Unit 6:  Stars and Stripes Forever
A Unit on World War I

Topic 2:  "It Begins!"

Lesson Module 8
Win, Lose, or Draw

~  ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY  ~
Delivery of the Daily Mission & Challenges

Lesson Mission

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The Lesson Mission is what you (the student) will be able to do after the lesson is over.  

I can describe the major battles of World War I.

Lesson Challenges

The lesson mission is made up of all the day's challenges.  The challenges are the activities that you will complete to achieve the lesson outcomes.  The challenges for this lesson are:
Challenge 1:  The Focus Activity - "Tackle Important Vocabulary & Animated Map:  The Western Front 1914 - 1918"
Challenge 2:  The Teaching Activity - "Hack Through the Class Reading" - "Title This" 
Challenge 3:  The Small Group Activity - Battle for Understanding:  WWI Amazing Race - The Battles Of World War I
Challenge 4:  The Individual Activity - Prove Yourself Quiz

~  CHALLENGE 1  ~
Teaching Activity - Tackle Important Vocabulary

In this activity, you will listen as I explain the important vocabulary words and maps of the lesson.  Then, you will type your definitions and answer questions about the maps into your Lesson 7 Portfolio.  Download the template below to get started.  Then, save it as Lesson 7 in your World War I Portfolio on your desktop.

Interactive Map 

Click on the map icon below.  We will do this interactive as a class.

~  CHALLENGE 2  ~
Whole Group Activity - Hack Through The Reading

In this activity, we will take turns reading the following as a class.  Then, you will answer question about the reading in PQA format in your Desktop Portfolio for Lesson 7.  You will add this into the document that you download from above in Challenge 1.  Remember to save it as Lesson 7 in your World War I Portfolio on your desktop after you add Challenge 2.

TITLE THIS!

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The fighting in the "Great War" or the "War to End All Wars" as it was then called, began in Belgium.  On August 5, 1914, German forces marched in to this neutral country to attack France from the north.  Their plan was to have 320,000 men move in and take control of the city of Liege, which offered the best point of attack for the rest of the country.  What they did not plan for however, was that Liege was circled by twelve heavily armed forts.  
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The first attack came at night on August 5 with about 30,000 men.  After intense fighting, the Germans sustained heavy casualties but made little progress.  This surprised the confident Germans, who called in Zeppelins (or blimps) to drop bombs into the cry and between the forts.  Although they were greatly outnumbered and had far fewer and less advanced weapons than the Germans, the Belgian army held them off for 12 days!  This was much longer than the German commanders had expected!
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When the forts finally fell to the Germans, the Belgian commander, General Gerard Leman was carried out wounded and unconscious.  He was taken as a prisoner of war to Germany where he remained until 1918.  While on his way to Germany, Leman wrote to the King of Belgium detailing the fall of Liege.  He praised the bravery of his men and sadly reported:

"I am physically shattered by the explosion.... In Germany, whither I am proceeding, my  thoughts will be, as they have never been, of Belgium and the King.  I would have willingly given my life the better to serve them, but death was denied me."

Challenge 2 Question


1.  What would a good title for this passage be?
     a.)  Brave Little Belgium
     b.)  The Belgian Army
     c.)  Very Important Prisoner
     d.)  A Great German Victory

2.  Which sentence BEST explains the war's name at the time 
     it was fought?
     a.)  Everyone knew there would never be another war.
     b.)  The Germans were expected to win a rapid victory.
     c.)  No one knew there would soon be a second world war.
     d.)  Belgium had never been invaded because it was 
            neutral.


3.)  The tone of Leman's letter could be described as ________.
     a.)  grateful
     b.)  proud
     c.)  regretful
     d.)  frightened


4.)  We can infer from this passage that the Germans were 
      surprised because they didn't _____________________.
     a.)  know there would be twelve armed forts to capture.
     b.) expect it to take so long to take control go Liege.
     c.)  know they would need zeppelins to take Leige.
     d.)  expect to take the Belgian General prisoner.

~  CHALLENGE 3  ~
Small Group Activity - Battle for Understanding

WWI Amazing Race - The Battles Of World War I 

Welcome to the World War I Amazing Race!
In this activity, you will work with your small groups to compete in a scavenger hunt.  Your goal is to use the icons below to find the major events and the outcomes of each battle.  You will add this to your desktop portfolio by filling in the graphic organizer portion under the Challenge 3 section.  Everyone fills this out even though your group will research together.  I suggest dividing up the research by having one person research one battle then sharing what you have found with the rest of your group.  Some of you will have to research two.  The first group where every group member has correctly and completely filled out the graphic organizer wins the race - but everyone places.  You must all FINISH the race.
Points will be assigned by the following:
(Graphic organizer must be finished completely and correctly for these points)

First Place - 100 Points
Second Place - 98 Points
Third Place - 96 Points
Fourth Place - 94 Points
Fifth Place - 92 Points
Sixth Place - 90 Points

Conclusion to Challenge 3

Click on the Conclusion icon to the right to see the conclusion to Challenge 3.  Do not click on it until told to do so.

~  CHALLENGE 4  ~
Individual Activity - Prove Yourself 

In this activity, you will answer the questions in a short quiz to prove that you have accomplished the Lesson 7 Mission.  You may take this quiz as many times as you like.  Click on the icon below to take the quiz.  Try not to use your notes.

 ~  MISSION ACCOMPLISHED  ~
Lesson 7:  Win, Lose or, Draw Checklist

Challenges for Topic 2 Lesson 7

  • Did you complete and save Challenge 1:  The Focus Activity - Tackle Vocabulary and Animated Maps in your Lesson 7 Desktop Portfolio?
  • Did you complete and save Challenge 2:  The Teaching Activity - Hack through the Class Reading Questions "Title This" in your Lesson 7 Desktop Portfolio?
  • Did you complete and save Challenge 3:  The Small Group Activity - Research Project - The Battles Of World War I in your Lesson 7 Desktop Portfolio?
  • Did you complete and save Challenge 4:  The Individual Activity - Prove Yourself Quiz Questions online and submit?

No?

Why Not?   
Get It Done Today!

Yes!

Congratulations!  Victory is yours!  
You have completed the Topic 2 Lesson 7 Mission!

Tool Box

People To Know

General Gerard Leman:  Belgian commander who was taken prisoner after Germany took Liege and wrote a letter to the King of Belgium praising the bravery of the out-numbered Belgian soldiers

Vocabulary To Know

Any vocabulary words that you are not tested on or have already had in a previous lesson are at the bottom under other things to know.  
casualties:  the numbers of people that died, were wounded, captured, or missing in action in an act of terror, battle, or war.

resistance:  the attempt to stop invading military forces.

offensive:  refers to the invading forces; attempt to take over another place using military force.

Zeppelin:  blimps that dropped bombs in World War I

Places To Know

Germany
France
Great Britain
Russia
Belgium
World War I Maps
 Click on the icon below to see interactive maps by The Map as History Website.

Events To Know

1914:  
German Invasion of Belgium
World War I Timelines
 Click on the icon below to see interactive timelines by The History Place Website.

Other Things to Know

Two Sides formed in World War I:

The Allies
France
Great Britain
Russia

The Central Powers
Germany
Austria - Hungary
Ottoman Empire

Note about Italy
Italy was in the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria - Hungary, but when it entered the war joined the side of the Allies.

Note about Russia
Russia withdrew from the war in 1918 when the royal family was killed and civil war began.  Russia signed a treaty with Germany in Brest Litovsk (now Belarus) ending the war on the Eastern Front.

Note about the U.S.
The U.S. did not enter the war until 1917 after Germans sunk the Lusitania - a British passenger ship that was carrying Americans.
More Info:
Can't get enough about World War I.  Click on the icon below to visit an interactive website by PBS called, The Great War.
Click on the BBC icon below to go to a really cool site with games, timelines, inter actives, and stories!
Click on the first world war.com icon below to learn about all things World War I!