Causes of World War I
Free to teach as-is — the teacher guide, student handout, and slides are included.
Free — we'll email you an access link. Google Docs format.
Objective
I can explain how militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism contributed to the outbreak of World War One.
Part 1 of 3
Warm-up video
Heimler's History · 6:20Vetted channel
We don't generate video — this one is by Heimler's History on YouTube. The practice questions and exit ticket below were drafted by AI for this objective, and every question is editable in the teacher guide.
Part 2 of 3
Practice
7 questions
Define militarism and explain how it contributed to the tensions leading up to World War One.
Explain the purpose of alliances in the early 20th century and how they escalated the conflict after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Part 3 of 3
Exit ticket
Quick comprehension check
“Explain how the build-up of militaries in Europe, specifically between Britain and Germany, contributed to the outbreak of World War One. Describe how the alliance system in Europe transformed a regional conflict (between Austria-Hungary and Serbia) into a larger war involving multiple nations. Explain how competition for colonies (imperialism) created tension and rivalries between European powers, contributing to the outbreak of World War One.”
Sample answer included in the free materials
Get the materials
Teacher guide, student handout, and slides — free, in Google Docs format
Teacher Guide
Complete lesson plan with answer keys and alternate activities
Student Handout
Printable worksheet
Slides
Ready to present
We'll ask for your email to send your access link — nothing else.
Teaching a group at a different level?
Where are your students right now? We'll rebuild this lesson to match — including the teacher guide, student handout, and slides, saved to your Google Drive.
Adapt This Lesson