The Impact of World War I on Global History



WWI had multiple causes & effects,

arising from militarism, imperialism,

nationalism & alliances.



The global scope of WWI increased the

human costs of war.



New technologies & practices [use of

poison “mustard” gas, trench warfare,

machine guns, airplanes (for

reconnaissance), submarines, & tanks]

affected the outcome of the war



WWI was fought mostly in Europe; the

United States became one of the Allied

Powers.



After the Treaty of Versailles ended WWI,

the League of Nations as formed in an

attempt to create a forum for peacefully

solving disputes between nations.



The failure of President Woodrow Wilson’s

Fourteen Points for peace, along with

the refusal of the United States to join the

League of Nations, had far-reaching

consequences



By the early 1900s, much of Asia and

nearly all of Africa had been colonized

by European nations.



Colonies provided raw materials and

new markets for European

manufacturing.



Desire to increase their empires led to

competition and power struggles among

European nations.



The spread of nationalism in Europe led to a

dangerous arms race, in which nations built

up their armies (& navies, for some) to

maintain equal strength with their

neighbors.

›

Britain had the world’s strongest naval power.



Other European nations built up their navies to be

able to compete with Britain.

›

By 1900, Germany had largest & best-trained

army in Europe



Draft increased the size of army during peacetime.



Military agreements to protect the other

in case of attack.



Long chains of allying countries formed.

›

Several countries could be drawn into

conflict if one was attacked by one other.



Since many of the agreements were secret,

attacking country may not know the

consequences of their actions until it was too,

late.



Central Powers – Germany & Austria-

Hungary



Later joined by Bulgaria & the Ottoman Empire



Allies – Great Britain, France, and Russia

›

The United States (eventually) joined the side

of the Allies.



Feeling of pride and loyalty people have for

their country or for other people who share

a common history, language, or culture.



Swept the European continent during the

1800s.



Rise of nationalism led to minority groups to

call for independence

›

Czechs and Slovaks in Austria-Hungary – wished

to form their  own nation

›

Poles wanted an independent Poland – had

been divided by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and

Russia.



Bosnia area was part of the Austria-

Hungary Empire, but many Serbs lived

there.

›

Serbs and Serbia wanted Bosnia to be part

of Serbia.

›

Black Hand – Gavrilo Princip – assassinated

Archduke Francis Ferdinand – heir to the

Austria-Hungary throne.



THIS WAS THE SPARK THAT IGNITED ALL THE

CAUSES TO EXPLODE INTO WWI.



The assassination of Francis Ferdinand (a

sign of showing nationalism) sparked the

alliances into action!



European nations were already heated

with one another over imperialistic

competition.



European nations were ready to go to war,

due to their militarism efforts.



An assassination of 

one person

, no matter

what his position, should never be able to

lead to WORLD WAR, but everything else

was in place, and thus, World War I began.



Neutrality



Militarism



Nationalism



Imperialism



Neutrality



Militarism



Nationalism



Imperialism

If you said NATIONALISM, you would be

CORRECT!



Explain how the system of alliances that

was formed in Europe before WWI

caused most European nations to draw

into the conflict.



Alliances were formed between European

nations.



Many of them were secret agreements.



An attack against one nation would be

considered an attack against any of the

nations in alliance with the nation that was

attacked.



Attacking nations had alliances as well, and

often didn’t know who the country they

attacked was in alliance with.



An attack against one nation could result in

MANY nations going to war with one another

as a matter of defending those in their alliance.



Remember:  The United States tried to

remain NEUTRAL – not taking sides in the

conflict – when WWI began in Europe.



US was trading with both sides and

benefitting financially.



Americans were divided among ethnic

lines, due to common heritage – Some

favored the Central Powers; some favored

the Allied Powers.



America had long-standing ties with Britain

(our fore-fathers were from there) and

France (helped us in the Revolutionary

War).



Germany used U-boats, submarines, to

sink neutral ships going in and out of

Britain.

›

They would attack without warning.

›

Wilson issued a warning to knock it off- OR

ELSE.

›

Germany didn’t want US to enter the war

yet… Sussex Pledge – said they would give

warning and investigate before sinking ships.



Germany sank the 

Lusitania

 – a British

passenger ship that had 128 Americans on

board.



Zimmerman Note – Germany offered

Mexico help getting back “lost lands” (NM,

TX, AZ, CA) if Mexico would declare war

against the United States and, thus, join

WWI on the side of the Central Powers.

›

This  would make the US have to focus on

Mexico and not be able to send all troops to

Europe to help the Allied Powers.



The Zimmerman Note



Shared German ancestry



The sinking of the 

Lusitania



Germany’s submarine warfare.



The Zimmerman Note



Shared German ancestry



The sinking of the 

Lusitania



Germany’s submarine warfare.

If you said SHARED GERMAN ANCESTRY,

you would be CORRECT!



Fourteen Points – Peace plan developed by

Wilson

›

Self-Determination – Right of national groups to

have their independence and own

governments; Countries formed around

nationalities of people, rather than splitting

national groups by borders.

›

End to secret agreements.

›

Free sees and trade

›

Disarmament (reducing of military force) of

major  powers.

›

Fair hearings on colonial claims – giving

colonized people an equal voice in decisions.



Formation of the League of Nations – 14

th

Point – to handle international disputes

BEFORE they caused war.



Wilson pushed for Peace Without Victory

›

Wilson realized that if you punished Germany

too, much they would want revenge later.

›

Britain, France, and other European

countries wanted Germany to pay for

starting the war.



Not signed by US – Congress would not sign

because the League of Nations would lead

the US to become entangled in European

affairs in the future.



German colonies in Africa and Asia were

given to Britain, France, Japan, Australia,

and New Zealand.



Poland was re-created – taking land from

Germany and Russia



Germany had to pay LARGE reparations.



Germany had to take full blame for the

war.



Germany had to limit their military



Land Germany gained from Russia

(Treaty of Brest-Litovsk) was made into

Estonia, Latvia, & Lithuania (Taken from

Germany and not given back to Russia).



Austria-Hungary Empire Divided

›

Austria and Hungary became independent

nations.

›

Italy & Romania took some of the land that

was once A-H

›

Czechoslovakia & Yugoslavia were created

– Grouped together different ethnic groups –

major impact later in the 20

th

 century.



Ottoman Empire broken up

›

Turkey, Greece, and Britain took over former

Ottoman lands.



Central Powers were defeated, but

destruction was felt on both sides.



Western Front – much of France – lay in

ruins.



30+ nations involved



Nearly 8 million soldiers died.



24 million soldiers wounded.



Many civilians were killed or wounded.



Total Dollar Amount – Around $186 billion



Countries were rebuilding after WWI - Had to borrow

money from other countries to rebuild, putting them

even more in debt.



Bitter resentment built up from the Treaty of Versailles

caused countries like Germany to want revenge.



When the Depression spread from the US to Europe,

countries turned to dictatorial leaders to return them

to their former glory.  (No money makes people feel

even worse… THEY WANT ANSWERS & HELP and

NOW!)

›

Germany – Hitler - Nazism

Italy – Mussolini - Fascism

Spain – Franco - Fascism

Russia –Lenin - then Stalin - Communism

Japan – Hirohito - Militarism



Civil War (Russian Revolution) & WWI left

Russia in shambles… New Communist

regime under Lenin… Sounded good at

first, but after Lenin died, Stalin defeated

rivals and became dictator and wanted to

build a powerful industrial economy… He

killed his enemies and objectors by the

1000s.



Foreshadowing: The Russian Revolution set

the stage for the basic conflict of the 20

th

century:  Communism vs. Capitalism –

Russia vs. United States – COLD WAR



Colonial Rebellion in Asia & the Middle

East

All of SE Asia was taken over by European

powers during the 19

th

 century.  But after

WWI, Burma, Indochina (Laos, Cambodia,

Vietnam) and Indonesia began to seek

independence.  The demand for self-rule

would not lead to complete

independence for several decades.



British rule in India – Mohandas Gandhi

urged people to resist the government

nonviolently….

›

After 15 years of resistance, the British

government created the Government of

India Act (1935) – Britain remained in power,

but Indians were given a voice in

government and established provinces

governed only by Indians.



Nations in the Middle East had expected to

become independent after WWI.  They had

been loyal to the Allies, providing much

needed oil…

›

Britain & France established control of the oil-rich ME

through the League of Nations.

›

Arab nations sought to gain independence from

imperialist control.



1922 – British allowed an Arab prince to become king of

Iraq; North African nation of Egypt won independence



1925 – Iran was taken over by an army officer who

became the shah (king)



1932 – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was established.



Much like in the US… Businesses closed.

People were unable to pay loans.

People were out of work.  There were

limited sources to obtain money.



US entered the 1920s PROSPEROUS!



US was turning toward isolationism again,

but had mutually acceptable trade

relations with Latin American countries.



Industry was booming – More consumer

goods were available

›

Workers had more free time – more time to

spend money



Middle class prosperity attributed to

several factors:  Economy expanded,

wages rose, work house decreased.



Farmers (for the most part) did not feel

the upside of the roaring 20s.

›

They had mortgaged more land to produce

the food needed for the war effort.

›

After the war was over, they had to cut back

›

Surpluses drove prices for farm goods down.



Red Scare developed – Fear of communist and

anarchist take over – because union

membership grew and unions were strong.



Immigration Restriction Act (1924) – growing

distrust of immigrants – Nativism increased in

the US.



Reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan

›

Fear that African-Americans would demand more

rights; Many African-Americans fought in Europe for

Europeans’ independence, yet they didn’t enjoy the

rights they fought for abroad at home.

›

African-Americans faced lynchings; Race riots

peaked after WWI.



Great Migration – Millions of African-

Americans left the rural South for Northern

and Western cities (NY, Chicago, Detroit,

LA), due to mistreatment/Jim Crow laws in

the South.



Harlem Renaissance and the Jazz Age

›

Centered in Harlem, NYC

›

Authors: Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston,

Countee Cullen, James Weldon Johnson, Jean

Toomer

›

Jazz Musicians: Louis Armstrong, Fletcher

Henderson, Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith



African-Americans put the US on the

map, culturally, with Jazz.

›

Prior to the Jazz Age, most American music

was “borrowed” from some place else.

›

Jazz combined blues, ragtime, New Orleans

brass band music, and spiritual hymns.

›

It was a innovation!  It spread throughout the

US and into Europe and then the rest of the

world!



REPUBLICAN DECADE

Presidents:  

(Pro business/Laissez-faire policies)

›

Warren Harding

›

Calvin Coolidge

›

Herbert Hoover

Amendments

›

18

th

 – Prohibition

›

19

th

 – Women’s Suffrage (Right to vote)



Stock Market Speculation & Crash

Not all Americans enjoyed economic

prosperity.  African Americans had a much

higher unemployment rate than other

American groups.  Many who lived in cities

couldn’t afford life’s basic necessities. Yet,

many Americans prospered and the it

seemed limitless!



Economy had started to slow, but it wasn’t

realized until too, late.  (Records were not

kept regarding business sales, demand

decreases, etc. as they are now.)



Banks were making risky/unwise loans to

stock market investors.



Buying stock ON MARGIN – Only had to put

a portion of the cost of the stock down…

You could sell before paying it off… Inflated

the stock market.



Stock market was riding the bubble, and on

Wednesday, October 23, 1929, the bubble

burst… Next day – Black Thursday.

›

Investors rushed to cash in their investments.

›

Stock prices fell

›

Panic fed itself… People began withdrawing

their money from banks.

›

Banks couldn’t meet depositors demands and

closed… People lost their life savings.

›

Crash: BLACK TUESDAY – October 29, 1929.



Hoover  didn’t do enough to help

people after the crash.

›

He believed in “the American system of

rugged individualism.”  Basically, he believed

that everything would work itself out and

that the government shouldn’t step in to fix

something that was in the business realm.

›

He eventually established the Reconstruction

Finance Corp to channel assistance to

farmers and businesses in need, but it was

too little, too late.



Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt

easily beat Hoover in the election of

1932.



FDR immediately started working to fix

the Depression… He believed that the

government should try anything… If it

didn’t work, move on and try something

else.



NEW DEAL – FDR’s plan to attack the

Depression



New Deal outlined 3 main goals:

›

Relief for the Jobless

›

Plans for Economic Recovery

›

Prevent Another Depression (Reform)

The New Deal enlarged the federal

government

-

Created  a slew of agencies & organizations

-

Often called “Alphabet Soup” agencies.



Alphabet Soup lives on!

›

Social Security Administration

›

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

(FDIC) insures bank deposits

›

Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)

regulates the stock market

›

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

protects and regulates labor unions

›

Federal Housing Administration (FHA) offers

loans & insurance to homeowners



Cultural Environment

›

Artists and writers used the Depression as the

backdrop/topic for their work and used their

work for social commentary.



Works Progress Administration (WPA) put artists

to work writing local folk lore, painting murals,

putting on performances, etc.



Some famous works, which you may have

heard:  War of the Worlds (radio broadcast),

Snow White & the Seven Dwarves, Gone With

the Wind, The Grapes of Wrath



There is debate about how much good the

New Deal did for the United States.

›

Critics would claim that the Federal

Government’s deficit spending (spending more

than it takes in through taxes), putting the nation

into debt.

›

The critics also believed that the New Deal was

interfering too, much in people’s lives and was

giving the federal government too, much

power.

›

Supporters felt that the New Deal  efforts

gave the American people hope and

provided them with money to be able to eat

and survive.

›

Supporters also argued that it saved the

nation’s democratic system, as the US was

able NOT to turn to a dictatorial

government, like many of the nations in

Europe had/were done/doing.

›

Looking back (hindsight is 20/20) we can see

that the New Deal did NOT end the Great

Depression…



World War II began in Europe in 1939, when

Hitler invaded Poland, and the United States

started producing for the war effort… That’s

what took the United States out of the Great

Depression



WWII started in Europe with Germany

invading its neighbors, and spread into

the Pacific, with Japan conquering

China and many Pacific Island nations.



The causes of WWII included a policy of

appeasement toward Hitler, the

expansion of the Axis powers and the

actions of the Allies.



The US maintained an isolationist stance

while helping its European allies until

Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor caused the

US to enter the  war.



As US soldiers went to war, Americans at

home mobilized to support the war effort.



A tragic part of the war was the shameful

internment of Japanese Americans (and

others with Axis ancestry).



The United States emerged from WWII as

one of the dominant powers in world

affairs.



The end of WWII was quickly followed by

the beginning of the Cold War.



Some are the same/similar to those of WWI:

›

Nationalism

›

Imperialism & Expansion (

Appeasement of Germany

added to this cause; Continuing to sell Japan items needed for

their war/military efforts added to this cause.)

›

Alliances

›

Militarism 

(Continuing to sell Japan items needed for their

war/military efforts added to this cause.)



Some are different:

›

Treaty of Versailles (Bitterness & Resentment and

consequences of such)

›

The Great Depression



Germany wanted to expand its territory

and power in Europe.

›

March 1938 – Marched into Austria and made it

a province

›

British (Neville Chamberlain) believed it would be

better to give Hitler what he wanted to avoid

war --- 

APPEASEMENT.

›

September 1938 – Hitler moved to take over the

Sudetenland in Western Czechoslovakia; Munich

Conference – Britain, France, & Italy agreed to

permit Hitler to take over the Sudetenland if he

promised not to take the rest of Czechoslovakia.

--- 

APPEASEMENT AGAIN!



Appeasement did not work!



Hitler began looking at Poland as a

potential land to conquer; Britain

warned that it would defend Poland.



September 1, 1939 – Germany invaded

Poland; Blitzkrieg – Lightening War



2 days later (September 3

rd

) – Britain &

France declared war on Germany.



Before WWII began, Germany & the

Soviet Union signed a nonaggression

pact… Both agreed not to attack each

other.



In June of 1941, Germany attacked the

Soviet Union (Breaking the pact).

›

May have cost Germany the war.

›

Soviets now could attack Germany from the

east.

›

Germany had to divide its troops to fight on

both sides.



Americans maintained a policy of

isolationism.



Congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts –

forbidding the US to sell weapons or give

help to countries at war.

›

Germany invaded France and threatened

Britain.

›

FDR persuaded Congress to pass the Lend-Lease

Act (1941) – Allowed US to give American ships

and supplies to Britain & the Soviet Union… FDR

promised “all measures short of war” to help.

›

US had created an “Arsenal of Democracy” –

way to explain why we weren’t completely

neutral or isolated.



Japan wanted to increase its holdings in

the Pacific

›

Went to war with China (1937)



Britain & US condemned Japan’s actions, but

continued to sell machinery, oil, steel, and

scrap metal to the Japanese

›

Japan had taken over French & Dutch

territories in the Pacific when WWII broke out

in Europe.



When war began in Europe and the

Japanese supported Germany and took

over the  French & Dutch territories in

Asia -- the U.S. cut off sales of oil and

scrap metal to the Japanese (embargo)

and began sending warships into Asian

waters.

›

US and Japan tried to negotiate and talk

things out…

›

Talks were abruptly halted….



Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on

December 7, 1941.

›

SURPRISE ATTACK!

›

Killed 2500 Americans

›

Sank or damaged 8 battleships

›

Destroyed 8 airplanes

›

Shocked the American public!

December 8, 1941 – Congress declared war

on Japan.

Germany & Italy immediately declared war on

the U.S.



TOTAL WAR situation – All resources

organized for the war effort



Women worked in the factories 

(Rosie the

Riveter posters)

 and served in the armed

forces – noncombat duties.



Draft extended to men ages 18-45



Factories made planes and tanks.



Farmers produced more to feed soldiers

overseas and civilians at home.



Rationing & recycling employed.



Americans were worried about enemy

spies.



Discrimination against German, Italian,

and Japanese Americans was prevalent.



Japanese-Americans were put into

relocation (internment) camps for fear

that they would aid the enemy.

›

In 1988, Congress awarded (surviving)

Japanese-Americans who had been

interned $20,000 as an official apology from

the federal government.



War fought on two fronts, or in two

different “theaters”.



WWII Theaters of War:

›

European Theater

›

Pacific Theater



At first, the US concentrated its efforts in

the Pacific & in Italy/North Africa.



The US (Dwight Eisenhower) in charge of

D-Day invasion (Operation Overlord)

›

Largest seaborne operation in military history.

›

More than 140,000 soldiers (American, British,

& Canadian) stormed the beaches of

Normandy France on June 6, 1944



This effort eventually allowed the Allies to push

the Germans back across Europe from the west,

while the Soviets (Russians) were crushing from

the east.



Eventually, the Allied forces met in

Torgau, south of Berlin.



They stormed into Berlin.



Hitler committed suicide and the Allies

captured Berlin.

›

VE Day (Victory in Europe Day) – May 8, 1945



US used island hopping strategy and the

help of the Navajo Code Talkers in the

Pacific.

›

Conquered islands one by one on the way

to main land Japan.

›

Navajo (Native American) soldiers were able

to talk in their native language to give

directions/orders to pilots.



The enemy couldn’t understand them.

›

June 1942 – Americans broke Japan’s secret

communication codes; Won Battle of

Midway



FDR died (April 1945); Truman takes over.

›

Truman learns of secret new weapon –

Manhattan Project – atomic bomb

›

Bomb tested in July of 1945



Allied leaders meet in Potsdam Germany

›

Truman issues warning to Japan:  Surrender

or face “prompt and utter destruction.”

›

Japan ignores warning 

(Potsdam Declaration)

›

US drops atomic bombs on Japan



August 6, 1945 – Hiroshima

August 9, 1945 - Nagasaki

1941

December 7 

– Japan

attacks Pearl Harbor

1942

June

- US defeats

Japan at the Battle

of Midway

Nov 8 

– Allied army

invades North Africa

1943

February

 – German

forces in Stalingrad

surrender to the

Soviet Red Army

July 10 

– Allied army

invades Italy

1944

June 6 

– D-Day –

Allied army invades

German-occupied

France

October

 – US Navy

destroys Japanese

naval forces at Leyte

Gulf

December

 – Battle of

the Bulge begins;

Germans make

strong stand before

being defeated in

January 1945.

1945

January

 – Allies win

Battle of the Bulge

(In 1945 – not exact date)

Concentration

camps are

discovered 

(Examples:

Auschwitz & Dachau)

April 12 

– FDR dies;

Harry Truman

becomes President

May 8 

– V-E Day –

Germany surrenders;

War ends in Europe

1945

(Continued)

August 6 & 9 

– US

drops atomic bombs

on Hiroshima and

Nagasaki

August 14 

– Japan

agrees to surrender

September 2 

–

V-J Day (Victory in

Japan Day); Japan

officially surrenders

aboard the USS

Missouri in Tokyo Bay



Estimated deaths: 13 million soldiers



23 million soldiers wounded



75 million people world wide may have

died.



Millions lost their homes & possessions –

became refugees



Much of Europe & Japan destroyed



Europe’s economy ruined – millions in

poverty



Estimated 6 million Jews died in

concentration camps in Germany &

Poland… THE HOLOCAUST



Nuremberg Trials – Leaders of Germany

& Japan put on trial

›

12 sentenced to death

›

Hideki Tojo – Japanese General who ordered

attack on Pearl Harbor - executed



Stronger sense of nationalism throughout

the world increased

›

Colonies in Africa & Asia demanded

independence from  European rule.

›

British granted India independence

›

French were forced out of SE Asia

›

Other European colonies in Africa & Asia

received their independence



Soviet Union and United States emerged

from WWII as the world’s 2 most powerful

nations.

›

Soviets refused to remove armies from

Eastern Europe after the war.



Soon cut off all contact between Eastern

Europe and the West.



Intense rivalry developed between

democratic nations (led by the US) and

Communist nations (led by the Soviet Union)



COLD WAR BEGINS!



UNITED NATIONS FORMED

Because of the terrible destructiveness of

WWII, the Allies were determined to keep the

postwar world at peace and to prevent the

rise of powerful, warlike dictatorships.  The US,

along with Soviet Union, Great Britain, France

and China, took the lead in establishing the

UN.

Originally 50 member nations. (Today- 191)

Japan not allowed to become a

member until 1953 (punishment); Italy

had to wait until 1955; Germany – 1973.



Both Palestinian Arabs & Jews lived

together in the region in the Middle East

known as Palestine for 100s of years.



Jerusalem – Holy to Muslims, Jews, &

Christians



After WWI, Britain was put in charge of

Palestine.

›

British had promised to support a Jewish

homeland in Palestine, much to the dismay

of Arabs in the region – wanted Palestine to

be  part of a new Arab state.



Fighting between Jews & Arabs broke

out in the region following WWII.



British handed over the problem to the

UN in 1947.



UN chose to divide Palestine into Jewish

and Arab regions, but Arab nations

opposed the idea.



1948 – Jewish residents of Palestine

proclaimed the state of Israel.



Combined army (Egypt, Syria, Jordan,

Lebanon, & Iraq) invaded Israel, but was

crushed by the Israeli army.

›

The US immediately recognized Israel as a

nation.

›

Arab nations in the region did NOT.

The conflict ensued!

(More about the Israeli-Arab-Palestinian conflict when we

talk about The Cold War and Post-Cold War Era.)



This is a continuation of Test Taking Tips

and Strategies that have been

presented in Sessions 1-3.



To be sure you’ve got all of the

strategies, refer to the past OGT Social

Studies Prep PowerPoint presentations



OGT Social Studies Prep PowerPoints can

be found on Ms. E’s web page –

www.copley-fairlawn.org/estright



When in doubt, use common sense.



Accept the situation in the problem at

face value…

›

DON’T READ TOO MUCH INTO IT!

›

These problems will not require you to make

huge leaps of logic.

›

If you have to go beyond creativity and

make a leap of logic in order to have an

answer choice answer the question – LOOK

AT THE OTHER CHOICES!



Don’t overcomplicate the problem by

creating relationships or explanations

that don’t exist.

›

These are normal problems – rooted in

REALITY – so don’t “what if” or “it would, if…”!



Applicable relationships or explanations

may not be 

readily

 apparent…

›

You just have to figure things out.

›

Use your common sense to interpret

anything that is not clear.



If you’re having trouble with a word in

the question or answer choice, try

breaking it down/dissecting it.



Take advantage of EVERY CLUE that the

word might include.



Prefixes & suffixes can be a big help; they

usually allow you to determine 

basic

meaning.

›

Examples:  Pre = Before; Post = After; Pro =

Positive; De = Negative



From prefixes & suffixes, you can get an

idea of the general meaning of a word.

›

Try to put it in context.



Beware of any traps.

›

Example:  Just because CON is the opposite

of PRO does NOT mean that CONgress is the

opposite of PROgress.



Hedge Phrases are phrases such as:

likely, may, can, will often, sometimes,

almost, mostly, usually, generally, rarely,

and sometimes.



They are inserted to cover every

possibility.

›

Often an answer choice will be wrong simply

because it leaves no room for exception.

›

Avoid answer choices that have DEFINITIVE

WORDS like “exactly” and “always.”



Switchbacks are words and phrases

frequently used  to alert you to SHIFTS OF

THOUGHT.

›

The most common switchback word is “BUT.”

›

Others: Although, however, nevertheless, on

the other hand, even though, while, in spite

of, despite, regardless of



CORRECT ANSWER CHOICES will rarely have

completely new information included.

›

Answer choices are typically straightforward reflections of

the material asked about and will directly relate to the

question.

›

If a new piece of information is included in an answer

choice that doesn’t even seem to relate to the topic

being asked, the answer choice is probably INCORRECT.



All of the information needed to answer the question

is usually provided for you.

›

You should not have to make guesses that are

unsupported.

›

You should not have to choose answer choices that

require unknown information that cannot be reasoned on

its own.



Don’t get lost on technical terms.



Don’t spend too much time on any one

question 

(Within reason… An extended response will

likely take you longer than a multiple choice question

and IT’LL BE WORTH MORE POINTS!)



You can’t use a dictionary, so if you don’t

know  what a term means, odds are you

aren’t going much further with that!

›

You should immediately recognize terms as

those you know

 and 

those you don’t know

.

›

If you don’t know a term, work with the other

clues you have and the other answer choices

and terms provided… Then move on.



Contextual Clues will help you find the

answer that is MOST right and IS

CORRECT.

›

An answer 

can 

be right, but 

NOT

 correct

.



Understand the context in which a

phrase or statement is made.

›

This will help you make distinctions that are

important for choosing the right answer

choice.



If your mind goes blank when seeing a

question, TAKE A DEEP BREATH!



Force yourself to go through the question

STEP BY STEP.

›

Mechanically go through the steps of

answering/solving the problem/question

using the strategies that you  know and have

learned.



Don’t be a clock watcher.



Stay calm



Maintain a pace 

YOU

’ve set for

YOUR

self.



When you get towards the end of testing

time, don’t freak out!

›

Remember you won’t have as much of the

test left at that point, so you’re right on track!

›

Take the remaining time provided if needed.

›

Don’t worry about how quickly others

around you are getting done.



The BEST way to pick an answer choice is to

eliminate all of those that are wrong, until

there’s only 1 left and you’ve confirmed it’s the

right choice.



Be careful of going with the first choice that

looks right.

›

Don’t make a mistake due to rushing.

›

READ THROUGH ALL THE CHOICES.



Make sure there’s not another choice that’s equally as

obvious as the first you saw.



There are only 2 times you should stop before

checking other answers:  When you are

positive the answer you’ve selected is correct

and

 when time is almost out and you need to

make a quick guess.



Make sure you’ve answered all the

questions (on the OGT answer document).



Get credit for everything that you know –

don’t miss questions due to careless

mistakes.



If you have time, go back over the answer

selection a 2

nd

 time to make sure you’ve

selected the BEST answer choice(s) and

haven’t made a silly error – like marking

something you didn’t mean to mark.

›

This quick check will be worth it!



More than likely, the correct answer

choice will paraphrase or summarize a

point and 

not

 use the exact same

wording.

›

Sometimes an answer choice will repeat

word for word a portion of the question or

reference section



BEWARE!  IT COULD BE A TRAP.



Scientific/Scholarly sounding answers are

better choices than those that use slang.

›

Example:



An answer choice beginning with the words

“To compare the outcomes…” is more likely to

be correct than one that starts “Because some

people insisted…”



Avoid wild, “out there” answers.



Avoid answer choices that have

controversial ideas presented as fact.



Choose calm, rational answer choice

statements.



Avoid choices that use definitive,

uncompromising, no-wiggle-room

statements.



Choices that use hedge phrases give the

answer “wiggle room” and should be

looked at as possible correct answer

choices.



A family of answer choices is when 2 or 3 answer

choices are very similar in wording, yet they often

have the opposite meaning.

›

Example:



According the map, you can deduce that the Republican

candidate won the support of the Southern states.



According the map, you can deduce that the Democratic

candidate won the support of the Southern states.



Usually the correct answer choice will be in that

family of answer choices.

›

The “odd one out” answer choice or the one that doesn’t

seem to fit the wording of the other choices is more likely

to be incorrect.



Example:  

(This would be added with the ones in the example above.)



There’s no way to tell from the map which party won the

Southern states.