Treaty of Versailles Lesson Using Class Blog

Teacher Name: Shelby L. Carbaugh

Lesson Name: Treaty of Versailles

Target Age / Subject: 10th Grade World History II

-Students in this class represent a diverse group of ethnic backgrounds, but socio-

economically a majority being middle class. This lesson is designed for the Honors level (AP

bound) classroom and all students have demonstrated proficiency in Internet-based research,

all possess a county-issued iBook.. In all there are a total of 20 students.

VA SOL: WHII.10 a & b

-The student will demonstrate knowledge of the worldwide impact of World War

I by

a) explaining economic and political causes, major events, and identifying major

leaders of the war, with emphasis on Woodrow Wilson and Kaiser Wilhelm II;

b) explaining the outcomes and global effect of the war and the Treaty of

Versailles

Introduction:

-Treaty of Versailles

-Estimated length of lesson 2-3 class periods

-Standard of Learning

-World History and Geography: 1500 A.D. to the Present

Learning Objectives:

- Students will learn the motives and aims of the Treaty of Versailles

- Students will learn the terms of the Treaty imposed on Germany

- Students will consider each country’s unique experience of World War I and how

this may have shaped it’s objectives at the Peace conference, specifically that of

the United States.

- Students will learn about Germany’s reaction to the Treaty of Versailles

- Students will discuss the terms of the Treaty and analyze facts and outcomes in

order to develop opinions of the fairness of the treaty to Germany

- Students will analyze and discuss whether the treaty contributed to the rise to

power of the Nazi party

Content:

-Students will examine the various motives of the “Big Four” in creating the Treaty and

analyze if each was justified in its position.

-Students will summarize the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, specifically the articles in

which forced Germany to accept guilt for the War, loss of property, and reparations.

-Students will summarize the outcomes of World War I, specifically the effects on post-

War Germany, including the enormous costs of the war in lives, property, and social

disruption.

-Students will learn and examine how the map of Germany changed as a result of World

War I and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, helping plant the seeds for the rise of

Adolf Hitler.

-Students will divide in three groups to compile evidence of how Germany received a

R.A.W. deal as a result of the Treaty of Versailles.

Group #1 – (R) Reparations was forced on Germany (HINT: think $$$)

Group #2 – (A) Allies took German land / Limited German military (HINT: think map of

Germany pre & post War, natural resources, Poland)

Group #3 – (W) War’s total guilt was forced on Germany “War Guilt Clause” (HINT:

think national pride, Nationalism, other Central powers defeated and fairness)

-In class the teacher will lead a discussion of:

How the R.A.W. deal may OR may not have been fair?

How the impact of the Treaty may have affected Germany and most Germans

economically, socially, and politically leading to the rise of the Nazi party?

Materials:

- iBooks

- textbook “The Americans” (in classroom)

- Chalk board/ chalk

- CD Player

- Burned CD of “Mack The Knife” by Bobby Darrin and “Macheath” from “Three

Penny Orchestra” from teachers personal CD collection

- Text: “Atlas of World History”

- Attached handouts

Teaching and Learning Sequence:

Introduction / Anticipatory Set

- End of previous class played “Mack the Knife” asked students to bring back with

them a list of what they or their parents know of that song…NO Internet research

allowed!

- “Macheath” playing upon student’s arrival to class (noticeably the tune of “Mack

the Knife,” but in German)

- Short discussion explaining the origins of the song and the character Macheath

being a young man of their age living on the streets as a criminal and/or orphan as

a result of the economic collapse of Germany after World War I.

Lesson Development

– Class Discussion

Have displayed on the board

“How should you treat someone you just beat in a fight?”

“What if you started it?” “What if they started it?” (REVISIT later)

-Teacher will go over with the students the previous night’s homework, which

consisted of President Wilson’s Fourteen Points, specifically the last two

paragraphs before the points.

- Teacher will lead a class discussion analyzing the student’s interpretations of the

handout depicting the death toll of each country involved in the War, along with

the graph “Big Four Goals” handout

- Students will be allowed to work in their R.A.W. deal groups accessing the

Internet for research and compilation of evidence.

- Each group will present (5-7 minutes per group) to the class their R.A.W. findings

Homework:

- Teacher will have created a class blog dedicated to the unit themed; “The Treaty

of Versailles” the Central & Allied Powers and the leaders of each country.

Students will be divided into 10 groups of 2 students each:

- Central Powers

Group #1 - Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II

Group #2 – Ottoman Empires Sultan Mehmed V

Group #3 – Austria-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph

Group #4 – Kingdom of Bulgaria Czar Ferdinand I

Group #5 – Turkey Enver Pasha

- “The Allies”

Group #6 - Great Britain PM Lloyd George

Group #7 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson

Group #8 – Italy PM Vittorio Orlando

Group #9 – France PM Georges Clemenceau

Group #10 – Russia Czar Nicholas II & other leaders

- Each student in each group will be expected to make two blog entries by their

assigned leader. One entry should be in “diary” form and the other as an address

to the people of their country. Central Power leaders should discuss their beliefs

concerning the Treaty and how their prospective country will be affected. Allied

Power leaders should discuss the effects of WWI on their country and their

feelings concerning the conditions and fairness of the Treaty. Each entry should

include an attached image; one of the leader and the other either a photo of the

wars effect on the country, or something of equal visual importance and impact.

REMEMBER entries are in the voice of that country’s leader and should reflect

their beliefs, NOT that of the student.

Closure and Formative Evaluation:

- As a class we will REVISIT the earlier question;

“How should you treat someone you just beat in a fight?”

Point out items listed earlier on the board

NOW

“How would the defeated party/person act toward you in the Commons, or

walking down the hall if you treated them respectfully and fair?”

VERSUS

“What if you rubbed the defeat in their face and were mean to them?”

- Teacher will distribute handouts to be read for next class session

“The Seeds of Evil: The Rise of Hitler”

“The German Reply”

“Hitler’s Speech”

Summative Evaluation:

-Opening of 3rd class session a Short Answer quiz covering:

#1 - R.A.W mnemonic devise used to evaluate the student’s knowledge of the facts of the

Treaty of Versailles and its effect on post World War I Germany. Students will also need

to include in their discussion an explanation (drawn from readings of the class blog and

presentations) the effects of the Treaty on the Central Powers other than Germany and the

motives and position of each of the “Big Four” countries in drawing up the terms of the

Treaty.

#2 - Discussion of the question posed at the end of the previous class evaluating the

attitude of one that has been defeated and how that relates to the hand-outs regarding

Hitler’s rise distributed for homework.

Adaptations:

-Adaptations should not be needed due to the make-up of the class. However, the teacher

will be available during class and via email to answer any questions either concerning the

material and/or technology.

References:

O’Brien, P.K., (1999). Philip’s Atlas of World History. London: George Philip Limited.

The Great War And the Shaping of the 20th

Century. Retrieved October 19, 2008. Web

site: http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/chapters/ch4_hatred.html

Great War Primary Documents Archive. Retrieved October 19, 2008. Web site:

http;//www.lib.byu.edu/rdh/wwi/1918/14points.html

The Great War: Evaluating the Treaty of Versailles. (2002). Retrieved October 19, 2008.

Web site: http;//edsitement.neh.gov/printable_lesson_plan.asp?id=424

Schools History. (2004). The Seeds of Evil: The Rise of Hitler. Retrieved October 19,

2008. Web site:

http;//www.schoolshistory.org.uk/ASLevel_History/week3_impactofwar.htm.