American Centuries

Pocumtuck Valley
Memorial Association

American Centuries > Lessons > History Lessons By Teachers > Can Anyone Feel A Draft

Can Anyone Feel A Draft

Details

Author
Scott Taylor
Topic/Subject Area
Military, Wars, Battles
Historical Era
Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–1877, Great Depression and World War II, 1929–1945, Progressive Era, World War I, 1900–1928
Grade Level
Elementary (K–5), Middle School (6–8)
Creation Date
2007
Last Revision Date
2024

Related items

About This Lesson

Summary and Objective

Students will learn the concept and necessity behind a military draft. They will create their own draft cards and participate in a classroom draft. They will use this activity as a means to explore probability, fractions, and percent in math. The students will understand that the draft played an important role during the Civil and World Wars and they should understand the steps one goes through when they are drafted.

Materials & Resources

Collection Items
Website

 

Teaching Plan

  1. Students will examine the draft law of 1863 by using the website link. They should then be able to answer the questions, “Why was the draft necessary?” and “What were the rules surrounding the draft process?”
  2. They will then look at the WWII Draft Registration Card of Caryll Crafts and note the information located on it.
  3. Students will create their own draft cards with information on them that the class deems appropriate.
  4. They will examine the draft cylinder and note its features. The cards from all class members will be placed into a “draft cylinder” which the class has created.
  5. The class will then formulate a series of probability questions such as “What is the probability that a boy’s card will be drawn?
  6. The students will post all of their questions and answers on chart paper in the front of the room.
  7. The class will conduct a draft for a predetermined number of recruits.
  8. Upon completion of the draft, students will then record the results and compare their findings with the probabilities they had calculated. Additional drafts can be conducted, as well as recording information using fractions.