The First World War in the colonies
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the contribution of colonial troops to the First World War and that war was fought across the British Empire.
Key learning points
- Fighting took place throughout European colonies in Africa.
- Colonial troops from across Britain's empire took part in fighting.
- The war in the colonies explains why 1914-1918 is called a world war.
Keywords
Empire - an empire is a group of countries or provinces ruled from another country by one person or a group of people
Colony - a colony is a country or area under the control of another country and occupied by settlers from that country
Siege - a siege is a military operation in which an army forces an area to surrender by cutting of access to essential supplies
Common misconception
Historically the contribution of colonial troops to the war effort has been overlooked.
Colonial troops made significant contributions to the war, both within Europe and across the world.
Teacher tip
Use slides 8, 15, 22 to emphasise the geographical scope of German's empire and how this contributed to the global scale of the war (as Britain and France looked to weaken Germany by attacking her colonies).
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which one of the following is the best definition of 'empire'?
Q2.What term best describes a country that is under the control of another country, and often occupied by settlers from that country?
Q3.Which one of the following countries was an ally of Britain in the First World War?
Q4.Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into the order in which they happened
Q5.Which one of the following countries failed to carry out its Schlieffen Plan, triggering British entry into the First World War?
Q6.Which one of the following statements best explains why the conflict of 1914-1918 became known as a world war?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What was the name of the first German colony to surrender to British forces?
Q2.How many days after Britain declared war on Germany did British forces invade German Togoland?
Q3.Which country led the siege of Tsingtao, in support of the British army?
Q4.Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into the order in which they happened
Q5.Which one of the following statements is the best explanation for why European colonies were targeted in the First World War?
Q6.Which two of the following statements best describe the East Africa Campaign from 1914 to 1918?
To help you plan your 9 history lesson on: The First World War in the colonies, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 history lesson on: The First World War in the colonies, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the World War One: how 'total' was it for people in the British Empire? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.