Dear Father: A College Student's Perspective on WWI

Learning Resource Type

Lesson Plan

Subject Area

Social Studies

Grade(s)

4, 6

Overview

This lesson will introduce students to an Alabama connection to World War I. The primary document that will be used is a letter to a father from a University of Alabama student, written on March 2, 1917, exactly one month before the United States declared war on Germany. The student discusses typical family topics before ending with his concerns about the possibility of war.

This lesson was created as a part of the Alabama History Education Initiative, funded by a generous grant from the Malone Family Foundation in 2009.

Author Information:Dr. Lesa Roberts (Cohort 1: 2009-2010) Hampton Road Middle School; Huntsville City School System; Huntsville, AL

Social Studies (2010) Grade(s): 4

SS10.4.11

Describe the impact of World War I on Alabamians, including the migration of African Americans from Alabama to the North and West, utilization of Alabama’s military installations and training facilities, and increased production of goods for the war effort.

UP:SS10.4.11

Vocabulary

  • analyze
  • infer
  • assess
  • home front
  • propaganda
  • installation
  • utilization
  • technology
  • WWI
  • Great Migration

Knowledge

Students know:
  • How Alabamians were impacted by WWI.
  • The factors that led to the migration of African Americans from Alabama to the North and West.
  • Alabama was home to many military installations and training facilities.
  • The production of many goods increased greatly as a result of the war.
  • Many Alabamians participated in the war including Alabama's 167th Regiment of the Rainbow Division.
  • New technologies, including airplanes, machine guns, and chemical warfare, greatly impacted the outcome of the war.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Recognize the impact of World War I on Alabamians.
  • Trace on a map the migration of African Americans from Alabama to the North and West.
  • Identify Alabama's military installations and training facilities.
  • Analyze graphs to determine increased production of specific goods during WWI.
  • Identify World War I technologies, including airplanes, machine guns, and chemical warfare.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • World War I had a significant impact on Alabama.
Social Studies (2010) Grade(s): 6

SS10.6.3

Identify causes and consequences of World War I and reasons for the United States’ entry into the war.

UP:SS10.6.3

Vocabulary

  • WWI
  • Lusitania
  • Zimmerman Note
  • alliances
  • militarism
  • imperialism
  • nationalism
  • modern warfare
  • isolationism
  • Treaty of Versailles
  • League of Nations
  • Red Scare

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The causes and consequences of U.S. involvement in WWI (sinking of the Lusitania, the Zimmerman Note, Alliance System, Militarism, Imperialism, and Nationalism).
  • The roles of military and civilians played in WWI.
    • Important people involved in WWI (Woodrow Wilson, Archduke Franz Ferdinand).
  • The impact of technological advances of WWI on modern warfare (machine guns, tanks, submarines, airplanes, poison gas, and gas masks).
  • How to locate countries involved in WWI on a map and boundary changes that occurred after WWI.
  • The factors contributing to isolationism in the United States after WWI (Treaty of Versailles debate, Red Scare, League of Nations).
  • Strategic locations of military bases in Alabama.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Locate places on a map.
  • Read and interpret primary source documents.
  • Cite evidence to support historical events.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • There were many reasons for United States entry and involvement in World War I and there were causes and consequences of this involvement.

Primary Learning Objectives

The student will be able to:

  • describe the impact of World War I on Alabamians.
  • identify consequences of World War I and reasons for the United States' entry into the war.

 

Procedures/Activities

Engagement/Motivation Activity:

Before: Ask students if they know of anyone in college today. Allow time to respond. Discuss how college students stay in contact with their families (emails, texts, phone calls, and letters).

During: Encourage students to brainstorm possible topics an eighteen-year-old son would write about to his father today. Ask the students to create a T-chart in their notebooks by drawing a line down the middle of the page and labeling the left column NOW and the right column THEN. Underneath the NOW section list possible topics, such as money, tuition, cars, tests, grades, sports, events at home, events in the news, and friends. Explain that eighteen-year-olds may not have changed much in the last 100 years.

Step 1 Distribute the primary document, and read it aloud or ask for volunteers to read the letter. As the letter is read aloud, tell the students to add the topics that Cliff wrote about to the T-chart under the label THEN. Topics should include tuition, late fees, shoes, birthday, and Wilson’s campaign for re-election.

Step 2 Discuss the closing of the letter concerning Cliff’s birthday and how he feels about current events. Students may need to be reminded that in 1917 the voting age was twenty-one. Ask students what the writer meant by “Wilson keeping us out of trouble.” Relate this statement to Wilson’s 1916 campaign slogan “He kept us out of the war.” Discuss why, despite Wilson’s pledge to keep America out of the war, he eventually asked Congress to declare war.

Step 3 On the bottom of the T-chart under the THEN section, the students should write a brief paragraph about Wilson’s campaign slogan and the events that occurred that altered his promise to keep America out of the war.

After:

Step 4 Discuss the most recent elections and the slogans that were used. Encourage students to determine whether or not the candidate has fulfilled campaign promises. What events might occur that could cause the candidate to “go back on” or alter campaign promises as President Wilson did?

Step 5 On the bottom of the T-chart under the NOW section, the students should write a brief paragraph about the current president’s campaign slogans and the events that have/may occur that could cause the president to “go back on” or alter his promises.

Assessment Strategies

Grade the T-chart for accuracy.

Grade the paragraphs using the rubric.

Acceleration

The student should complete the T-chart as directed. Students should then highlight commonalities found on the chart (money request, clothing needs, current events, studying).

The student should write a letter to a parent or guardian following the directions on the rubric. Allow students to share their letters. Grade the letters using the rubric.

Intervention

Students chould be given a transcript of Cliff Durr’s letter. Allow students to highlight important information and various topics he discusses.

Students may work in pairs to read and complete both sides of the T-chart.

Total Duration

31 to 60 Minutes

Background/Preparation

Background information for teacher: The teacher can find information about Alabama’s involvement in World War I on the Encyclopedia of Alabama Web site

Students should be familiar with the following:

• Events of the turn of the century, the Progressive Era, and the events that created the war in Europe by 1914.

• Terms – isolationism, nationalism, imperialism, and militarism.

• People and countries involved in the early WWI era – Woodrow Wilson, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Germany, Italy, Russia, France, and Great Britain.

• Candidates and political platforms of the 1916 presidential election.

Materials and Resources

• Cliff Durr primary source letter – classroom set

• Presidential Paragraphs rubric

• College Student Letter rubric

Technology Resources Needed

• Computer

• Document camera or transparency to display primary document if using the Modification

Approved Date

2015-07-17
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