National Interest Unit Plan 20-1
Unit Theme Overview
Subject Area: Social Studies 20-1
Topic-Theme: National Interest
Grade: 11
Perspectives on Nationalism
Outcomes
General Outcomes:
Specific Outcomes:
Major Learnings: Dates (weeks):
1. To what extent should Start: Oct. 23rd
national interest be
pursued?
2. What are the interests End: Nov. 3rd- subject to
of nations? change
3. What are the Time per Lesson: 87 mins
consequences of nations
pursuing their own
goals?
4. How did the pursuit of Lessons per weeks: 4-5
national interest lead to
world wars?
● Students will assess impacts of nationalism,
ultranationalism and the pursuit of national interest.
Students will:
● 2.1 appreciate that nations and states pursue
national interest (TCC, GC, PADM)
● 2.2 appreciate that the pursuit of national interest
has positive and negative consequences (TCC, GC,
PADM)
● 2.3 appreciate multiple perspectives related to the
pursuit of national interest (TCC, PADM)
Knowledge and Understanding
Students will:
● 2.4 explore the relationship between nationalism
and the pursuit of national interest (PADM, I, LPP)
● 2.5 analyze how the pursuit of national interest
shapes foreign policy (First World War peace
settlements, the interwar period) (PADM, TCC, ER,
LPP)
● 2.6 analyze the relationship between nationalism
and ultranationalism (PADM, I)
● 2.7 analyze nationalism and ultranationalism during
times of conflict (causes of the First and Second
World Wars, examples of nationalism and
ultranationalism from the First and Second World
Wars, ultranationalism in Japan, internments in
Canada, conscription crises) (PADM, TCC, GC,
LPP)
● 2.8 analyze ultranationalism as a cause of genocide
(the Holocaust, 1932–1933 famine in Ukraine,
contemporary examples) (TCC, PADM, GC)
● 2.9 analyze impacts of the pursuit of national
 self-determination (successor states;
decolonization; Québécois nationalism and
sovereignty movement; First Nations, Métis and
Inuit self-government; contemporary examples)
(PADM, TCC, ER, LPP)

Assessments:
● Project
● Writing assignment
● Something to do with propaganda
● 3 source
● Class activities thrown in here and there

Key Terms to know:

● Immediate vs fundamental causes

● Triple Alliance/Entente
● Militarism
● Isolationist
● Mobilization - Schlieffen Plan
● “Scrap of paper”
● Ypres/ Vimy Ridge
● Wilson 14 points
● Treaty of Versailles
● League of Nations

No Topic-Concept Learning Statements

(Lesson Objectives)

Introduction to unit - Interests in general

1 - What motivates
people, government,
nations (security,
economy, beliefs and
values)
- Lots of
brainstorming and
Q&A about
motivations
- Foreign policy
 Introduction to WW1 - Why would a nation
2 want to go to war
(economic
prosperity, security,
beliefs and values)
- History of the era
- Causes of WW1

WW1 cont. - Causes of WW1 (IR,

3 Imperialism, the rise
of nationalism, the
death of the ottoman
empire, military
alliances, the
assisination)
- Declaration of war
Timeline of ww1 - Timeline of war
4 - Schlieffen plan
- The war of attrition
- Technology goes to
war

War cont. - Technology cont

5 - Second battle ypres
- Artillery: the big
bertha
- Battle of verdun
-

6 War cont. - Battle of the Somme

- More technology
- Tanks
- Vimy ridge
- Passchendaele

7 War cont. - Total war

- Propaganda

9 The end of the war - How it ended

- Paris peace
conference
- Wilsons dream
- Cost of war
- Penalties
- A new europe/ same
old
- League of nations
- Long term impacts
-