France.
Excerpt from “Hammer and Anvil” Speech
“In our nineteenth century, England has increased its colonial empire -- the largest the world has
seen since the days of the Romans -- further and further; the French have put down roots in
North Africa and East Africa and created for themselves a new empire in the Far East; Russia
has begun its mighty course of victory in Asia, leading it to the high plateau of the Pamir and to
the coasts of the Pacific Ocean. Four years ago, the Sino-Japanese war, scarcely one and a half
years ago the Spanish-American War have put things further in motion; they've led to great,
momentous, far-reaching decisions, shaken old empires, and added new and serious ferment. [...]
The English prime minister said a long time ago that the strong states were getting stronger and
stronger and the weak ones weaker and weaker. [...] We don't want to step on the toes of any
foreign power, but at the same time we don't want our own feet tramped by any foreign power
(Bravo!) and we don't intend to be shoved aside by any foreign power, not in political nor in
economic terms. (Lively applause.) [...] We don't ever again want to become, as Friedrich List
put it, the 'slaves of humanity.' But we'll only be able to keep ourselves at the fore if we realize
that there is no welfare for us without power, without a strong army and a strong fleet. (Very
true! from the right; objections from the left) The means, gentlemen, for a people of almost 60
million -- dwelling in the middle of Europe and, at the same time, stretching its economic
antennae out to all sides -- to battle its way through in the struggle for existence without strong
armaments on land and at sea, have not yet been found. (Very true! from the right.) In the
coming century the German people will be a hammer or an anvil.”
Retrieved from
https://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Bülow%27s_%27Hammer_and_Anvil%27_Speech_before_th
e_Reichstag_(The_English_Translation)
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 12

Document C: European Military Spending

Context
This bar graph shows the amount of money spent on their military by France, Great Britain,
Germany, and Russia from 1890-1914.

Retrieved from
https://connected.socialstudies.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?Documen
tFileKey=ca503175-b025-46c9-b7d0-82ab8589f2e0&forceDialog=1
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 13

Document D: The Constitution of the Black Hand

Context
The Black Hand was a secret military society formed by officers in the Serbian army. The
society was formed with the goal of freeing all Slavic people from the rule of Austria-Hungary or
the Ottoman Empire.
Excerpt from The Constitution of the Black Hand

Article 1. For the purpose of realizing the national ideals – the Unification of Serbdom - an
organization is hereby created, whose members may be any Serbian irrespective of sex, religion,
place, or birth, as well as anybody else who will sincerely serve this idea.

Article 2. The organization gives priority to the revolutionary struggle rather than relies on
cultural striving, therefore its institution is an absolutely secret one for wider circle.

[…]

Article 4. In order to carry into effect its task the organization will do the following things:

(1) Following the character of its reason… it will exercise its influence over all the official
factors in Serbia…

(2) It will carry out a revolutionary organization in all the territories where Serbians are living

(3) Beyond the frontiers, it will fight with all means against all enemies of this idea

(4) It will maintain friendly relations with all the States, nations, organizations, and individual
persons who sympathize with Serbia and the Serbian race

(5) It will give every assistance to those nations and organizations who are fighting for their own
national liberation and unification

Vocabulary

Serbdom: The to unified culture of the Serbs, a Slavic people mainly found in the country of
Serbia.

Retrieved from https://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Constitution_of_the_Black_Hand

 CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 14

Graphic Organizer

Document A Document B Document C Document D

Who wrote or
produced the
document? When
was it written?
What type of
source is it?

Is the source valid

and trustworthy?

What is the thesis

of the document?
What is it trying to
communicate?

Which MAIN cause

or causes of WWI
are displayed
through the
source?

Cite specific
evidence from the
source to support
your claim of which
MAIN cause is
being displayed.
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Ranking the MAIN Causes of WWI

Rank the four MAIN causes of WWI in order of how important that cause was in starting
WWI (1-Most Important to 4-Least Important). Justify your ranking with evidence from
the documents.

MAIN Causes Rank Justification

Militarism

Alliances

Imperialism

Nationalism
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 16

Writing Activity

Write three paragraphs addressing this question: Which of the MAIN causes was the most
significant cause of WWI? Support your position with evidence from the documents.
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 17

Student Activity 2: Creating a Lasting Peace Treaty

Introduction

It is the year 1919. The world is ready to begin the healing process after the four years of

destruction caused by World War I. The Allied Powers of the United Stated, Great Britain,

France, Italy, and Japan have convened at the Paris Peace Conference to construct a peace treaty.

The Allies have stated that the goal of that treaty is to prevent a global war from ever occurring

again in the future.

The conference has charged you with the task of evaluating various positions and evidence to

present recommendations to the conference on what elements should be included in the treaty.

Work your way through the activity reviewing…

1. The summary of the desired outcomes for the treaty from the countries of France, the

United States, and Germany.

2. The three primary accounts on achieving peace from the leaders of France, the United

States, and Germany.

Afterwards, complete the provided organizers before composing and presenting your final

recommendation to present to the Paris Peace Conference.

CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 18

Document A: French President Raymond Pioncare’s Opening Address

Context

This statement was given by French President Raymond Pioncare to open the Paris Peace

Conference in 1919.

Excerpt from French President Raymond Pioncare’s Opening Address

“An immortal glory will attach to the names of the nations and the men who have desired to co-

operate in this grand work in faith and brotherhood, and who have taken pains to eliminate from

the future peace causes of disturbance and instability.

This very day forty-eight years ago, on January 18, 1871, the German Empire was proclaimed by

an army of invasion in the Chateau at Versailles. It was consecrated by the theft of two French

provinces; it was thus vitiated (spoiled) from its origin and by the fault of the founders; born in

injustice, it has ended in opprobrium (disgrace).

You are assembled in order to repair the evil that it has done and to prevent a recurrence of

it. You hold in your hands the future of the world. I leave you, gentlemen, to your grave

deliberations, and I declare the Conference of Paris open.”

Retrieved from https://www.firstworldwar.com/source/parispeaceconf_poincare.htm

Questions

1. How would you describe the emotions the President Pioncare has towards Germany?

2. What are the goals the President Pioncare has for the conference?
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 19

Document B: United States President Wilson’s Fourteen Points Speech to Congress

Context

These are the closing remarks President Woodrow Wilson made to Congress during his speech

on January 8, 1918. During the speech, Wilson outlined his “Fourteen Points” towards achieving

world peace.

Excerpt

“What we demand in this war, therefore, is nothing peculiar to ourselves. It is that the world be

made fit and safe to live in; and particularly that it be made safe for every peace-loving nation

which, like our own, wishes to live its own life, determine its own institutions, be assured of

justice and fair dealing by the other peoples of the world as against force and selfish aggression.

All the peoples of the world are in effect partners in this interest, and for our own part we see

very clearly that unless justice be done to others it will not be done to us…

We have no jealousy of German greatness, and there is nothing in this program that impairs it.

We grudge her no achievement or distinction of learning or of pacific enterprise such as have

made her record very bright and very enviable. We do not wish to injure her or to block in any

way her legitimate influence or power. We do not wish to fight her either with arms or with

hostile arrangements of trade if she is willing to associate herself with us and the other peace-

loving nations of the world in covenants of justice and law and fair dealing. We wish her only to

accept a place of equality among the peoples of the world, -- the new world in which we now

live, -- instead of a place of mastery.”

Retrieved from https://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/President_Wilson%27s_Fourteen_Points

Questions

1. How would you describe the emotions President Wilson has towards Germany?
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 20

2. What are the goals for achieving peace that President Wilson states in his speech?

Document C: The German Peace Delegation’s Response to Peace Terms

Context

Germany was not invited to participate in the Paris Peace Conference. The following letter was

composed by Count von Brockdorff-Rantzau of the German Peace Delegation in response to

peace terms that were offered to Germany by the Allied Powers.

Excerpt from The German Peace Delegation’s Response to Peace Terms

“Mr. President:

I have the honour to transmit to you herewith the observations of the German delegation on the

draft treaty of peace.

We came to Versailles in the expectation of receiving a peace proposal based on the agreed

principles. We were firmly resolved to do everything in our power with a view of fulfilling

the grave obligations which we had undertaken. We hoped for the peace of justice which had

been promised to us.

We were aghast when we read in documents the demands made upon us, the victorious

violence of our enemies. The more deeply we penetrate into the spirit of this treaty, the more

convinced we become of the impossibility of carrying it out. The exactions of this treaty are

more than the German people can bear […]

CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 21

Treaties of peace signed by the great powers have, it is true, in the history of the last decades,

again and again proclaimed the right of the stronger. But each of these treaties of peace has

been a factor in originating and prolonging the world war. Whenever in this war the victor has

spoken to the vanquished, at Brest-Litovsk and Bucharest, his words were but the seeds of

future discord.

The lofty aims which our adversaries first set before themselves in their conduct of the war,

the new era of an assured peace of justice, demand a treaty instinct with a different spirit.

Only the cooperation of all nations, a cooperation of hands and spirits, can build up a durable

peace. We are under no delusions regarding the strength of the hatred and bitterness which this

war has engendered, and yet the forces which are at work for a union of mankind are stronger

now than ever they were before.

The historic task of the Peace Conference of Versailles is to bring about this union.”

Retrieved from https://www.firstworldwar.com/source/parispeaceconf_germanprotest1.htm

Questions

1. According to the German delegation, what is their goal for the peace conference?

2. What are the German delegations’ opinions of the Allies treaty proposals?

3. What dangers does the German delegation mention about creating a treaty that is decided

only by the victorious nations?

 CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 22

Graphic Organizer

France The United States Germany

What is the most

important goal the
nation wishes to
achieve through a
peace treaty?

What evidence
from the
documents support
that stated goal?

Does the nation

believe that
Germany should be
punished for the
war? If so, to what
extent should they
be punished?

Would you classify

the nations
motivation for the
treaty as based on
emotion or logic?
Why?
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 23

Recommendation to the Paris Peace Conference

The time has come to offer your recommendation to the Paris Peace Conference as to what

should be included in a proposed peace treaty. Your decision should consider all the

information and evidence to construct rational recommendations that can be justified and

defended before the conference. It is highly likely that the conference will adopt your

recommendations into a peace treaty that is meant to last for generations. Therefore, make

your choices justly and wisely!

Your recommendations can include (or exclude) any of the following elements.

1. Reparations: The treaty can force Germany to pay a financial penalty for the war to

any of the victorious nations. For this exercise, assume the estimated cost of the war

for the Allies was about 50-70 billion dollars, but you can recommend any (or no)

dollar amount of reparations you deem necessary.

2. Demilitarization: The treaty can force a reduction in the size of Germany’s military

forces. This can include every element of Germany’s military including their Army,

Navy, and Air Force. It can also include the reduction of war materials such as

weapons, battleships, planes, and submarines. Germany ended the war with an

estimated 7 million active soldiers in their military.

3. Territory: The treaty can force the distribution or liberation of German territories

across the world. Germany currently has colonies located in Africa and in the South

Pacific Islands. Germany also has small territory disputes with France (Alsace-

Lorraine), Belgium, and the newly formed Poland and Czechoslovakia.

CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 24

Use the space below to write speech to the Paris Peace Conference describing your

recommendations for the peace treaty. Be sure to explain and justify all your decisions.
CURRICULUM ARCHIVE SCAFFOLD ASSIGNMENT 25

Self-Reflection on your Recommendations

Review your recommendations and self-evaluate by answering the following questions.

1. What are the strengths of your recommendations?

2. What are the weaknesses of your recommendations?

3. What nation benefits the most from your recommendations and why?

4. What nation benefits the least from your recommendations and why?

5. Do you view your recommendations as being capable for creating a lasting world

peace? Why or why not?