Off to World War I?

Krista Ruud

Fellowship Lesson 2009

Champaign County Historical Archives

Lesson 2 – America Wants YOU to Join World War I

To download this lesson in PDF format, click here.

Length: 1-2 class periods

Set-up: Groups of 2 - 4

Procedures:

§ Pass out to each group 4 copies of the Newspaper Article Analysis Worksheet. Then pass out to each group one copy of the following newspaper articles: Fake Suicide Doomed as Draft Evasion Method, Register First Can Kick Later, Call 687,000 Men to Fill U.S. Army, and More Men are Called for Drafting. Groups should read through each article and, for each article, fill out the Newspaper Article Analysis Worksheet.

§ After groups finish reading the articles and filling out the Analysis Worksheet, discuss as a class why American men joined WWI, what they did in the war, how they felt about joining WWI, and how they felt about the draft (you may want to record the responses).

§ Next, pass out to each group 4 copies of the Newspaper Article Analysis Worksheet and the following articles: Need 37,500 Nurses, To the Young Women of the United States, Yankee Nurses Show Mettle, and Yankee Nurses are Kept Busy. Groups should read through each article and, for each article, fill out the Newspaper Article Analysis Worksheet.

§ After groups finish reading the articles and filling out the Analysis Worksheet, discuss as a class why American women joined WWI, what they did in the war, and how they felt about joining WWI (you may want to record the responses).

§ Finally, review why Americans were needed for the Great War in Europe, what the draft was and who was drafted, and what men and women’s roles were in WWI. Also discuss what students think American men and women thought about the war in Europe once they were there (especially depending on if they were drafted or not). You may want to record the responses.

Local Primary Sources: Students will view newspaper articles from the Champaign-Urbana Courier, Daily Illini, and the Champaign Daily Gazette that pertain to American men and women joining World War I.

Assessment: Students will have completed 8 Newspaper Article Analysis Worksheets based on articles about men and women joining the WWI cause. Students will have demonstrated their understanding of the articles in a class discussion based on three of the Essential Questions.