The Great War: World War I Then and Now

Week 1 From Start to Stalemate, Lesson 4

Lesson Title: Old Meets New: Modern Warfare on the Traditional Battlefield
Grade Level: 12 Time/Duration: 90 mins.
Lesson Overview: This lesson will cover the new weapons used in World War I. World War I
is considered the birth of modern warfare, so students will also be asked to discuss what
constitutes modern warfare and to compare and contrast the battlefields of WWI with previous
battlefields and future battlefields, such as those in World War II and beyond.
Standard(s): Tennessee US. 28, W.23, W.24, W.28, and W.29
Color Key:
Web Resources
Lecture Types
Instructional Models/Strategies/Pedagogical Resources
Primary Sources
Essential Questions:
What weapons did the WWI battlefield see the use of that previous battlefields had not?
How did modern technology impact the battlefield?
How did those technologies influence future conflicts?
How have these technologies been applied outside the battlefield?
Instructional Objectives:
1. Students will relate Historical Events to their own lives.
2. Students will compare and contrast the technology used during WWI with technology
used both before WWI and after WWI.
3. Students will analyze how technologies with purposes on the battlefield were appropriated
for everyday life following the war.
Academic Vocabulary:
Aviation
Barbed Wire
Biochemical Warfare
Biplane
Gas Masks

Gulf Wars
Korean War
Mustard Gas
Surveillance
Surveillance Balloon

Tank
Triplane
Vietnam War
World War II

Introduction:

Bell Ringer Have images of WWI-era planes, tanks, and gas masks projected on the
board. Ask students to write a quick 3-5 sentence paragraph about what ideas and/or
emotions these images evoke in their journals. After students have had time to complete

the bell ringer, briefly review the previous days lesson and answer any questions. (~1015 mins.)
Lesson Sequence:

Feedback Lecture Lecture for twenty minutes about the types of weapons used in
WWI with particular attention to the juxtaposition of outdated, traditional trench warfare
and the new, modern weapons used to fight the battles, such as planes, tanks, and
biochemical warfare (gas), highlighting the importance of each of the weapons to the
battlefield of WWI and how they differed from weapons available on previous
battlefields (Utilize PowerPoints and online resources, such as BBCs iWonder page on
Air Power during WWI: http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zgxhpv4 to provide students
with visual examples). Then split students into groups and give them twenty minutes to
answer various questions, such as How did tanks impact the warfare in WWI?, How
did airplanes impact the warfare of WWI?, How did biochemical warfare impact the
warfare of WWI?, How are these weapons similar to what was used in World War II
and on the battlefield today? How are they different than weapons used on the battlefield
in the past? Explain. After students reconvene, spend an additional twenty minutes and
discuss the questions and reiterate information from the first lecture, then add additional
information about how these weapons changed the face of future wars, such as World
War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf Wars, etc. Get students to provide
examples of weapons in each war that were similar to what was used in WWI and
examples of weapons that were different. Reiterate just how different WWI and the
following wars were from previous wars and how WWI was a turning point in warfare
the shift to modern warfare. (Total: ~60 mins.)

Closure:

Wrap Up ask students to look at what they wrote for their bell ringer and think about
how their answers might mirror the thoughts and feelings of politicians, world leaders,
soldiers, average citizens, etc. from all countries involved in the conflict. Also have them
think about why their answers might be different than the thoughts and feelings of those
same people (because of their modern viewpoint and familiarity with the idea of planes
and tanks on the battlefield and, in the case of the airplane, in their everyday lives). Have
them share their thoughts in an open class discussion. Then assign homework and close
out class. (~20 mins.)
Homework Pass out a packet of news articles, journal writings, letters, and other
primary source documents (appropriate excerpts to be taken from: http://
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/wright/reporter.html, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/
articles/PMC2376985/, http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/tank.htm, among others)
that illustrate reactions to the modern weapons used in WWI. Ask students to note in
their journals how their reactions are similar and different than the reactions in these
primary source documents. Then ask students to write their own short letter, news
article, etc. in response to one of the primary sources as a student in the 21st century.
Have them explain how a certain weapon has either proven to be good or bad over the

past 100 years, detailing various ways theyve been used both on and off the battlefield
where applicable.
Extension/Enrichment/Re-teach:
Extension: Students will be asked to extend their understanding of the information multiple
times throughout the lecture as they consider questions posed by the teacher. Students will
also be required to extend the historical information they are learning to their own lives in
personal and meaningful ways.
Enrichment: The lesson is designed so that students with various learning styles will be able
to engage with the content in a way that they feel comfortable information will be
disseminated both visually and orally. Graphic organizers will be available for those who
wish to use them. Those with learning and other disabilities can be easily accommodated
with various learning aids and additional help as necessary.
Re-teach: Re-teaching will take place every day at the start of the lecture, following the bell
ringer, so that students will be reminded of what was discussed the previous day. If
homework is assigned, as it is in this lesson, discussing it at the start of class the following
day will serve as a re-teaching element.
Evaluation/Assessment:
Informal Formative Assessments will take place throughout the lesson. As students engage
with the presented material through open discussion with the teacher and other students and
through specific questions asked throughout the lecture their responses, participation, and
engagement levels will be assessed by the teacher.
Formal Formative Assessment: Students will also be given a grade on the homework that
will be based on their level of engagement with the assignment and the quality of their
content.
Summative Assessment: Their journals will be collected at the end of the week and
responses to the in-class assignments will be reviewed. They will be given a grade based on
their engagement and the quality of their content.
Instructional Materials/Resources/Equipment:

Computer, premade PowerPoint, internet access, speakers.

BBCs iWonder page on Air Power during WWI and other visual and web resources
pertaining to WWI weaponry.
Packets of primary sources from various groups regarding reactions to modern weaponry
to pass out to students for the homework assignment
Graphic Organizers, such as a web diagrams or content mappers
White Board, markers, etc.