Off to World War I?

Krista Ruud

Fellowship Lesson 2009

Champaign County Historical Archives

Lesson 1 - To or Not To: Americans Joining World War I

To download this lesson in PDF format, click here.

Length: 1-2 class periods

Set-up: Individual work and whole class discussion

Procedures:

§ Students should already have background knowledge of World War I (causes; how WWI was fought/new technology; why the United States joined in the war; key people and places), but this may be a good time to review what has already been learned in class.

§ Pass out to students the WWI Brainstorming Chart (1 per student). Have them fill out the chart on their own. If students are having a difficult time filling out the chart you can have them think about what they have already learned about WII and even their own reasons they would/would not want to fight in a war.

§ After students have had time to fill out the chart, discuss the chart as a class. You can have the chart on the board or overhead and write down students’ answers.

§ Next, pass out the two articles on the WWI draft: Conscription is Balked in the Senate and Will Get Their Dose of Capsules as well as the Draft Main Idea Chart to each student. Read these aloud as a class or have students read the articles individually. As the reading is taking place, have students fill out the Draft Main Idea Chart.

§ As a class, discuss the Draft Main Idea Chart as well as the fact that young men were going to be required to go fight in WWI. How might that affect morale? Would all men want to go? Would all men not want to go? Also discuss that women were not allowed to fight in WWI, but they could sign up to do other work to help the war effort.

National & Local Primary Sources: Students will view newspaper articles from the Champaign-Urbana Courier (written by the United Press) that pertain to the WWI Conscription Act.

Assessment: Students will have completed the WWI Brainstorming Chart and the Draft Main Idea Chart and participated in a class discussion about Americans going off to serve in World War I. Students may either keep these or the teacher can collect and keep the work. It will be helpful later in the unit.