WWI- should we blame Germany for WWI

Who’s it for: This lesson was designed for Year 9 pupils who were examining the causation of WWI. This is the last of 3 lessons these pupils had on the causation of WWI (the two previous lesson are also on TES). In this lesson, pupils apply their knowledge of the short-term and long-term causes by analysing the extent to which Germany should be blamed for WWI. Accordingly, Year 9 pupils, in this lesson, have the opportunity to enter the historiographical debate behind WWI’s causation at a high-level
What’s included: 1 lesson plan, 1 lesson PowerPoint, 1 worksheet which contains the different causes of WWI (not a fully exhaustive list otherwise pupils will have content overload).
Within the PowerPoint is the zones of relevance (slide 12). This should be printed off for pupils. They then write on the zones of relevance where the different factors behind the causation of WWI should go.
1 piece of textbook reading is used from Making Sense of History 1901-Present Day, pp. 12-13 (due to copyright reasons, this is not included within the lesson. You can buy this book from the internet)
Why it’s useful: Pupils, in this lesson, come up with their own unique interpretations of what the main causes of WWI were. This happens through what is called the zones of relevance at the end of the lesson. It’s highly recommended way in which pupils can progress their historical thinking in causation.
This lesson goes beyond most KS3 lessons for the causation of WWI as it examines the idea that some historians have blamed different countries for WWI. Accordingly, the lesson produces some heated historiographical debate amongst students.
Learning objectives:
By the end of the lesson:
Pupils improve evidential skills using source analysis here.
Pupils will understand how people have different perspectives of history
Pupils will observe that through the examination of evidence, historians can be proved wrong
Pupils will be able to argue in greater depth why WWI happened,
Differentiation opportunities: Tips are provided within the lesson plan