Lesson on Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Aims: What were the long term and immediate causes of U.S. involvement on the side of the Allies? To what extent did its involvement in World War I affect life in the United States?

Bell Ringer: Handout "The U.S. Enters World War I"

Objectives:

1.     Students will examine how the United States government prepared the nation for war with war measures (Selective Service Act, War Industries Board, war bonds, Espionage Act, Sedition Act, Committee of Public Information).

Agenda:

1.Bell Ringer (15 min)

2.Activity: Play the song “Over There” as an introduction to this activity (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6hRDS3LvQQ). Project or photocopy lyrics to the song so that students may read along while the song plays, and briefly discuss (Attachment E). (10 min)

3.Stamp and review Journals 43 and 44 (5 min)

4.Share images of WWI propaganda posters (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/posters-sold-world-war-i-american-public-180952179/?no-ist) with students and use the Library of Congress Teacher’s Guide to Analyzing Primary Sources to promote student analysis and inquiry (Attachment F). (15 min)

5.Work in small groups to create your own propaganda poster based on one of the following: Selective Service Act, War Industries Board, war bonds, Espionage Act, Sedition Act, unrestricted submarine warfare, women in World War I. (rest of class)

Home Learning: Packet “The Battlefront”

Questions to analyze WWI propaganda:

1.What do you notice first?

2.What do you notice that you didn’t expect? 

3.What do you notice that you can’t explain?

4.What do you notice now that you didn’t notice earlier?

5.Where do you think this came from?

6.Why do you think somebody made this?

7.Who do you think was the audience for this item?