World War I was one of the more complicated and complex conflicts of the twentieth century—but who started it? High schoolers watch a video from Crash Course World History ponders whether Germany, Austria, or Russia were to blame for starting the First World War.

Concepts

causes of world war i, world war i, archduke franz ferdinand, nationalism, militarism, the russo-japanese war

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

social studies

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Prompt learners to write an argument paper about which country they believe had more to do with starting World War I, based on this video as well as additional research
• Encourage class members to watch the video before attending a discussion on World War I the next day
• Incorporate into a unit on geopolitics, particularly concerning Eastern Europe and Russia

Classroom Considerations

• Narration moves quickly through complex concepts
• Comment section is open to the public

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Engaging and informative
• Considers the main question in the video title as a guiding concept 

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.2 SL.11-12.2 RH.9-10.2 RH.9-10.3 RH.9-10.4 RH.9-10.9 RH.11-12.2 RH.11-12.3 RH.11-12.4 RH.11-12.9