Topic title: Should WW1 be called ‘The Great War?’

Year group: 8

When taught: June to July

What are we learning?

  • The long-term causes of WW1: imperialism/ nationalism/ militarism and pre WW1 alliances;
  • The trigger that started WW1: the assassination of Franz Ferdinand;
  • How these causes are interlinked and how to develop evaluation of causation;
  • The reasons why so many men volunteered for the war;
  • Why trench life has become so associated with the horror of war;
  • How different parts of society were affected by war – including a local case study;
  • The contribution of soldiers from different parts of the British Empire and how they were treated;
  • The consequences of war on Germany.

Why is this important to know? 

  • WW1 is one of the most important events in world history. It is important to understand the causes of such an event and how it links back to our previous learning about the 19th century;
  • Develops our ability to analyse causes and evaluate their importance;
  • An understanding of the scale and impact that WW1 had on society is critical;
  • It is difficult to understand the causes of WW2 without understanding the impact that WW1 had on European societies.

Where does this link into our past and future learning? 

  • Significant links to the British Empire and the concept of imperialism/tensions caused by 19th century expansion of European empires;
  • Understanding about how to write about causation and consider the links between causes;
  • Links to our understanding of nationalism and patriotism discussed during OUR study of the British Empire;
  • Concepts of political change -democracy/ franchise/ etc are important to understand when learning about the inter-war dictators and causes of WW2 in year 9.

How will we be assessed on this topic?

  • The end of topic assessment will begin with a ten minute knowledge test (including some multiple choice questions, some non multiple-choice questions, a chronology task and a key word task).

What makes a strong piece of work in this topic?  What are teachers hoping to see?  

  • Attention to detail and use of specific examples;
  • Consistently using key terms studied in an appropriate way;
  • Giving balanced answers that look at different viewpoints;
  • At the highest level, pupils will start to write about how different causes are linked and will evaluate their importance over the short and long term/ extent etc.
  • Will begin to explore how different historians might have different views due to their own backgrounds and contexts.

What key words are there in this topic?

Quizlet, click here

Quizlet 2, click here

What can I try if I want to stretch and challenge myself on this topic?

  • Find out what was happening in other countries across the world. We look at soldiers from the British Empire but what happened to soldiers from the French or German empires?
  • Read some historical fiction: Some ideas are highlighted below.
  • Talk to your family and conduct some of your own family history. Use the War Graves Commission to search for family members who have served and died in the armed forces: https://www.cwgc.org/
  • Make sure you are on the Battlefields trip!

What wider reading can be done on this topic?

There is a whole range of historical fiction on WW1. Below are a few ideas available from the library:

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque: click here

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks: click here

Regeneration by Pat Barker: click here

Recommended non-fiction:

Somme 1916 by Andrew Robertshaw: click here

To End all Wars: the graphic anthology: click here

Europe goes to War 1914 by Max Hastings: click here

1914-18: The History of the First World War by David Stevenson

The Western Front: A History of the First World War by Nick Lloyd

The Sleepwalkers: How Europe went to war in 1914 by Christopher Clark

Supporting document/links:

Students will be given a knowledge organiser at the end of the topic to revise for the end of topic assessment.