MAIN Causes of World War I (WWI) Stations Activity (PDF and Google Docs Formats)

This NO PREP stations activity presents descriptions of the causes of WWI with visually appealing photos, political cartoons, maps, graphs, etc. The resource is available in both PDF and Google Docs formats! This activity will help to increase student growth using an engaging and effective method!

Each station of this NO PREP activity contains a description of one of the causes of WWI. After completing this lesson, students will understand how tensions in Europe led to widespread and rapid warfare.

Students will examine each of the following topics:

1 – The War To End All Wars

2 – Militarism

3 – Alliances

4 – Imperialism

5 – Nationalism

6 – The Spark: Assassination

Each station contains a brief description, along with visually appealing photos, maps, charts, political cartoons, etc. The lesson is easily adaptable to fit your teaching style. The following methods have proven to be the most successful in my classroom:

1. Go Virtual! Included directions for teachers make implementing the digital activity a breeze.

- Students individually examine all station passages and complete the corresponding Google Docs worksheet (with pre-inserted text answer boxes for increased ease of use) and submit through Google Classroom. You can also assign the worksheet to a group of students and allow them to work together virtually to complete the assignment.

2. Hang the information sheets around the class and have students rotate to each sheet.

- This is my favorite because it gets students up and moving. You can assign the worksheet that accompanies this activity, or simply have them summarize each topic as they rotate.

3. Split the students into groups and assign one sheet per group. Have the students read the information sheet and prepare to present the information to the rest of the class.

- I assign a number to each group member (number the first group, then start back at 1 for the next group, so that you have multiple 1’s, 2’s, etc. throughout the class) and after students have had adequate time to prepare I tell them all the 2’s are presenting. This method motivates students because they don’t know which group member is presenting until it is time to present.

4. Form groups of 6 and have the students pass around the information sheets.

- I’ve found the best approach for this method is to give students a set amount of time and then have all students pass their sheets to the right when told.

The versatility of this activity allows for several culminating assessments. Typically, once students have completed one of the methods above, I have them pick which cause they believe had the largest impact on the start of the war, and write a brief defense for the topic they picked. Then, I conduct a debate in which students can defend their choice. Another option is to have students write a journal entry from the point of view of a European citizen during pre-war tensions. I encourage them to include as much information from the stations as possible.

I hope you and your students enjoy this activity. Please let me know if you have anyquestions or concerns!

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This resource is part of an amazing World War I UNIT BUNDLE!

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