World War I Peace Treaty Activity

Background: Our World History pacing plan at the end of the fall semester has us completing World War I.  We are then supposed to cover the disastrous effects of World War I and follow that with the abominable Treaty of Versailles.  One idea brought up years ago (Dan?), after we had finished the effects, concerned a short lesson whereby the whole class would brainstorm and discuss the meaning of the terms “peace” and then “treaty.”

Step I: The instructor would write on the center of the board the term peace and then ask the students what words do they think about when they focus on that term.  The students would call out their answers while the teacher would jot them down around the term peace in some form of graphic organizing design.

peace

Step 2: The instructor would then write on the center of the board the term treaty and ask the students what words do they

think about when they focus on that term.  The students would call out their answers while the teacher would jot them down around the term treaty using the same type of graphic organizing design.

treaty

Step 3: (Optional) After reviewing the collective ideas stated above, the class could then focus on a small group or whole class critical thinking activity where they would design their own World War I peace treaty.  They may need to consider:

-- Where should the peace treaty talks be held?    Why?

-- Which nations involved in World War I should be invited to the peace conference?    Why?  

-- Should any of the African or Asian colonies involved in World War I be invited to the peace talks?    Why?  

-- Should any of the nations involved in World War I be excluded from the peace talks?    Why?  

-- Should each nation have equal decision making power at the conference or should some have more power?   Why? 

-- Other issues to possibly consider:

                  * What national and international actions could be taken so that an event such as World War I could never erupt again?    WHY? 

                  * Should any territorial changes/transactions occur between the warring parties?      WHY?

                  * Should any international involvement in rebuilding parts of Europe occur?      Which nations should help?       WHY?

                  * Should the treaty impose any democratic or other political changes on the non-democratic nations involved?      WHY?

                  * What, if anything, should happen to the colonies that sacrificed soldiers, laborers and supplies to assist in the war?     WHY?

If this lesson was done in small groups, they could do a culminating compare and contrast activity (debate, discussion), before moving onto the disastrous Treaty of Versailles.