Topics: US Neutrality, Propaganda, Alien and Sedition Act, US involvement and Armistice
Activities: March is a terrific month for learning because it gives us so many days of learning without interruption. That said, we covered a whole bunch of interesting topics related to WWI. We began the month by discussing the US attitude in the early years of the war. For a number of reasons, President Wilson was determined to remain neutral and we used a variety of interesting political cartoons to help drive that point home. We also took a close look at wartime propaganda that became an important feature of WWI. We looked at a number of posters and used an analysis protocol to determine the purpose of the propaganda and the tools used to convey the message. These posters offer such a fascinating look at the values in American society and culture in the early 1900s. We also read a couple pieces of German wartime propaganda and were able to compare and contrast it to the materials put out by the US and GB. One common feature we noticed was the emphasis on unifying the American people and to that same end, students learned about the Alien and Sedition Act. This act, passed in 1917 as the US was being drawn into the war, curtailed free speech in ways that felt unconstitutional. We used the Supreme Court case of Schenck vs US to see how the Alien and Sedition Act was applied and justified in this tumultuous period in world history.
Next, we learned how the US was eventually pulled into the fray after the sinking of the Lusitania and the interception of the Zimmerman Telegram. Once war was declared, the US did a remarkable job mobilizing for the war. Students used a variety of resources, including a Khan Academy video, to learn how various groups were impacted by the war effort and the lengths our federal government went to in an effort to pivot to a wartime economy.
My preference when teaching and learning about war is to not focus on specific battles, which in WWI often seemed pointless. As we did an overview of the fighting, we learned that the Germans took enormous risks as they fought a two front war. In both the eastern and western fronts, the battles were nearly a stalemate. We learned that the Russians signed a treaty with the Germans due to a civil war that had erupted in Russia. This civil war led to the communist overthrow of the Russian government, an event that changed the course of history. In April of 1917, the US entered the war and it quickly became clear that time was up for the Germans. Students took notes on the Germans final "Spring Offensive," the Allies counter called the "100 Day Offensive" and the armistices that brought an end to the. Students got to listen to an audio recording of the final minute of the war, which ended at 11:11 on Nov. 11th, and noted bombs that echoed until the final seconds and were promptly followed by an eerie quiet and even the song of a bird as the Great War came to an end.
In the coming days, we will learn about the terms of the Treaty of Versailles which, unfortunately, paved the way to a second world war.
Teacher Tip: See if your student can tell you about the two primary factors that pulled the US into WWI
Teacher Info: Don't hesitate to contact me if you have a question.
Mr. Caraco, jcaraco@meridian.wednet.edu
