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Teacher(s) Paul Keene; Tyler Morningstar Subject group and course Group 3 IB History

Course part Route 2, Topic 1: Causes, practices and effects of wars SL or HL/Year 1 or 2 SL Year 1 Dates Sept 1–Oct 15
and topic

Unit description and texts DP assessment(s) for unit

This unit will examine the causes, practices and effects of war. Different Practice for Year 2 paper 2 exam
types of war will be identified and analysed. Specific war to study will
be the First World War in preparation for the paper 2 exam.

INQUIRY: establishing purpose of the unit

Transfer goals
List here one to three big, overarching, long-term goals for this unit. Transfer goals are the major goals that ask students to “transfer”, or apply, their
knowledge, skills, and concepts at the end of the unit under new/different circumstances, and on their own without scaffolding from the teacher.

IB Assessment Objective 2: Application and interpretation

a) Show awareness of different approaches to, and interpretations of, historical issues and events.
IB Assessment Objective 3: Synthesis and evaluation
a) Evaluate different approaches to, and interpretations of, historical issues and events;
b) Develop critical commentary using the evidence

Essential understandings

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 List here the key content/skills/concepts that students will know/develop by the end of the unit.

Students will know the following content:

Causes of the First World War
1. Students will be able to explain that the long-term causes of the First World War were (MAIN) militarism, alliances, imperialism,
industrialization and nationalism.
2. Students will be able to explain that the short-term causes of the First World War were the Bosnian Crisis of 1908, the Agadir Crisis of 1911, the
First and Second Balkan War 1912–13.
3. Students will be able to explain that the immediate causes of the First World War were the July Crisis of 1914 and the Assassination of Archduke
Franz Ferdinand.
Nature/practices of the First World War
4. Students will be able to discuss technological developments including tanks, U-boats, poison gas, machine guns; tactics and strategies on land and
sea, including trench warfare, aircraft bombings, civilian and industrial targets, unrestricted submarine warfare, blockades, and a multi front war
during the First World War.
5. Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the home front: economic and social impact including the changing role of women,
minorities at war and at work, food shortages, rationing, propaganda, government control of production and daily life during the war.
6. Students will be able to examine resistance and revolutionary movements including Serbia’s Black Hand, Belgian Resistance, French Resistance,
and the Bulgaria-Greece-Serbia Alliance against the Ottoman Empire.
Effects
7. Students will be able to evaluate Peace Settlements at the end of the First World War, including Paris Conference 1919–23 resulting in treaties of
Versailles, St Germain, Trianon, Neuilly, Sevres, Lausanne.
8. Students will be able to evaluate attempts at collective security including the League of Nations based on Wilson’s 14 Points.
9. Students will be able to explain political repercussions and territorial changes including the German War Guilt Clause 231, War Reparations,
Alsace Loraine, Saar, Rhineland, Polish Corridor.
10. Students will be able to identify post-war economic problems including inflation, the Depression, the Weimar Republic’s collapse.
Students will develop the following skills:
11. Students will be able to recall and select relevant historical knowledge.
12. Student will be able to demonstrate an understanding of historical context.
13. Students will be able to identify cause/effect and continuity/change.

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 14. Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to structure an essay answer.
Students will grasp the following concepts:
15. The past impacts the present and the future; understanding the causes of the First World War can lead to the prevention of future global conflict.
16. There are different points of view to every story; however, some perspectives have stronger justification/evidence which likely makes them more
valid or true.
17. The study of the First World War, and history in general, helps to development a sense of identity, defends us against propaganda and enriches
our understanding of human nature (Lagemaat, TOK).

Missed concepts/misunderstandings
List here likely misunderstandings students may have during the unit with relation to skills, content and concepts.

Content-based:
1. Student notion that the causes of the First World War were inevitable and that no alternatives in 1914 existed to policy makers; therefore, the war
could not have been avoided.
2. Students give primacy to immediate causes over longer term causes for war.
3. Student assumption that the war was entirely Germany’s fault.
Skills-based:
1. Students missed opportunity to reiterate thesis throughout the essay via topic sentences, explicitly restating the terms of the prompt.
2. Students missed opportunity to evaluate relative importance of short- and long-term causes of the First World Wat. Students render judgment.
Concept-based:
1. Student notion that history is a series of universally agreed upon facts to be memorized.
2. Student notion that there is one official narrative of the past that is superior to others.

Inquiry questions

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 List here the understandings above written in question form, preferably as ones that inspire students to answer them. Feel free to create additional questions
that help inspire further inquiry in the unit but may not directly connect to an above essential understanding.

Content-based:
1. What alternatives to war did the policy makers have prior to 1914?
2. In what ways were the long-term causes more significant than the immediate causes of the Great War?
3. Was Serbia/Russia/France/Britain/Austria-Hungary to blame for the war?
Skills-based:
1. Does each of my topic sentences clearly link to the thesis?
2. How does my work demonstrate mastery understanding of the prompt and the terms in the prompt?
3. Does my work satisfy the demands of the question? Explain.
4. Where in my work have I evaluated or made a judgment of something?
Concept-based:
1. What alternative narratives to the causes of war exist? Which one do you most agree with?
2. What “facts” about the first World War are in dispute?
3. Why do historians reach different conclusions on what caused the First World War? What are the strengths and limitations in the historians'
methodologies? (Rogers 37)
4. Can high casualty rates in war be justified?  What is an unacceptably high casualty figure? (Rogers 42)

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ACTION: teaching and learning through inquiry

Essential understanding goals Assessment of essential Learning process

understanding goals
Copy and paste the essential understanding goals from above “Inquiry” section. Check the boxes for any
Write a 1:1 matching assessment for all pedagogical approaches used
goals. Assessments should be labelled during the unit. Aim for a
formative (F) or summative (S). variety of approaches to help
facilitate learning.

Students will know the following content: Content-based: Lecture

Causes of the First World War Causes of the First World War Socratic seminar
1. Students will be able to explain that the long-term causes of the First 1. Online forum (F); Socratic Small group/pair work
World War were (MAIN) militarism, alliances, imperialism, seminar (F); paper 2 practice
industrialization and nationalism. (S) Powerpoint lecture/notes
2. Students will be able to explain that the short-term causes of the First 2. Quizlet (F);First World War Individual presentations
World War were the Bosnian Crisis of 1908, the Agadir Crisis of 1911, Jeopardy game (F)
the First and Second Balkan War 1912–13. 3. Key date mind map (F) Group presentations
3. Students will be able to explain that the immediate causes of the First Student lecture/leading
World War were the July Crisis of 1914 and the Assassination of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Nature/practice of the First World Interdisciplinary learning
War Details:
Nature/practices of the First World War
4. Photo essay (F)
4. Students will be able to discuss technological developments including Other/s:
5. Jane Schaffer paragraph (F)
tanks, U-boats, poison gas, machine guns; tactics and strategies on land
6. Graphic organizer (F);
and sea, including trench warfare, aircraft bombings, civilian and
simulation (F)
industrial targets, unrestricted submarine warfare, blockades, and a multi
front war during the First World War.
5. Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the home front:
economic and social impact including the changing role of women,
minorities at war and at work, food shortages, rationing, propaganda,
government control of production and daily life during the war.
6. Students will be able to examine resistance and revolutionary
movements including Serbia’s Black Hand, Belgian Resistance, French

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 Resistance, and the Bulgaria-Greece-Serbia Alliance against the
Ottoman Empire.
Effects
Effects
7. Google presentation (S)
7. Students will be able to evaluate Peace Settlements at the end of the First 8. League simulation (F)
World War, including Paris Conference 1919–23 resulting in treaties of 9. Map activity (F)
Versailles, St Germain, Trianon, Neuilly, Sevres, Lausanne. 10. Exit ticket (F)
8. Students will be able to evaluate attempts at collective security including
the League of Nations based on Wilson’s 14 Points.
9. Students will be able to explain political repercussions and territorial
changes including the German War Guilt Clause 231, War Reparations,
Alsace Loraine, Saar, Rhineland, Polish Corridor.
10. Students will be able to identify post-war economic problems including Skills-based:
inflation, the Depression, the Weimar Republic’s collapse. 11. Cornell notes (F); paper 2
Students will develop the following skills: practice (S)
12. Socratic seminar (F); paper 2
11. Students will be able to recall and select relevant historical knowledge. practice (S)
12. Student will be able to demonstrate an understanding of historical 13. Flow chart (F); Google
context. presentation (F); paper 2
13. Students will be able to identify cause/effect and continuity/change. practice (S)
14. Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to structure an essay 14. Outline (F); rough draft (F);
answer. paper 2 practice (S)
Students will grasp the following concepts: Concept-based:
15. The past impacts the present and the future; understanding the causes of 15. Simulation (F); Socratic
the First World War can lead to the prevention of future global conflict. seminar (F), presentation (F);
16. There are different points of view to every story; however, some paper 2 practice (S)
perspectives have stronger justification/evidence which likely makes 16. Simulation (F); Socratic
them more valid or true. seminar (F), presentation (F);
17. The study of the First World War, and history in general, helps to paper 2 practice (S)
development a sense of identity, defends us against propaganda and 17. Simulation (F); Socratic
enriches our understanding of human nature (Lagemaat, TOK). seminar (F), presentation (F);
paper 2 practice (S)

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 Resources

 20th Century IB History Companion, Oxford

 History 20th Century World: Causes, practices and effects of wars. Ed. Keely Rogers, Jo Thomas.  Pearson: London. 2010
 European History, TA Morris
 Johndclare.net
 Activehistory.co.uk
 Joyeaux Nöel - Film
 All Quiet on the Western Front – Film

Approaches to learning (ATL) Metacognition Differentiation:

Check the boxes for any explicit approaches to Check the boxes for any metacognitive approaches For more information on the IB’s approach to
learning connections made during the unit. For used that ask students to reflect on unit content, differentiation, please see the guide.
more information on ATL, please see the guide. their own skills, or unit concepts. For more
information on the IB’s approach to
metacognition, please see the guide.

Thinking Reflection on content Affirm identity—build self-esteem

Social Reflection on skills Value prior knowledge
Communication Reflection on concepts Scaffold learning
Self-management Details: Extend learning
Research Details:
Details:

Language and learning TOK connections CAS connections

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 Check the boxes for any explicit language and Check the boxes for any explicit TOK connections Check the boxes for any explicit CAS connections.
learning connections made during the unit. For made during the unit. If you check any of the boxes, provide a brief note
more information on the IB’s approach to in the “details” section explaining how students
language and learning, please see the guide. engaged in CAS for this unit.

Activating background knowledge Personal and shared knowledge Creativity

Scaffolding for new learning Ways of knowing Activity
Acquisition of new learning through practice Areas of knowledge Service
Demonstrating proficiency The knowledge framework Details:
Details: Details:

REFLECTION: Considering the planning, process and impact of the inquiry

What worked well What didn’t work well Notes/changes/suggestions:

 Rich historiographical material provided  Practice/course of the war is often  Watch the schedule. Stick to it. Spend less
students with a variety of historical overlooked due to time constraints and time on causes and get through the
perspectives. emphasis of social history of military material.
 Socratic seminars were successful due to strategy.  Require students to focus a little more on
ambiguity for assigning blame for start of  Resistance groups, role of women, four decisive battles in the course of the
the First World War. minorities and economic effect on the war.
home front not paid enough attention to.
 Focus on organization, knowledge and  Students had some difficulty managing  More regular knowledge-based quizzes to
time; they found it hard completing two

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 critical thinking. thorough essay responses in the time prep for paper 2.
 Timed paper 2 practice exam, which gave allotted for assessment.  Design lesson around command terms.
students an opportunity to get a look and Students must better know and understand
feel of the final IB exams. Students the specific demands of the question.
reported appreciating this authentic  Plan out readings for each class and unit
practice for finals. ahead of time.
 Include more knowledge-based
quizzes/tests prior to exam paper. We love
skills, however content must be mastered
before a careful and critical thought can
occur.

Transfer goals
List the transfer goals from the beginning of this unit planner.

IB Assessment Objective 2: Application and interpretation

b) Show awareness of different approaches to, and interpretations of, historical issues and events.
IB Assessment Objective 3: Synthesis and evaluation
c) Evaluate different approaches to, and interpretations of, historical issues and events;
d) Develop critical commentary using the evidence

Transfer reflection
How successful were the students in achieving the transfer goals by the end of the unit?

Overall, we were pleased with our students’ ability to meet the unit’s goals. This was their best exhibition of historiographical knowledge. Students were
largely able to present the views of several noted historians and their conflicting interpretations of the causes of the First World War. The work of Fritz
Fischer was a favourite. Students also performed well in offering their own commentary on the issue; however, a stronger knowledge base for evidence,
particularly with respect to course of the war, resistance movements, role of women and economic effects was needed in paper 2. Furthermore, within student
commentary, we would like to see improvement in evaluation of significant issues and events.

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