Current Events Lesson Plan: February 18-24, 2016
Current Event: 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Verdun: A Bloody Symbol of Modern War
February 21 marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Verdun in France during World War I. The battle was fought between the French and Germans around Verdun, a fortress city on the Meuse River. The brutal battle lasted more than nine months (until late December 1916) and ended in a slim and costly French victory. The battle was one of the bloodiest examples of trench warfare in history. The Battle of Verdun came to symbolize the destructiveness of modern war. More than 2 million soldiers fought in the battle, and more than 700,000 of them were killed or wounded, or went missing. Verdun and the surrounding area were almost completely destroyed.
Objective:
World War I, sometimes called the Great War, involved more countries than any other war up to its time. The war was fought between the Allies, which included France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; and the Central Powers, which included Austria-Hungary, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire. World War I was more destructive than any previous conflict. Tens of millions of soldiers were killed or wounded. Including the flu epidemic that began at the end of the war, tens of millions of civilians died of disease, starvation, and other war-related causes. The economic chaos caused by the war helped lead to the Great Depression of the 1930’s. The “war to end all wars” failed to live up to that promise as just 21 years later, World War II (1939-1945) began. The Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles explore the people and battles of World War I.
Words to know:
Discussion Topics:
1. Ask your students what they know about France. (Students might say France is one of the largest countries in Europe; Paris is the country’s capital and largest city; France is the home of the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and other famous landmarks; Bastille Day is the French national holiday.)
2. Ask your students to name some famous wars throughout history. (Students might say American Civil War, American Revolution, Crimean War, Hundred Years’ War, Korean War, Napoleonic Wars, Punic Wars, Vietnam War, Wars of the Roses, World War I, World War II.)
3. Ask your students to rank the 5 most significant historical events of the 20th century. Possible events to discuss include the assassination of Franz Ferdinand (leading to World War I), bombing of Hiroshima, discovery of penicillin, fall of the Soviet Union, Great Depression, Holocaust, moon landing, rise of computers and the Internet, Russian Revolution, Treaty of Versailles.
4. Have your students debate the topic, “When is war justified?”
5. Ask your students to use World Book’s Timelines feature to view or add to the World War I timeline. (Students may wish to use World Book’s World War I article for help.)