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.