A World at War: World War I

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A World at WarWorld War I

• American History
• Grade 10
• Unit 4

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Author

• Joshua Hazelrigg

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Table of Contents

• Objectives
• Materials
• Web Sites
• Student Activities
• Presentation Slides

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Objectives

• This unit is designed to teach students the
  events that led to America becoming involved in
  World War I and the results of the war.
• To prepare students of the benchmarks and
  knowledge necessary for passing the OGT.

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Materials

• Computers for research
• Historical maps of Europe
• LCD projector or overhead for visuals and maps
• Pens, pencils, paper
• Index Cards
• Colored Pencils, Crayons, or Markers

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Web Sites

• First World War.com
• History Channel
• PBS.com The Great War
• BBC.com World War I Schools Web
• Eyewitness History.com

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Student Activities

• Introduction Quiz
• Alliance System Activity
• Who Did What (In America) Activity
• Versailles Meeting Activity
• How the World Changed Activity

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Student Activities

• An introduction quiz to see what the students
  remember about World War I.
• This activity is to assist the teacher in knowing
  what sections of World War I need to be focussed
  on more than others.
• Go Back to Student Activity Listing

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Student Activities

• The Alliance System
• Students are given cards telling them who they
  have alliances with.
• Using these cards and prompts from the teacher,
  students must decide whether to declare war, stay
  neutral, or compromise.
• After all prompts are used, students will be
  asked the benefits and shortcomings of the
  alliance system.
• Go Back to Student Activity Listing

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Student Activities

• Who Did What (in America)
• Students are given handouts explaining the life
  of an individual in America during WWI (i.e.
  Women, African Americans, soldiers, children and
  businesses).
• Students will read and take notes on their
  person.
• Students will then split into groups and create a
  jigsaw of notes about the different people of
  America.
• Go Back to Student Activity Listing

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Student Activities

• Versailles Meeting Activity
• Students are assigned to groups that will
  represent the major players in the Treaty of
  Versailles.
• They are given their amount of influence,
  objectives, goals, and flexibility.
• With this information, they must create a
  cooperative treaty that deals with the problems
  facing those at the end of World War I.
• Go Back to Student Activity Listing

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Student Activities

• How the World Changed Activity
• The students will receive multiple maps of Europe
  to show the stages of Europe throughout American
  interaction.
• Students will color alliances, territory gained
  and lost, and new nations created after the
  Treaty of Versailles.
• The time periods covered will be the beginning of
  the war, pre-American intervention, Europe at the
  cease-fire, and after the Treaty of Versailles.
• Go Back to Student Activity Listing

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Prelude to War

• President Wilson believed America had more
  domestic problems.
• America had problems with Latin America (esp.
  Mexico)
• Pancho Villa raids New Mexico and kills 18 people.

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In the Caribbean

• Wilson sends marines to overthrow multiple
  governments.
• Wilson purchases the Virgin Islands.

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Concern in Europe

• Alliance system creates tension among nations.
• Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy (Triple
  Alliance)
• France, Russia, England (Triple Entente)
• Archduke Ferdinand assassinated. War erupts.
• Italy leaves Triple Alliance and Ottoman Empire
  joins.

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America Chooses Neutrality

• Americans divided because of heritages.
• Trade shrinks between Central Powers and USA.
• Trade grows between USA and Allies.
• Britain puts a blockade on all goods going to
  Germany and declares them to be contraband.
• Germany is angered and reacts by attacking
  merchant ships.

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Germans React to Americas Neutrality

• German U-boats sink unarmed ships.
• 1915 - Germans sink Lusitania, kills 128
  Americans, and sinks Sussex.
• Instead of going to war, Germany agrees with
  Wilson not to sink anymore merchant ships.

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America Drawn into War

• Germans continue to sink all ships in the
  Atlantic, including US ships.
• America intercepts the Zimmerman Note (Germany
  asking Mexico to go to war with US to keep US
  occupied).
• US declares war on Germany (April 6, 1917)

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• Congress passes Selective Service Act
  establishing the Draft
• Armed forces grow from 200,000 to 2.8 million.
• 200,000 African-Americans fights in WWI.
• America turns the tide of war and Germany signs
  an armistice.

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War Efforts at Home

• Industries begin to mobilize and organize war
  production.
• Women and African-Americans gain jobs.
• Government passes Excess Profits tax to pay
  debts.

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• Propaganda fuels pro-war attitudes.
• Anti-War sentiments silenced by Espionage and
  Sedition Acts.
• Germans were persecuted due to their heritage.

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Victory in Europe

• France, Britain, US, and Italy meet in Versailles
  to create a peace Treaty.
• Wilson presents his Fourteen Points.
• Most of the Fourteen Points are ignored.

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• Germany is forced to pay reparations, lost
  territory.
• Austria-Hungary is split.
• Ottoman Empire lost territory.
• League of Nations created (but the US did not
  join).

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America Demobilizes

• Inflation doubles.
• Agriculture prices plummet because of lost
  demand.
• Racial Tensions continues.
• One of the few positives is the passing of the
  19th Amendment. (1920).

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The End