Turning Points of WWI

 

As I'm sure I've mentioned on this blog before, the sheer abundance of content that needs to be taught in Modern History can be a tad overwhelming. One of the challenges of the mandatory First World War topic is that we need to teach the skill of source analysis alongside the dot points outlined in the syllabus, all whilst selecting information from the wealth of sources on WWI out there. 

Usually by the time I get to teaching the 'turning points' section of the HSC Modern History syllabus I've already explicitly covered trench warfare, the home fronts, and a fair deal of source analysis. This means that I often feel like it's time for a more student-directed or project-based approach. But bfore I get to that, it's still necessary to ensure that students have a strong base knowledge of the three major turning points of the war:

1. The withdrawal of the Russians from the war.
2. The entry of the U.S. into the war.
3. Ludendorff's Spring Offensive.

While doing this, it's hard not to feel like one is getting bogged down in delivering the content to the students in the same way, over and over again. I get very conscious that I'm boring the Year 12s, so I try very hard to introduce a variety of ways in which they can interact with the information, summarise it, re-contextualise it, and show their comprehension of it.

Without belabouring my thinking too much in this blog, here's the resource itself: Turning Points of WWI. It's a booklet that covers each of the three turning points (the second of which is accompanied by a PPT: The USA and WWI) and ends with four project options that students must choose from to show that they've understood what's come beforehand. 

Further explanation of the booklet:

1. The section on Russia's withdrawal from the war features a cause-and-effect graphic representation that students must re-interpret into a timeline. After that, they can then make a judgement call about which factor they think was the biggest influence on Russia's decision.
2. The U.S.A. section requires students to take notes from the PowerPoint, sorting the information into three columns: USA before the war, Reasons for USA's entry into the war, and Impact of USA on the war. 
3. Ludendorff's Spring Offensive is covered in a more straightforward fashion, with students reading notes and observing the map before answering two questions about Ludendorff's intentions and the overall effectiveness of the plan.
4. The final page features the four project options
1. Create an A3 timeline of all the Turning Points that incorporates symbols and images to show understanding.
2. Write an essay addressing the question, To what extent was the entry of the U.S. into the First World War the deciding factor for Allied Victory?
3. Design a full colour 1917 propaganda poster that deals with one of these ideas:
1. German point of view: Why the U.S. should not be involved in the war.
2. U.S. point of view: Why the U.S. should be involved in the war.
3. Russian point of view: Why Russia should not be involved in the war.
4. Create a PPT presentation to show the rest of the class. This presentation should outline each of the major turning points plus include your opinion about which turning point was the most significant/important.