The Use of EMI in History teaching for S3 Topic: Causes of World War I
Learning objectives:
Subject content Language skills (Reading and Writing) 1. Underlying causes of WWI
2. Immediate cause of WWI 3. Outbreak of WWI
1. Vocabulary building in history context
2. Writing from a sentence to a short paragraph and then an essay 3. Active and passive voice
4. Signal words of purpose, cause and effect and sequence signal words
Task 1: Identify the underlying causes of WWI Read the passage and do the exercises that follow.
World War One occurred due to many causes. The causes could be classified into the underlying and immediate causes.
The underlying causes were: imperialism, militarism, nationalism and alliance system.
Imperialism
Africa and parts of Asia were points of contention among the European countries.
They wanted to get more land and raw materials. The increasing competition and desire for greater empires led to an increase in confrontation and this kind of colonial rivalry helped push the world into World War I.
Militarism
As the world entered the 20th century, an armament race had begun. Britain and Germany were against one another. The German Kaiser ordered the production of new Dreadnought-class battleships. This created more tension between the two nations and helped push the countries involved to war.
Extreme Nationalism
In the late 19th century, extreme nationalism was popular among European countries. Different races strived for national glory. It resulted in conflicts when there was a clash of different nationalist movements.
Alliance System
Within Europe, a system of military alliances was established to provide European powers with a sense of security. Two rival alliances were formed. They were the Triple Alliance consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy and the Triple Entente consisting of Britain, France and Russia. As a result of Germany’s build-up in naval resources, Great Britain was forced to abandon its isolation policy.
Immediate cause
The immediate cause was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28th June 1914. The assassination occurred during the Archduke's visit to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, provided support through a telegram to Emperor Franz Joseph II. This telegram is known today as the "Blank Cheque." It was this reassurance that prompted Austria to declare war on Serbia, which set off a chain reaction of conflicts. Germany was also held responsible for causing the outbreak of WWI because of this. A harsh ultimatum was issued to Serbia. Austria-Hungary gave Serbia 48 hours to reply. Serbia agreed to all terms of the ultimatum but one.
Outbreak of the War
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia got involved to defend Serbia.
Germany, seeing Russia mobilizing, declared war on Russia. France was then drawn in against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Germany attacked France through Belgium pulling Britain into war.
A Match the vocabulary in Column A with the meaning in Column B
Column A answers Column B
Alliance C A. friendly understanding
Armament G B. cruel, rough
Assassination L C. state of being joined
Colonial rivalry O D. being accountable for one’s actions or decisions
Declare H E. direct reason
Entente A F. group of people with a common
culture, language, history
Harsh B G. weapons
Immediate cause E H. make known clearly
Imperialism K I. devotion and loyalty to one’s own nation
Isolation N J. become ready for service or action Militarism P K. the policy of extending power and influence of a country/empire in the world
Mobilize J L. killing of an important or famous person for money or political reasons
Nationalism I M. background of an event
Race F N. keeping somebody or something
from other people or things
Responsible D O. the competition in getting more land
Ultimatum Q P. believing in or depending on military strength and methods Underlying causes M Q. final demands to be accepted
without discussion
B. Crossword puzzle (using the vocabulary in the above passage) Read the instructions below and complete the puzzle.
Across
3 Sarajevo Assassination was the _____ cause of WWI.
4 Archduke Ferdinand was killed in this _____.
5 Usually, if a country wants to have war with another country, she has to _____ war on that country first.
6 After the Sarajevo Assassination, Austria-Hungary sent an _____ to Serbia.
9 A word used to describe someone who is unkind.
10 In 1904, Britain and France had an agreement in the form of an _____.
11 Under the influence of _____, European countries looked for overseas colonies.
14 The Triple _____ was a kind of union between members.
Down
1 _____ was one of the causes of WWI. Peoples wanted to have their own country or to govern themselves.
2 Britain was a _____ empire with a lot of colonies all over the world.
7 To understand the causes of WWI, we have to look into the _____ and immediate causes.
8 _____ encouraged a country to build up arms.
12 To support their allies, the European countries _____ their military force
after the Sarajevo Assassination.
13 Bismarck started the Alliance system because he wanted to keep France in _____.
ANSWERS
13
I S
O 1
L N 2
A 14 A L L I A N C E
T T O
3 I M M E D I A T E L
O O O 12
N N N M
4 A S S A S S I N A T I O N
L A B
I 5 D E C L A R E I
7 S 8 L
6 U L T I M A T U M I
N I Z
D L E
E I D
9 H A R S H 10 E N T E N T E
L A
Y R
11 I M P E R I A L I S M
N S
G M
C. Mind map showing the underlying causes of WWI
Complete the mind map by using the information from the passage and reference book.
Suggested answers
Task 2: Show how nationalism led to conflicts among the powers
Europe after 1870
Fill in the name of the country with the information provided.
Country Description
Britain A strong industrial power
A strong navy
In keen competition with Germany in naval build-up
Trying to end her isolation
Germany Defeating France in the Franco-Prussian War
Being afraid of French revenge after 1871
Having conflict with Britain and France
France Being defeated in 1871 by Germany
Looking for allies in Europe in order to take revenge on Germany
Italy Expanding overseas especially in Africa
Having conflict with France in North Africa
Seeking allies
Austria- Hungary
A multi-racial empire
Looking for expansion in the Balkans
In conflict with Serbia because of her expansion
Facing national minority problem
Balkan states
Being ruled by the Ottoman Empire
Having conflicts with one another because of racial and religious differences
Attracting the interests of European powers
Russia Looking for warm water port
Supporting Pan-Slav movement
Looking for expansion in the Balkans
Write a topic sentence for the information in this table.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
e.g. Nationalism was one of the underlying causes of WWI because each country looked for their own interests.
Language focus:
. Use of active/passive voice
Complete the sentence in column A with the correct choice from Column B.
Column A Column B
1. Britain _____ to end her isolation
a. tried b
.
was tried
2. France _____ by Germany in the Franco- Prussian War
a. defeated b
.
was defeated
3. Italy _____ overseas especially in Africa.
a. expanded b
.
was expanded
4. Austria-Hungary _____ for expansion in the Balkans.
a. looked b
.
was looked
5. The Balkan states _____ by the Ottoman Empire.
a. ruled b
.
was ruled
6. Russia _____ the Pan-Slav Movement.
a. supported b
.
was supported
7. Archduke Franz Ferdinand _____ in Sarajevo.
a. assassinated b
.
was assassinated
8. Two rival alliances _____ before WWI.
a. formed b
.
were formed
9. WWI _____ in 1914.
a. broke out b
.
was broke out
10 .
The Triple Entente _____ of Britain, France and Russia.
a. made up b
.
was made up
Write two sentences, one using active voice and the other using passive voice, on one of the causes of the First World War.
e.g. Bismarck started the Alliance System. (Active Voice) OR The Alliance System was started by Bismarck. (Passive Voice) The Alliance System was one of the causes of the First World War.
(Topic Sentence)
a. ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
B. Use of signal words of purpose (in order to/to/so that) Re-arrange the following words into a complete sentence.
1. the colonies / European countries / fought / in order to control / among themselves
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. with one another / themselves / European countries / allied / in order to protect
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. resources / European countries / to get / raced / land and
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. Austria / to fight against / Serbia / Russia / supported
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
5. strengthened / so that / protect themselves / European countries / they could / their military force
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
6. Germany / she could / looked for ally / take revenge on / France / so that ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
7. The Balkan states / the Ottoman Empire / rule themselves / break away from / so that / tried to / they could
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
8. the Alliance System / isolate France / started / Germany / so that / she could
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Write two sentences, one using ‘in order to / to’ and the other using ‘so that’, on one of the causes of the First World War. (With reference to P.7)
e.g. Russia expanded in the Balkans in order to look for warm water port.
Nationalism was one of the causes of the First World War.
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
Task 3: Show how alliance system led to conflicts among the powers A. Map work
Use colour to show the opposing European countries at the outbreak of World War I. Write down the names of the countries.
Suggested answer
Write short sentences for each treaty signed to show how the 2 opposing camps were formed.
Instructions:
You may use active / passive voice and the signal words of purpose to write the sentences.
1879
The formation of Two
1894Dual Alliance
Armed Camps
Franco-Russian Alliance 1882
Triple Alliance
1904 Entente Cordiale
1907
Anglo-Russian Entente 1907
Triple Entente
1. In 1879, Austria-Hungary and Germany made an alliance to protect themselves from Russia.
2. In 1882, Germany and Austria-Hungary made an alliance with Italy to stop Italy from taking sides with Russia.
3. In 1894, Russia formed an alliance with France to protect herself against Germany and Austria-Hungary.
4. In 1904, France and Britain signed the Entente Cordiale between them.
5. In 1907, the Anglo-Russian Entente was signed between Britain and Russia.
6. In 1907, the Triple Entente was signed between Russia, France and Britain to counter the German threat.
B. Cartoon (A chain of friendship)
Write short sentences to show how the allies supported each other, using the information from this cartoon, the table below and the above exercise.
Source: The cartoon 'A chain of friendship', published in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 1914.
Complete the table below
What did the powers do on the eve of the First World War?
Countries The First World War
Germany
Hint:
1879 - Germany and Austria-Hungary;
(What did Germany do after the Sarajevo Assassination?)
Austria Hint:
(What did Austria do after the Sarajevo Assassination?)
Russia Hint:
(Russia being the leader of Slav race)
France Hint:
1894 - Russia and France
Britain
Hint:
1907
Reaction to Germany in 1914 Suggested answers
Countries The First World War
Germany Unlimited support to Austria; declared war on Russia;
attacked France through Belgium
Austria Declared war on Serbia
Russia Mobilized army to help Serbia
France Mobilized army to support Russia
Britain Joined the war to support its allies
Short writing exercise on the impact of Alliance System
Use the signal words ‘to / in order to’ and ‘so that’ to complete the exercise e.g. Russia mobilized her army to help Serbia.
1. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Task 4: Show how colonial rivalry led to conflicts among the powers
Below is a table showing the conflicts among the powers before WWI.
Britain France Germany Italy Russia
Britain Egypt, Sudan East Africa Persia, Afghanistan
France Morocco Tunisia
Germany Italy Russia
The situation of Africa before 1914
Write short sentences about their struggle for colonies. Use the information provided in the table and map above. (cause and effect)
e.g. Britain and Germany had interests in East Africa, so/as a result they had conflict over the areas in East Africa.
1. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Suggested answers
France and Italy had interests in North Africa, so / as a result they had conflict over Tunisia.
France and Germany had interests in North Africa, so / as a result they had conflict over Morocco.
Britain and France had interests in North Africa, so / as a result they had conflict over Egypt and Sudan.
Britain and Russia had interests in in Middle East and Far East, so / as a result they had conflict over Persia and Afghanistan.
France and Germany had conflict in Morocco so / as a result it led to Moroccan Crisis.
France and Germany nearly came to a war in order to / to control Morocco.
Task 5: Show how militarism led to conflicts among the powers
Study the Sources A and B below and find out how militarism led to conflicts among the powers.
Source A
A British cartoon published in the early 20th century, entitled “The Marine Painters of England and Germany”.
* Uncle Edward: King Edward VII of England
* William: Kaiser William (Wilhelm) II of Germany
Source B
Armaments race
In the early 20th century, most powers thought military action was the best way to safeguard national interests. The amount of army and navy showed how strong a country was. The powers increased their military expenditure. This intensified the armaments race. Britain and Germany built dreadnoughts to make themselves even stronger.
The armaments race did not give the powers a stronger sense of security. It made the international situation tenser and increased the possibility of the outbreak of war.
1. According to Source A, what did William want to do?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. According to Source A, what was Uncle Edward’s reaction? (Quote from the source and then rewrite in your own words)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. Identify the underlying cause of WWI. Explain your answer with reference to the 2 Sources.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. How did the underlying cause you identified in question 3 lead to the outbreak of the First World War? Explain your answer with reference to Sources A and B?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Suggested Answers
1. According to Source A, what did William want to do?
William wanted to build Dreadnought
2. According to the Source A, what was Uncle Edward’s reaction? (Quote from the source and then rewrite in your own words)
Uncle Edward said, “Your little marine masterpiece is too ambitious; keep it as a study.” Edward VII was unhappy with William’s plan for this would challenge England’s naval supremacy.
3. Identify the underlying cause of WWI. Explain your answer with reference to the 2 Sources.
The 2 Sources showed how militarism led to conflicts among the powers.
Source A showed that Germany wanted to challenge England’s naval supremacy by building the dreadnoughts. Source B showed the results of armaments race.
4. How did the underlying cause you identified in question 3 lead to the outbreak of the First World War? Explain your answer with reference to Sources A and B?
The building of dreadnoughts by Germany intensified the armaments race as shown in Source A. Source B explained that the armaments race did not give the powers a stronger sense of security. It made the international situation tenser and increased the possibility of the outbreak of war.
Task 6: Write a short paragraph about any ONE of the underlying causes 1. Complete the table below
2. Use the information in the table to help you write a short paragraph about any one of the underlying causes. (Remember to start with a topic sentence.) (cause and effect)
e.g. Extreme nationalism was one of the underlying causes of WWI because the powers wanted to increase their glory by expansion. As a result,
there was war when they had conflicts.
Underlying
causes Meaning Effects
Extreme Nationalism
The Great Powers increased their national glory by expansion.
It resulted in conflicts when there was a clash of nationalism.
Militarism
The Great Powers increased their size of their armed force.
It increased tension.
They were less willing to settle their conflicts by peaceful means.
Imperialism
The Great Powers tried to gain colonies to build up their empires.
It increased tension among them.
Alliance System
Two armed camps were formed. They were the Triple Alliance and Triple Entente.
It turned a local war into a general war.
Task 7: Write a short paragraph about the outbreak of WWI.
How do we write an essay?
1. Start with writing a single paragraph
Short writing exercise: Write a paragraph describing WWI.
Look at the information in the previous exercises and textbook to find answers
to the 5 questions below. Make notes of the answers to the questions. Then write out the answers in a simple paragraph. Add other information to the paragraph if necessary.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
When did the First World War start?
Which two alliances went to war?
What incident caused the war to start?
What happened in the incident?
How long did the war last?
A. The First World War started in 1914.
B. The two alliances – the Triple Alliance (Austria, Italy and Germany) and the Triple Entente (Britain, France and Russia) joined the war.
C. The War was caused by the Sarajevo Assassination.
D. The incident happened in Sarajevo when Ferdinand, the heir to Austrian throne, was assassinated.
E. The War was fought for 4 years.
Suggested answer
The First World War started in 1914. The two alliances – the Triple Alliance (Austria, Italy and Germany) and the Triple Entente (Britain, France and Russia) joined the war. The War was caused by the Sarajevo Assassination. The incident happened in Sarajevo when Ferdinand, the heir to Austrian throne, was assassinated. Austria sent an ultimatum to Serbia but it was refused by Serbia.
Since Austria got help from Germany whereas Serbia gained support from Russia, this soon became a world war. The First World War was fought for 4 years.
2. Give tips on writing an essay A. Plan your essay beforehand.
B. Break down the essay into different paragraphs.
C. Use short paragraphs.
D. Remember to have only one central idea for each paragraph.
E. Use topic sentences, connectives and signal words to help organize your essay.
F. Give a concluding sentence at the end of each paragraph.
3. Use a template to help students organize and write their answer for an essay (Use sequence signal words to help organize essay)
Introduction
Content/Body
Opinion – first measure/reason/factor/perspective (First/Firstly)
Reasoning/explanation
Examples/evidence (if any)
Limitations/conclusion
Content/Body
Opinion – second measure/reason/factor/perspective (Second/Secondly)
Reasoning/explanation
Examples/evidence (if any)
Limitations/conclusion
Content/Body
Opinion – third measure/reason/factor/perspective (Third/Thirdly)
Reasoning/explanation
Examples/evidence (if any)
Limitations/conclusion
Conclusion
4. Give the students a question to practise
What were the underlying causes of the First World War? How did the Sarajevo Assassination turn a local conflict into a general war?
Use the tips learned before to help them write this essay.
A. Plan your essay before hand.
Read the question carefully.
Find the question word of the question. (What/How)
The students should be able to tell that the answer can be divided into TWO parts.
B. Break down the essay into different paragraphs.
) Preparation for ‘what were the underlying causes’.
Use the completed exercise in task 6
) Preparation for ‘how did the Sarajevo Assassination turn a local conflict into a general war’.
Use the completed exercise in task 3B
C. Use short paragraphs
e.g. Task 6: Write a paragraph on one of the underlying causes.
Extreme Nationalism made the Great Powers eager to increase their national glory by expansion. It resulted in conflicts when there was a clash of nationalism.
Task 3B: Write a paragraph on ‘how a local conflict turned into a general war’.
In 1914, the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated by a Serbian during his visit to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. With unlimited support of Germany, Austria declared war on Serbia.
When Russia mobilized its army to support Serbia and France mobilized to support Russia, Germany declared war on them and attacked France through Belgium. Britain then joined the war to help Belgium and its allies. The First World War broke out.
D. Remember to have only one central idea for each paragraph.
What is the central idea of each of the following paragraphs.
1. World War I was a military conflict lasting from 1914 to 1918 which involved nearly all the biggest powers of the world.
2. It involved 2 opposing alliances – the Allies and the Central Powers.
The countries of the Allies included Russia, Britain, France….. The countries of the Central Powers included Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria.
3. World War I was triggered on 28 June 1914 by the Sarajevo
Assassination. The Assassination was planned by a Serbian terrorist group, the Black Hand.
4. The War had many causes. A tangle of alliances was made between countries, to maintain a balance of power in Europe, which brought about the scale of conflict. The Bosnian Crisis angered Serbia.
Countries were building their forces, arms and battleships. Countries wanted to regain lost territories from previous conflicts and build empires.
http://www.kidskonnect.com/subjectindex/16-educational/history/287-world-war-i.html
5. Tips for teachers
A. The short writing exercises can be done separately before teaching them how to write an essay.
B. After teaching them the above, the students can be asked to complete writing an essay.
Appendix
1. Vocabulary list
A. Places (Noun) - country
Britain Brit．ain France France Germany Ger．many
Russia Rus．sia Italy I．ta．l
y
Serbia Ser．bi．a Austria - Hungary Aus．tri．a - Hun．ga．ry
B. Places (Noun) Mediterranean Sea 地中海
Med．i．ter．ra
．ne．an
Central Europe 中歐
Cen．tral Eu．rope Bosnia and
Herzegovina 波斯尼亞 及 黑塞哥維娜
Bos．ni．a Her．ze．go．vi
．na
Ottoman Empire 鄂圖曼帝國
Ot．to．man Em．pire
Alsace – Lorraine 阿爾薩斯．洛林
Al．sace - Lor．raine
Asia A．sia
Balkan Peninsula 巴爾幹半島
Bal．kan
Pen．in．su．la
Africa Af．ri．ca
C. People from different countries (Noun)
Russians Rus．sians French French
Italians I．tali．ans Germans Ger．mans
Serbians Ser．bi．ans Asians A．si．ans
British Bri．tish Africans Af．ri．cans
Austro – Hungarians
Aus．tro – Hun．ga．ri．an s
Balkan people
Bal．kan peo．ple
D. Causes of WWI
Imperialism Im．pe．rial．is m
militarism mi．li．tar．ism Alliance
System
Al．li．ance Sys．tem
Extreme Nationalism
Ex．treme Na．tion．al．is m
Armaments Race
Ar．ma．ments Race
Economic and colonial rivalry
E．co．no．mic and
co．lo．ni．al ri．val．ry
D1. Economic and colonial rivalry (Imperialism)
nation na．tion tariffs ta．riffs
Industrialization in．dus．tri．al．i．za．ti on
tension ten．sion raw materials raw ma．te．ri．als colonial
expansion
co．lo．ni．al ex．pan．sion European
powers
Eu．ro．pean pow．ers overseas markets
over．seas mar．kets
powerful pow．er．ful expensive ex．pen．sive
D2. Extreme Nationalism Pan –
Germanism
Pan．Ger．man．i sm
Language Lan．guage
Pan – Slavism Pan．Slav．ism Independent In．de．pend．e nt
revengeful re．venge．ful tradition tra．di．tion
National glory Na．tion．al glo．ry
Foreign expansion For．eign ex．pan．sion
D3. Armaments race (militarism)
dreadnoughts dread．noughts suspicion sus．pi．cion
Army Ar．my navy na．vy
D4. Alliance System
Triple Alliance Tri．ple Al．li．ance
Triple Entente Tri．ple En．tente
diplomacy di．plo．ma．cy disputes dis．putes
Opposing camps Op．pos．ing camps
enemies e．ne．mies
E. Events leading to the War Moroccan Crisis Mo．roc．can
Cri．sis
Bosnian Crisis Bos．ni．an Cri．sis
Ultimatum Ul．ti．ma．tum mobilization mo．bi．li．za．tio n
Unlimited support
Un．li．mit．ed sup．port
Austrian throne Aus．tri．an throne
declare de．clare heir heir
2. Signal Words
A. Cause-and-Effect signal words
Cause ,so
OR ,as a result
Effect
Colonial rivalry caused the Powers to gain colonies or areas to build up their empires
it increased tension among the Powers.
Nationalism caused the Powers to increase their national glory by expansion
it resulted in conflicts when there was a clash of
nationalism.
The armaments race caused the Powers to increase the size of their armed force
it increased tension and made the Powers less willing to settle their conflicts by
peaceful means.
The Alliance System caused the Powers to form two rival camps in Europe
it turned a local war into a general war.
B. Sequence signal words
Sequence The 4 underlying causes
Firstly, First,
colonial rivalry caused the Powers to gain colonies or areas to build up their empires
Secondly, Second,
nationalism caused the Powers to increase their national glory by expansion
Thirdly, Third,
the armaments race caused the Powers to increase the size of their armed force
Lastly, Last,
Last but not least,
the Alliance System caused the Powers to form two rival camps in Europe
C. Signal words of purpose
Action Purpose
France and Germany speeded up their industrialization process
(so that) they could become stronger.
(in order to) become stronger.
European powers began to impose high tariffs on foreign goods
(so that) they could protect their local industries.
(in order to) protect their local industries.
European powers began to compete for colonies
(so that) they could get more raw materials and a larger overseas market for their industrial goods.
(in order to) get more raw materials and a larger overseas market for their industrial goods.
European powers competed in building dreadnoughts
(so that) they could control the sea when a war broke out.
(in order to) control the sea when a war broke out.
D. Signal word for change of idea
Positive clause
but
Negative clause
Italy was a victorious power she was unhappy with the Paris Peace Settlement.
Italy was a member of the Triple Alliance
she joined the Allied Powers in the First World War.
Britain was the strongest power before WWI
her power was on the decline after WWI.
