Introduction
In this lesson you will be completing a web-quest activity in small groups of 4, where you will ‘think like historians’ and gather information and sources to explore a topic in history.
A web-quest requires you to use a series of websites to complete questions, and a task at the end.
Task
For this task, you will be undertaking a historical investigation into one particular attitude developed towards the war in either Britain or Germany, as indicated by your teacher.
You will research this attitude through exploring and analysing primary and secondary sources on the internet, and will include these in a PowerPoint presentation, or other form of multimedia, to present to the rest of your peers.
Your presentation must be no more than 2 minutes, and you will present these in the last 10-12 minutes of the lesson. Each group member must orally communicate their understanding as extrapolated from this source-based activity.
This is the list of attitudes each group will explore include:
- Enthusiasm and excitement for the war
- Beginning of an awareness of the horrors of war
- Awareness of the reality and tragedy of the war
- Fear towards the war
- Peace movements and increasing pacifist sentiment in reaction to war
Process
Step 1: Research your particular attitude towards the war (Computer research)
You have just received your chosen attitude to study. As a group, choose either Germany or Britain as your main focus area. The online web-quest will include a list of links to consider:
BRITAIN:
http://hsc.csu.edu.au/modern_history/core_study/ww1/poetry/page133.htm
http://www.firstworldwar.warpoetry.co.uk/
http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/photographs/
https://www.pbs.org/greatwar/historian/
GERMANY:
http://www.firstworldwar.warpoetry.co.uk/
http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/germanyduringww1.htm
https://www.pbs.org/greatwar/historian/
Each group member must contribute to this task. Each group member must research for various primary and secondary sources that explore this particular attitude towards the war. This may include photographs, propaganda, poetry, newspaper clippings, etc., (primary), and pieces of academic literature or historiography (secondary).
Each student must offer ONE source to the group; you will need 4 different types of primary and secondary sources for your presentation. Gather the best 4 sources you have located.
Step 2: Source-analyses (group work)
As a group, you are to engage in a historical source-based analysis of your four sources. You are to explore the following historical questions in your analyses, and compile notes on each source. This will be utilised in your peer presentations, so ensure each student has notes to use in the speech:
You will need to engage in source analyses of each source through asking:
- what is the source
- author
- date
- historical context
- intended audience
- purpose of creation/motive
- view or perspective of the source
- how the point of view shapes the source
- what it contributes to the attitude you are studying)
Step 3: Historical Reasoning activity
Individually, consider each source. Consider what they offer in terms of information regarding your particular attitude towards the war. Discuss with your peers the following questions to be included in your presentation:
- when did this perspective develop (what time period? What were the historical events occurring around this time?)
- how did this perspective develop (what was the nature of its development? Was it widespread at this time? Who held these views?)
- why did this perspective develop (what conditions/forces contributed to it? Account for the development of this attitude towards the war)
Step 4: Compile your sources into a brief multimedia presentation
Once you have completed the historical reasoning and source analysis activities, create a power-point presentation including your four sources (include dates and relevant information), and you may include brief notes on the slides though this is not essential.
It is expected that you are able to communicate your understanding effectively in this task. Decide in your group who will be talking about which source, and what you will include in your speeches.
Evaluation
Step 5: Presenting your work
You will then present your work to the class. Ensure it is brief, and that you cover the main aspects of the source in general, and the 3 focus questions you discussed in your historical reasoning activity.
Conclusion
HOMEWORK ACTIVITY:
For homework, you are to critically reflect on your chosen attitude to the war.
Your task is to compose a short speech, taking on the perspective of an individual who would hold this view; this speech would be delivered in a public forum during WW1.
Consider the time and place of your speech in relation to your particular attitude. Discuss your views towards the war, including links to particular forces (inflation, starvation, horrors on the home front) that would have contributed to the development of your particular attitude.