GOals & Objectives
Students will learn about the post-World War I rise of fascism beginning with Benito Mussolini. Students will connect the results of World War I's end to the turn toward totalitarian leaders. Students will summarize Mussolini's and the Fascist Party's rise to power.
California State Content
and Common Core Standards
CA History-Social Science 10.6 Students analyze the effects of the First World War.
1 Analyze the aims and negotiating roles of world leaders, the terms and influence of the
Treaty of Versailles and Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, and the causes and effects
of the United States's rejection of the League of Nations on world politics.
3 Understand the widespread disillusionment with prewar institutions, authorities, and
values that resulted in a void that was later filled by totalitarians.
CA History-Social Science 10.7 Students analyze the rise of totalitarian governments after World War I.
3 Analyze the rise, aggression, and human costs of totalitarian regimes (Fascist and
Communist) in Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union, noting especially their common
and dissimilar traits.
CA History-Social Science 10.8 Students analyze the causes and consequences of World War II.
2 Understand the role of appeasement, nonintervention (isolationism), and the domestic
distractions in Europe and the United States prior to the outbreak of World War II.
ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.3 Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier
events caused later ones or simply preceded them.
1 Analyze the aims and negotiating roles of world leaders, the terms and influence of the
Treaty of Versailles and Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, and the causes and effects
of the United States's rejection of the League of Nations on world politics.
3 Understand the widespread disillusionment with prewar institutions, authorities, and
values that resulted in a void that was later filled by totalitarians.
CA History-Social Science 10.7 Students analyze the rise of totalitarian governments after World War I.
3 Analyze the rise, aggression, and human costs of totalitarian regimes (Fascist and
Communist) in Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union, noting especially their common
and dissimilar traits.
CA History-Social Science 10.8 Students analyze the causes and consequences of World War II.
2 Understand the role of appeasement, nonintervention (isolationism), and the domestic
distractions in Europe and the United States prior to the outbreak of World War II.
ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.3 Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier
events caused later ones or simply preceded them.
Lesson Introduction
Students will address a Quick-Write prompt in their Daily Journals:
If you could change something from history, what would it be and why?
Students will have five minutes to address this prompt, after which a five-minute discussion of student answers will follow.
If you could change something from history, what would it be and why?
Students will have five minutes to address this prompt, after which a five-minute discussion of student answers will follow.
Vocabulary
The vocabulary for this lesson is comprised mostly of terms relating to Mussolini’s regime and more general political terms.
After the lesson introduction, the vocabulary will be projected onto the classroom screen from an editable document, and the students will raise their hands to offer related words and preconceived definitions or descriptions of the vocabulary, which
will be entered into the document by the teacher. The class will collaboratively define the words; the teacher will correct and augment the definitions as needed by both typing into the projected document and sharing images as needed.
Benito Mussolini Vittorio Orlando prime minister
fascism Blackshirts/squadristi foreign minister
spazio vitale Adriatic Sea fascio
Il Duce Pact of Steel Treaty of London (1915)
After the lesson introduction, the vocabulary will be projected onto the classroom screen from an editable document, and the students will raise their hands to offer related words and preconceived definitions or descriptions of the vocabulary, which
will be entered into the document by the teacher. The class will collaboratively define the words; the teacher will correct and augment the definitions as needed by both typing into the projected document and sharing images as needed.
Benito Mussolini Vittorio Orlando prime minister
fascism Blackshirts/squadristi foreign minister
spazio vitale Adriatic Sea fascio
Il Duce Pact of Steel Treaty of London (1915)
Content Delivery
Due to the inherent autonomy and self-explanatory nature of the student engagement portion of the lesson (which, itself,
delivers the content material), the content delivery portion of the lesson will be a brief instruction on how to complete the
interactive assignment via a quick modeling of a similar interactive with this assignment’s specific instructions applied. The
teacher will access the short story-game, “The Gutter Punk of London” (about impoverished Victorian England), on the
website, “Choose Your Story,” to model the choose-your-own-ending story-game format along with the assignment rules for
this lesson’s specific story-game:
• Before selecting each succeeding link, students will write a brief couple of sentences explaining the reasoning
behind the choice.
• After completing the interactive, students will find the historically accurate sequence of choices listed on the
final page. They will restart the interactive, tracing those choices through the game, and write a brief summary
of the actual historic events as they happened.
delivers the content material), the content delivery portion of the lesson will be a brief instruction on how to complete the
interactive assignment via a quick modeling of a similar interactive with this assignment’s specific instructions applied. The
teacher will access the short story-game, “The Gutter Punk of London” (about impoverished Victorian England), on the
website, “Choose Your Story,” to model the choose-your-own-ending story-game format along with the assignment rules for
this lesson’s specific story-game:
• Before selecting each succeeding link, students will write a brief couple of sentences explaining the reasoning
behind the choice.
• After completing the interactive, students will find the historically accurate sequence of choices listed on the
final page. They will restart the interactive, tracing those choices through the game, and write a brief summary
of the actual historic events as they happened.
Student Engagement
Students will engage in an interactive web-based game designed by the teacher and inspired by the educational classic,
“The Oregon Trail”: “Mussolini: The Fascism Trail.” As explained in the content delivery portion of the lesson, students will
provide brief reasoning for each choice they make throughout the interactive, written down on their own pieces of paper.
At the game’s conclusion will be a choice map that shows the actual historic events in sequence. The students will then
retrace the storyline according to the actual historical events and record a brief summary of those events on their papers.
Ideally, the students will each individually complete the story-game (the library or computer lab should be able to
accommodate this), but may be paired or grouped as necessary for computer/device access availability and time constraints.
In the event of pairing/grouping, each student will still complete an individual written assignment for the interactive.
“The Oregon Trail”: “Mussolini: The Fascism Trail.” As explained in the content delivery portion of the lesson, students will
provide brief reasoning for each choice they make throughout the interactive, written down on their own pieces of paper.
At the game’s conclusion will be a choice map that shows the actual historic events in sequence. The students will then
retrace the storyline according to the actual historical events and record a brief summary of those events on their papers.
Ideally, the students will each individually complete the story-game (the library or computer lab should be able to
accommodate this), but may be paired or grouped as necessary for computer/device access availability and time constraints.
In the event of pairing/grouping, each student will still complete an individual written assignment for the interactive.
Lesson Closure
After all students have completed the story-game interactive and accompanying written assignment, students will discuss
as a class the aspects of the historical events along with their personal choices made during the interactive, relating to their
introductory activity of what they would change about history.
as a class the aspects of the historical events along with their personal choices made during the interactive, relating to their
introductory activity of what they would change about history.
Assessment
The discussions and written assignment accompanying the interactive serve as formative assessments to gauge what the
students learn as they complete the activities.
After the lesson closure discussion, the students will be summatively assessed on their learning from the lesson. Added to their
papers, they will answer questions about the lesson’s content projected onto the classroom screen (these are linked in the digital
unit plan). Students will answer these individually on their papers, but to encourage accurate responses and understanding, the
class should collectively discuss the questions and answers before individually recording answers on their papers.
students learn as they complete the activities.
After the lesson closure discussion, the students will be summatively assessed on their learning from the lesson. Added to their
papers, they will answer questions about the lesson’s content projected onto the classroom screen (these are linked in the digital
unit plan). Students will answer these individually on their papers, but to encourage accurate responses and understanding, the
class should collectively discuss the questions and answers before individually recording answers on their papers.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS,
STRIVING READERS, AND STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
The vocabulary preview will help English Learners, Striving Readers, and Students with Special Needs better understand the
terminology essential to this lesson. In addition, the Italian terms, being closely related to Spanish, will give Spanish-speaking
English Learners an advantage over others per vocabulary comprehension. The story-game, itself, is designed to have
easy-to-follow directives to aid these students. During the student engagement portion of the lesson, the most helpful
accommodation will be that the teacher supervises especially those students with special needs – though there are illustrations
for each page of the story, the content is mainly textual, and the teacher will be there to aptly interpret any text the students
may have trouble comprehending. The accompanying writing assignment, discussions, and assessment also provide much
repetition, a valuable accommodation for all students with special needs. Furthermore, students will special needs may be
paired or grouped with other students to aid their comprehension as needed.
terminology essential to this lesson. In addition, the Italian terms, being closely related to Spanish, will give Spanish-speaking
English Learners an advantage over others per vocabulary comprehension. The story-game, itself, is designed to have
easy-to-follow directives to aid these students. During the student engagement portion of the lesson, the most helpful
accommodation will be that the teacher supervises especially those students with special needs – though there are illustrations
for each page of the story, the content is mainly textual, and the teacher will be there to aptly interpret any text the students
may have trouble comprehending. The accompanying writing assignment, discussions, and assessment also provide much
repetition, a valuable accommodation for all students with special needs. Furthermore, students will special needs may be
paired or grouped with other students to aid their comprehension as needed.
Lesson Resources
• projector connected to computer and screen
• editable document with vocabulary terms
• “The Gutter Punk of London” example web-based interactive story-game
• “Mussolini: The Fascism Trail” web-based interactive story-game
• assessment questions
• editable document with vocabulary terms
• “The Gutter Punk of London” example web-based interactive story-game
• “Mussolini: The Fascism Trail” web-based interactive story-game
• assessment questions