Activity: The Paris Peace Conference Simulation

Objective: Students will simulate the negotiations of the "Big Three" leaders at the end of WWI to understand the conflicting goals that led to the Treaty of Versailles.

Teacher Instructions

Groups: Divide students into groups of 3 (add a 4th student as Vittorio Orlando of Italy or a "German Reporter" if needed).
Roles: Assign each student one role: Clemenceau (France), Wilson (USA), or Lloyd George (UK).
The Task: Groups must negotiate and fill out the "Final Treaty" column. They cannot leave the table until they agree on a compromise for all 4 issues.
The Constraint: Remind them that Germany is NOT invited to the negotiations.

Student Handout: The Negotiation Table

The Scenario: It is 1919. World War I is over. Millions are dead. You are meeting at the Palace of Versailles to decide the fate of Germany.

Directions:

Read your Secret Objectives card (do not show the other leaders yet).

If your role says you are sneaky, be sneaky.
If your role says you are stubborn, be stubborn.

Discuss the 4 Key Issues one by one.
You must reach a compromise and write it down in the "Final Treaty" column.
Complete the Critical Thinking questions as a group
Turn in your final treaty to the teacher with all your group members' names on them.