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World History Project - Origins to the Present
Course: World History Project - Origins to the Present > Unit 7
Lesson 2: World War I | 7.1- READ: What Caused the First World War
- BEFORE YOU WATCH: Britain and World War I
- WATCH: Britain and World War I
- BEFORE YOU WATCH: Southeast Asia and World War I
- WATCH: Southeast Asia and World War I
- BEFORE YOU WATCH: The Middle East and World War I
- WATCH: The Middle East and World War I
- BEFORE YOU WATCH: How World War I Started
- WATCH: How World War I Started
- READ: The First World War as a Global War
- READ: World War I — A Total War
- READ: The Mexican Revolution
- READ: The Power of One — The Russian Revolution
- BEFORE YOU WATCH: Armenian Genocide
- WATCH: Armenian Genocide
- READ: Capitalism and World War I
- World War 1
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BEFORE YOU WATCH: How World War I Started
Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below.
Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below (next in the lineup!). If you want to learn more about this strategy, click here.
First read: preview and skimming for gist
Before you watch, you should skim the transcript first. The skim should be very quick and give you the gist (general idea) of what the video is about. You should be looking at the title, thumbnails, pictures, and first few seconds of the video for the gist.
Second read: key ideas and understanding content
Now that you’ve skimmed the video transcript and taken a quick peek at the video, you should preview the questions you will be answering. These questions will help you get a better understanding of the concepts and arguments that are presented in the video. Keep in mind that when you watch the video, it is a good idea to write down any vocab you read or hear that is unfamiliar to you.
By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:
- Why did Princeps and his co-conspirators target Archduke Franz Ferdinand?
- Why didn’t Franz Ferdinand’s uncle, the Austrian emperor, like him?
- Why was Austria’s ultimatum to Serbia important? And why was it important that it took a month for Austria to issue it?
- John Green lays out the chronology that led up to World War I. What action taken by a national government started the hostilities ?
Third read: evaluating and corroborating
Finally, here are some questions that will help you focus on why this video matters and how it connects to other content you’ve studied.
At the end of the third read, you should be able to respond to these questions:
- Which of the three course frame narratives best explains the causes of World War I? Why?
- John Green warns us that it’s really hard to understand the long-term consequences of our actions. Can you think of any historical choices that led to surprising or unfortunate results later on?
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to watch! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished watching.
