Social Studies 6
Reading Resource: WWI and WWII
EQ: In what ways are we interdependent?
Targeted Skills
Information Literacy

Evaluate Information

draw conclusions, make inferences and
connections based on information
Core Objectives
9. Analyze nationalism and balance of power in modern
Europe.
12. Analyze the interactions of modern societies.
17. Understand the relationships among individual rights,
responsibilities, and freedoms.
Enduring Understandings
Compromise among nations is essential for creating and maintaining
a balance of power.
Concepts Important to Know and Understand
historical foundations, balance of power, cultural interactions
Broad Brush Knowledge
WWI, WWII, alliances, significant individuals, Europe, Japan
The Spread of Nationalism (pages 329-332)
1. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, _______________________, or strong pride in
one’s nation or ethnic group, influenced the feelings of many Europeans.
2. When one country threatened another, most citizens were willing to go to ________________
to defend their homeland.
The World at War (pages 332-335)
3. The largest empire in Eastern Europe in 1900 was _______________________. In 1914,
____________________________, of Austria-Hungary, was murdered by a young Serbian.
4. Because of the murder, Austria-Hungary declared war on _____________________.
5. ________________________ then joined the war on the side of Serbia.
6. ________________________ then joined the war on the side of Austria- Hungary.
7. This was the beginning of ________________________________________.
8. In order to defend themselves against attack, several countries joined ___________________.
9. What is an alliance?
10. What were the two alliances during World War I?
11. When the war ended, the ___________________________ had won but Europe had been
devastated.
Europe After World War I (pages 335-336)
12. What was the name of the treaty signed at the end of World War I?
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13. The treaty demanded that _________________________ be punished by having to pay for
damages done to the Allied countries and to give up territory.
World War II (pages 336-337)
14. By the 1930s, the German economy was in ruins. The Germans elected
___________________________ and the National Socialist, or Nazi, Party to lead them.
15. The Nazi Party believed in Fascism. What is Fascism?
16. In the 1930s, Hitler unjustly blamed the ________________________ citizens of Germany for
the country’s economic problems.
17. What was the Holocaust?
18. World War II began with Hitler’s invasion of ____________________________ .
19. What were the two alliances during World War II?
20. As in World War I, the ________________________________ tried to stay out of the war
but entered the war after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.
Skill Focus
Read the following passage and choose the best answer.
During World War I, soldiers used avalanches as weapons against their enemies. For example, if
an enemy group was camped at the bottom of a snowy slope, shots could be fired to cause an
avalanche to occur. The vibration of the shots would cause the snow to come barreling down the
slope, burying enemy troops and supplies. The avalanches were called “White Death” since the
powdery snow could eliminate hundreds of the enemy without face-to-face combat.
After reading the passage, you can conclude that World War I soldiers:
a. were very good shots
b. tried to avoid camping near snowy slopes whenever possible
c. had lots of supplies
d. tried to camp only along the coastline during winter months
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Conclusion

Nobody really wins in a war. Destruction and death have occurred.

World War I was supposed to be the war to end all wars, and then World War II
happened a few years later. Some people think World War II was a continuation of
World War I.

Peace treaties may be signed, but they don’t change people’s minds.

Sometimes the bully may change faces, but balance of power is always in question.

In today’s world, the question is still “out there.” Who is stronger?

Just like cultural relationships can result in conflict or cooperation, nationalism also
results in either conflict or cooperation. It depends on the extent of the
nationalism.
Finally, you are ready to draw some conclusions and make some inferences from the information you
have learned.
 In your Interactive Notebook, draw a cartoon that describes something about World War
I or World War II.
 It can be a one, two, or three panel cartoon. (It could also be an illustrated timeline
cartoon of one of the wars.)
 It can also show something about balance of power or nationalism.
 Use human or symbolic figures for the different countries or events. For example, the Big
Bad Wolf from “Little Red Riding Hood” could represent Germany.
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Who Am I?
Draw conclusions from the information given and correctly identify each famous leader. Choose
from these names:
Dwight Eisenhower
Winston Churchill
Franklin Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson
Name: _______________________
British Prime Minister during WW II
 Leader of an Allied country
 Signed peace treaty after WW II
 Fought against Germany and Italy

Name: _______________________
President of U.S. during World War I
 Author of the Fourteen Points that was a
plan for lasting peace
 Wanted to form an international group
called the League of Nations

Name: _______________________
President of U.S. during WW II
 Had polio
 Died before World War II ended
 Fought against Japan, Germany, and Italy

Name: _______________________
 Leader of the U.S. forces at D-Day
invasion of Europe
 Born in Texas
 Became president of U.S. after WW II
was over
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