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In this activity, students will match photographs, posters, and documents to visualize ways that Americans contributed to the war effort on the home-front during World War I. Students will see a payoff image related to the armistice celebration and reflect on the sacrifices made during wartime.

Suggested Teaching Instructions

Learning Objectives

Students will analyze documents related to homefront activities in which Americans were encouraged to engage during World War I. They will compare documents, identify patriotic activities, and reflect on the meaning of American citizenship. For grades 6-8. Approximate time needed is 25 minutes.

Instructions

This activity is intended as an individual student or small-group activity to introduce students to home-front activities during World War I. It could also serve as an introduction and reflection on Veterans Day as a national holiday and/or the meaning of citizenship.

After defining the term "home-front" as it relates to wartime, project the activity for the entire class and choose one document from the grid with which to model document analysis.

Ask students to complete the activity on their own, performing similar analysis with each document they click on. The activity will instruct students to match the documents according to nine specific ways that Americans were asked to help on the homefront to win the war. (Point out that there may have been other ways to help as well.) Americans could have:

1. enlisted or supported relatives who were fighting,

2. bought bonds from the government to help finance the war,

3. been loyal to the government and told on those who weren't,

4. worked in a wartime industry, even switching from their regular jobs,

5. worked instead of staying at home if they were women,

6. volunteered skills or time to help the nation or soldiers,

7. eaten more of some things and less or none of others,

8. saved sugar for the soldiers,

9. or grown crops to increase the food supply.

After students make all of the matches, they will see a photograph of an armistice celebration showing cheering and flags of the Allies. Upon learning that Armistice Day became a U.S. holiday to commemorate this event, they will reflect on the purpose of the holiday now known as Veterans Day.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs states the purpose of Veterans Day is " to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good."

Following students' responses to the questions "Do citizens owe their country sacrifices?" and "How much did Americans sacrifice on the homefront during WWI?" in the "When You're Done" section, conduct a class discussion about sacrifice during wartime and peacetime, and what it means to be an American citizen.

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Americans on the Homefront Helped Win World War I

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Start Activity In this activity, students will match photographs, posters, and documents to visualize ways that Americans contributed to the war effort on the home-front during World War I. Students will see a payoff image related to the armistice celebration and reflect on the sacrifices made during wartime.

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Free gamified quizzes on every subject that students play in class and at home. Pick an existing quiz or create your own for review, formative assessment, and more.

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United States enters World War I | The 20th century | World history | Khan Academy

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Okay so I said earlier that a lot of American progressives were anti-war but certainly not all of them. Like, according to Randolph Bourne, "War is the health of the state" and for progressives like him, the war offered the possibility of reforming American society along scientific lines, instilling a sense of national unity and self-sacrifice and expanding social justice. Let's go to the Thought Bubble.

World War I made the national government much more powerful than it had ever been. Like, in May of 1917, Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which required 24 million men to register for the draft and eventually increased the size of the army from 120 000 to 5 million. The government also commandeered control of much of the economy to get the country ready to fight, creating new agencies to regulate industry, transportation, labor relations and agriculture. The War Industries Board took charge of all elements of wartime production, setting quotas and prices and establishing standardized specification for almost everything, even down to the color of shoes. The Railroad Administration administered transportation and the Fuel Agency rationed coal and oil. This regulation sometimes brought about some of the progressives' goals. Like, the War Labor Board, for instance, pushed for a minimum wage, 8 hour work days and the rights of workers to form unions. Wages rose substantially in the era, working conditions improved and union membership skyrocketed. But then, so did taxes and the wealthiest Americans ended up on the hook for 60% of their income.

Also, in World War I, as never before, the government used its power to shape public opinion. In 1917, the Wilson administration created the Committee on Public Information, which only sounds like it's from an Orwell novel. Headed by George Creel, the CPI's team created a wave of propaganda to get Americans to support the war, printing pamphlets, making posters and advertising in swanky motion pictures. The best-known strategies were the speeches of 75 000 "Four Minute Men", who in that amount of time, delivered messages of support for the war in theaters, schools and other public venues. The key concepts in the CPI propaganda effort were democracy and freedom. Creel believed that the war would accelerate movement towards solving the "age old problems of poverty, inequality, oppression and unhappiness," because, obviously, war is the most effective anti-depressant. Thanks Thought Bubble.

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Nerdfighteria Wiki - America in World War I: Crash Course US History #30

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Okay so I said earlier that a lot of American progressives were anti-war but certainly not all of them. Like, according to Randolph Bourne, "War is the health of the state" and for progressives like him, the war offered the possibility of reforming American society along scientific lines, instilling a sense of national unity and self-sacrifice and expanding social justice.

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world war 1 Learn with flashcards, games, and more - for free.

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D2.Civ.6.9-12. Critique relationships among governments, civil societies, and economic markets.

D3.1.9-12. Gather relevant information from multiple sources representing a wide range of views while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.

Review Hitler's April 17, 1923 speech, available here as a downloadable PDF, denouncing the treaty.

Review Articles 42-50 and 231-235, and skim Articles 159-213, of the Treaty of Versailles; the text is from the EDSITEment resource Great War Primary Documents Archive. Another webpage containing the text in its entirety, The Versailles Treaty, is available from the EDSITEment-reviewed from Internet Public Library, which has a page specifically devoted to World War I History.

Review background information on the treaty and the German reaction, available through two resources from the History Department at Colby College, and reviewed by the Center for the Liberal Arts, an EDSITEment resource: "Germany's Responsibility for the War" and "The Weimar Republic: the Treaty of Versailles."

Read background information on the treaty's place in the subsequent rise to power of the Nazis, available at the EDSITEment resource U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum: "Treaty of Versailles, 1919." The article points out that the Treaty was a useful rhetorical device for the Nazis and other right-wing parties, which could brandish it as evidence of the traitorous actions of democratic parties that had accepted the terms of the treaty. The article also makes the point that in the years following 1921, the date the Treaty took effect, the Treaty was altered in Germany's favor, and that "with the occupation of the Rhineland on March 7, 1936, all military restrictions (which had already been violated before Hitler's accession to power) became null and void."

Maps of Europe before, during, and after World War I are available through the Department of History at the United States Military Academy. The Map Library contains these contrasting maps: Europe in 1914 and Europe in 1919; The World in 1914 and The World in 1919.

Besides teaching students about the contents of the Treaty of Versailles, this lesson raises challenging questions about historical causality and responsibility. Students have an innate sense of what is and isn't fair and may have strong feelings about the fairness (or not) of the Treaty. Provided in the Introduction, and in activity 5, are some questions for discussion that may help your students think about-or rethink-the implications of the positions they take in activity 5.

Activity 1. Motives for the Treaty: the Trauma of World War I

Begin by sharing with your students the enormous and unprecedented human costs of the Great War. This will give them a context for considering the motivations of the allied powers in imposing the Treaty of Versailles, and for judging whether or not the terms of the Treaty were justified. By comparing the numbers of casualties and total troops mobilized, students will also have a basis for understanding the differing positions taken by the countries that drew up the Treaty.

Begin by examining death and casualty tolls from France and the United States, respectively. For a brief look, students may use the Diagram: Deaths by Countries in Thousands at the Great War Primary Documents Archive. For a more in-depth look, with information not only on deaths, but on total casualties and total mobilized men, have students look at the diagram Casualties: First World War, produced by the Spartacus Educational Network in Great Britain, a link from Center for the Liberal Arts. Have students note not only the total deaths and casualties, but also particularly the percentage of casualties relative to total mobilized. Also have students examine photographs of destruction along the western front in France. The three sets of Before and After photographs from the Great War Primary Documents Archive will probably suffice, although you may also wish to have students include some or all of the following: Ruins of Vaux, Ruins of Arras Cathedral, and Ruins of the Arras Hotel de Ville. What level of destruction do these pictures indicate? What are some emotions evoked when viewing these images? What happened to the originally charming and vibrant Village of Esnes? Why is it significant that major civic buildings such as the Courthouse (Palace of Justice), cathedral, and City Hall (Hotel de Ville) were destroyed? Can you envision what these buildings and towns may have looked like before the war? How long do you think it would take to rebuild these buildings and communities? How much do you think it would cost? Can a community ever really recover from such destruction? Ask students to speculate, based on this information, how France's goals for the postwar settlement might differ from U.S. goals. What might France fear? What would France probably want with respect to Germany? Why? Would those desires be reasonable? Why or why not? Why might the U.S. be able to take a more idealistic perspective?

The following video from the Khan Academy offers a summation of the lead up to the Paris Peace Conference after the Great War and the issues that needed to be resolved.

Activity 2. Drawing Up the Treaty: France and the United States

Next have students read excerpts from President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points speech to Congress from the Great War Primary Documents Archive. Specifically, first have students read the last two paragraphs of Wilson's speech (the part before the actual enumeration of the points). What does Wilson say are the goals of the United States? What is his hope for the world and for the postwar talks? Then have students read the first paragraph right after the enumeration of the Fourteen Points. What is Wilson's stated attitude toward Germany? How would this attitude differ from France's? Again, in the context of the information from activity #1 above, why might the U.S. be more inclined than France to take an idealistic perspective?

Activity 3. Optional activity: A Treaty of the Victors

Have students write out a list, based on their knowledge, of what they believe would be the most important respective postwar goals for France, Germany, and the United States. Each country should have at least 5 items, ranked from most important to least important. (You may wish to start students out with one or two items, such as have Germany pay for the war or establish a peace-keeping body.) Break students into groups of three, each of whom represents one of these countries, and have students spend approximately 20-30 minutes attempting to negotiate an agreement centered around these goals. When time is up, discuss the process and share the various results. Were there any common goals? Were compromises made? Which country was most pleased with how the negotiations turned out? Most displeased? On balance, did each country feel it had achieved its most important goal? Were there any particular impasses or impediments to agreements?

Be sure to inform students that in reality, Germany was not represented at the settlement talks. Later in the lesson, after considering the real treaty, ask how Germany's presence might have altered the peace process. (An alternative activity would be to do the above activity with only France and the United States represented; this has the advantage of being closer to the historical reality.)

Activity 4. The Terms of the Treaty

Now have students begin to consider the actual terms of the peace treaty with respect to Germany. First have students analyze before and after maps of Europe and the world. (See Preparing to Teach section for several options for maps to use in this activity.) How much European land did Germany lose? Which regions specifically? To which countries did this land go? What land worldwide was lost by Germany? To which countries did this land go?

Students should then read Sections III and IV (Articles 42-50) of the treaty for the terms pertaining to the Rhineland and the Saar Basin; these articles are in the treaty section Political Clauses For Europe. (Preparing to Teach section above for links to the treaty.) Have students locate these regions on a map. Why were these clauses probably inserted? What benefits did these clauses give France? Was it reasonable to establish the demilitarized Rhineland buffer zone? How would the terms regarding the Saar Basin affect the German economy? How would Germany probably react to these terms?

Next have students read the treaty for the terms pertaining to Germany's military, in the treaty section Military, Naval and Air Clauses. What were the terms for Germany? What sovereign powers did Germany lose? How might these clauses have satisfied France? How would Germany probably react? Have students discuss whether it is reasonable to disarm a former enemy belligerent.

Students should then read the treaty for the terms pertaining to Germany's war guilt and reparations, in the treaty section Reparations. First discuss the infamous "war guilt clause," Article 231. Why does it single out Germany and not the other Central Powers? Based on their knowledge (again, it is assumed that students will have already spent time learning the causes of the war), is this clause accurate? Does Germany warrant more responsibility than other countries? Do the Allies bear any responsibility? As preparation, for this discussion, you may wish to have students read the aforementioned background essays that discuss the extent of German guilt. (See Preparing to Teach section for links to these essays.) Then discuss the sections on reparations, especially Articles 232-235. How much was Germany to pay? How might this affect the German economy?

Activity 5. The German Response

Have students read the German Reply Memorandum to the treaty, written by the German Foreign Minister Count Brockdorff-Rantzau, available here as a downloadable PDF. Explain that Germany was allowed to fashion a reply to the treaty draft, but its terms were summarily rejected by the Allies. What objections does Germany raise to the treaty? Are these objections valid? Should the Allies have modified the treaty in any way to address these points?

Now have students read Hitler's April 17, 1923 speech, available here as a downloadable PDF, denouncing the treaty. (Ideally students will already be familiar with the circumstances behind the Weimar Republic. If not, explain to students that the German Kaiser abdicated at the close of World War I, to be succeeded by a democratic republic known as the Weimar Republic. It was representatives of the Weimar Republic who signed the Versailles Treaty.) Discuss his speech. Why is Hitler so vitriolic concerning the Weimar Republic? What does he blame the Weimar Republic for? What other goals does he link to the elimination of the treaty? What imagery does he use? What actions is he alluding to at the end? How might this speech appeal to the emotions of the listener? Consider how the treaty may have contributed to the rise of Nazism, and by extension, World War II. Would Hitler have been able to give such a powerful speech or to find a receptive audience if the treaty had been different?

Was the German response to the Treaty of Versailles justified? Have students take a stand on whether the treaty was fair or unfair, with specific evidence to justify their ideas. This may be done through discussion, debate, or a written assignment.

Once students have had a chance to consider their positions on this question, discuss with your class some of the larger issues of causality and responsibility that are raised by this exercise. Some questions are: What are our sources for gauging the German response? Can we trust them? Might German politicians in the 1930s have had something to gain by exploiting the bitterness of defeat? If we believe that the terms of the treaty were unfair, does this mean that the allies bear responsibility in some fashion for subsequent developments in Germany? That the German response was justified?

You may also want to discuss questions raised in the Introduction about other explanations for the appeal of fascism in Germany. Antisemitism was sometimes framed in terms of the supposed "unfair" advantages that Jewish bankers and merchants had taken of hardworking Germans (you can read more about antisemitism and the rise of fascism in Germany at the Holocaust Learning Center, a resource from the U.S. Holocaust Museum).

Meeting of the Minds seminar: Students assume the role of a representative they have researched and participate in a seminar as if they are that person. Students utilize research collected using primary sources, interpret those sources from the perspective of the person they are portraying, and participate in a discussion to persuade others and defend their positions. Some of the nations in attendance at the Paris Peace Conference to be represented include:

At the conclusion of the "Meeting of the Minds" discussion, students reflect on the research process, the discussion, and what they learned by arguing from someone else's perspective. This can be modified to small group discussions that each include the same competing perspectives/representatives rather than a whole group seminar. It is recommended that small groups include more than the "Big Four" nations (United States, Great Britain, France, and Italy) so as to more accurately represent the global nature of the Paris Peace Conference and set the stage for World War II.

Questions to investigate, organize research around, and discuss from the perspective of the representatives students are portraying during the Meeting of the Minds seminar can include:

What should be done about Germany's military?

What should be done about Germany's colonies?

Should Germany be required to pay reparations for war damages?

What is meant by self-determination and which nations will be included?

What should be done about those nations that make up the British Commonwealth?

What new economic policies will we implement to protect international trade interests?

What power should a League of Nations have and will you join?

What will the new map of Europe look like (borders, capital cities, flags, etc.)?

Have students research other postwar settlements, such as the peace terms of the Congress of Vienna after the Napoleonic Wars, and compare them to the Treaty of Versailles. Some sample questions to consider: What were the victors' goals at the Congress of Vienna? Were they different than the goals of the victors in 1919? Was the 1815 settlement a harsh one toward France? What happened to the government of France after the Napoleonic Wars, and how did this compare to what happened to the government of Germany? What territorial adjustments were made after the Napoleonic Wars, and how did these adjustments compare to the 1919 adjustments? The Congress of Vienna settlement is widely credited with keeping Europe out of a continent-wide war for 100 years (in fact, until World War I!). Why might it have been so successful at keeping the peace, whereas the Versailles settlement collapsed after only two decades? Students should conduct their own research for this expansion activity, but following are some basic background sites for students to begin with (all are linked to the EDSITEment resource, Internet Public Library): "Europe in Retrospect: International Order and Domestic Strife," produced by Britannia Encyclopedia Online; and "Congress of Vienna," a student essay from Chico High School in Chico, California.

Hold a discussion/debate or give a written assignment exploring what, if any, are the victor's obligations after a war is over. To what extent should a defeated wartime enemy be punished? Is harsh punishment practical? Worthwhile? legitimate?

Recommended Websites

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The Great War: Evaluating the Treaty of Versailles

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Was the Treaty of Versailles, which formally concluded World War I, a legitimate attempt by the victorious powers to prevent further conflict, or did it place an unfair burden on Germany? This lesson helps students respond to the question in an informed manner.

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HIPPO Practice - Wilson's Entry into WWI

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Welcome to FloridaStudents.org, your source for Student Tutorials and Resources. This website is freely available to Florida public schools and login is integrated with all districts. Inside this website you will find resources to support your learning in language arts, mathematics, science, civics, and U.S. History.