Conducting World War I
Teacher Resources
Lesson Guide
Hey teachers! The guide has all the essential information for this lesson.
First World War Casualties and Alliance Thematic Map
This map can help your students visualize the scale of this total war. Encourage them to look at countries outside of Europe and note that civilian casualties are provided under military casualties. Ask them to consider which regions and people paid the highest price in this war.
Driving Question: What methods did governments use to conduct war beyond the battlefield, and how did these strategies impact societies and civilians?
Most of the fighting during World War I happened in Europe, and it was the powerful empires of Europe that dominated the conflict’s opening months and years. But this was a world war—it did not stay in Europe. The war soon drew in other nations around the world, as well as the millions of people colonized by European empires. Using new weapons of warfare and involving more people than ever before, World War I became the world’s first truly global war.
Learning Objectives
- Explain how governments used a variety of methods to conduct war.
- Assess the claim that World War I was the first global war using evidence from multiple sources.
- Analyze the various ways in which governments conducted war after 1900 by examining propaganda posters.
- Analyze primary source documents to evaluate how governments conducted war and how people responded to these methods after 1900.
Vocab Terms:
This opener asks students to role play, but practicing historical empathy can be tricky. In this community conversation, teachers share resources for fostering historical empathy in the classroom.
Sometimes, the best way to understand a situation is to try to imagine yourself in it. That is just what you will do in this exercise.
Although World War I began in Europe, it quickly expanded into a global conflict due to the involvement of colonial powers. Many soldiers fighting in Europe came from colonized regions, and the desire for more colonies was one factor that drove the war’s spread beyond Europe.
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Guiding Questions
Want to mix up students’ reading strategies? Divide the class into groups and assign students roles, such as vocabulary master, claim cruncher, evidence gatherer, content connector. While they’re reading, each student looks for and writes down the specific thing their role is responsible for. When they’re finished, students meet in their homogenous groups and share, and then meet with their heterogenous groups and discuss the reading.
World War I was a total war that mobilized entire societies, blurred the lines between civilians and soldiers, and demanded total national commitment. Although many citizens supported the war effort, the immense destruction also led to lasting disillusionment among both soldiers and civilians.
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Guiding Questions
Set context prior to watching a video with students: Why are we watching this video? What do we hope to learn from it? How does the information in this video align with or go against what we’ve learned in class thus far? Make sure students have enough background knowledge for the video to make sense.
Britain entered World War I after Germany invaded Belgium, and the British navy, its experienced army, and its industrial strength all played key roles in the war. This video explores how trench warfare and mass casualties deeply affected British communities, with insights from military history experts.
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Guiding Questions
There are a lot of posters to analyze here. Consider using the Three-Step Reading technique with students to “read” visuals: First, get the big picture. Then, zoom in on details. Finally, think about what the image means. Page 3 of our Reading Guide spells it out.
They say a picture paints a thousand words, and a poster can too! You will examine propaganda posters from World War I to understand the goals of governments during the war.
How did governments prepare their nations to fight “the war to end all wars”? Let’s go to the sources to find out! As you read the primary source excerpts in this collection, use the accompanying Quick-Sourcing Tool and activity to guide your analysis.
World War I caused immense suffering for both soldiers and civilians, shattering early enthusiasm for the conflict. The harsh realities of war led to widespread disillusionment and left a generation physically and mentally scarred.
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Guiding Questions
You’ve learned a lot about World War I! Now it’s time to make some claims about the war—and prove them!
These two graphic biographies were written and designed to stand together and provoke comparison. These two women both experienced the same war from different sides. Both took proactive—but very different—approaches to the war. Both suffered and died as a result of events during and after the conflict. Be sure students consider the biographies’ artwork and the way the two women and their world are portrayed as part of the evidence for their comparison.
The story of Helen Fairchild tells us a lot about service—as well as a lot about how people felt during the World War I era.
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Guiding Questions
Not everyone supported their country’s involvement in World War I. Dr. Rosa Luxemburg had a different reaction to the war from Helen Fairchild, as you will see in this graphic biography.
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Guiding Questions
