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American Centuries > Lessons > History Lessons By Teachers > The Controversial Nature of U.S. Involvement in WWI

The Controversial Nature of U.S. Involvement in WWI

Details

Author
Unspecified
Topic/Subject Area
Military, Wars, Battles
Historical Era
Progressive Era, World War I, 1900–1928
Grade Level
High School (9–12)
Creation Date
2010
Last Revision Date
2024

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About This Lesson

Summary and Objective

Through their participation in this activity, students will learn that although WWI was primarily a “European war,” the U.S. played an important role. They will also learn that while there was general support for U.S. involvement in the war, there was also opposition to U.S. involvement.

Materials & Resources

Collection Items
Websites
Books

Teaching Plan

  1. Students will read page 113 of “The World’s Work” – War Manual of the Great 1914 European Conflict to gain an understanding that while WWI was primarily a European conflict, the U.S. was involved.
  2. After viewing various propaganda posters such as “Rivets are Bayonets / Drive them home! and “Allies, Arise!” students will understand that propaganda was used on all sides of the conflict – by the allied forces including the U.S., the German and Austrian governments, as well as the U.S. industrial corporations. After viewing the posters students will be asked to identify both the creators of the posters and their intended audiences.
  3. After viewing Songs of the Peace Movement of World War I on the Library of Congress website, students will understand that the peace movement in the U.S. was supported by a wide variety of groups. After exploring the information, students will answer the following questions: Who opposed the war and why? Who wrote the anti-war songs, and who was the intended audience for the songs?
  4. Students will write a short, one page summary of U.S. involvement in the war and opposition to the war.
  5. After reading the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, students will be asked to write an essay in which they compare and contrast the attitude of the German public’s attitude toward the war as portrayed in the novel with the American attitude toward the war as revealed through this activity.