This database includes articles, lesson plans and primary sources from the National WWI Museum and Memorial and our partners around the world, presented in collaboration with the United States World War One Centennial Commission.
Do you have resources that you want to share or have questions? Contact us at education@theworldwar.org.
Teaching Resource Database
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World War I and AmericaAmerican Women at WarCreator: Library of AmericaThis initiative from Library of America explores the continuing relevance of World War I by reading, discussing, and sharing insights into the writings of Americans who experienced it firsthand. Divided into topics, including: Why Fight?, The Experience of War, Race and World War I, American Women at War, The Home Front, America on the World Stage, and Coming Home, each subject area has both PDF reading guides and videos (hosted on Vimeo) of modern authors and scholars reading selected writings from the time period. In American Women at War, students explore the literary works of three WWI era women and then answer the question "Does women's wartime service transform gender roles and expectations?"View Online |
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World War ICreator: National History DayNational History Day has engaged with several partners to commemorate the World War I Centennial. NHD has created (and is creating) resources to offer different perspectives on the war, engage students with unique primary sources, and remember those who served and sacrificed as part of the war effort. This collection includes numerous lesson plans, webinars, videos and interactives.View Online |
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Polar Bears, The Cold War and Questions of DutyThe U.S. Intervention in Northern Russia (1918-1919)Creator: National WWI Museum and MemorialThis lesson asks students to examine a little-known facet of World War I: the American intervention in North Russia, which began in 1918. Through primary and secondary sources, students will discover the reasons for President Wilson’s approval of the mission to Russia; use contemporary accounts to assess the morale of the soldiers; and, if time allows, students will use included sources to discern whether the seeds of the Cold War were actually sown in the snows of North Russia in 1918 and 1919.Download PDF |
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WWI Hero Henry Johnson Finally Receives Medal of HonorArticle by Sarah PruittCreator: HISTORY®Though Henry Johnson was hailed as one of the bravest Americans to fight in WWI, due to lasting racism in the U.S. it wasn’t until 2004 that he was granted the Medal of Honor. This article from HISTORY® tells his story from soldier to posthumous Medal of Honor recipient.Read Online |
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Researching Individuals in WWI RecordsCreator: National ArchivesBegin your WWI genealogy research with this comprehensive guide to military records from the National Archives, which includes draft cards, service records and information on deaths of service members during WWI.Explore Online |
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Lest the Ages ForgetNational Veterans Day ProjectCreator: National WWI Museum and MemorialLest the Ages Forget provides teachers with a unique opportunity to educate K-12 students using primary sources and to enhance their historical thinking.Download PDF |
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World War I: Lessons And LegaciesCreator: Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition ServiceIn honor of America's entry into "The War to End All Wars" in 1917, World War I: Lessons and Legacies explore the war and its lasting impact and far-reaching influence on American life. Educators, schools, and museums are invited to request this free digital poster exhibition. An Educators' Guide and Lessons are also available.Learn More |
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Alaska and WWI: A Centennial ExhibitCreator: Alaska State Archives, Alaska State Library Historical CollectionsThis story map exhibit features archival content about Alaska’s involvement in World War I. Historical photographs and documents from the Alaska State Archives and Alaska State Library Historical Collections provide a window into a critical time in the history of the early 20th century: a time when global war transformed the world and impacted Alaska.Explore Online |
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”American Woman Rebuilds Village””Hattonchatel is Reconstructed by Miss Belle Skinner”Creator: Library of CongressRuth Isabelle (Belle) Skinner was a businesswoman and philanthropist, who in the aftermath of the war helped rebuild the small French town of Hattonchâtel. This Sun-Herald newspaper article from June 27, 1920 tells the story.View Online |
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A Fool for PeaceAndrew Carnegie and the Coming of the Great WarCreator: Carnegie Corporation, David NasawHistorian David Nasaw spoke at the conference “Voices for Peace: 1914-2014,” sponsored by Carnegie Corporation of New York and The New York Public Library in 2014. His lecture, available on Soundcloud, details the ultimately-futile efforts of Andrew Carnegie to avert conflicts between nations before the outbreak of WWI.Listen on Soundcloud |
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WWI: How History Shaped TechnologySTEM in 30Creator: Smithsonian National Air and Space MuseumThis video webcast series from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum creates an interactive classroom program consisting of 30-minute webcasts that engage middle school students in STEM topics ranging from WWI airplanes to rovers on Mars.Watch Video |
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World War I: Legacy, Letters, and Belgian War LaceSTEM in 30Creator: Smithsonian National Air and Space MuseumThis video webcast series from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum creates an interactive classroom program consisting of 30-minute webcasts that engage middle school students in STEM topics ranging from WWI airplanes to rovers on Mars.Watch Video |
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World War I: How the Great War Still Influences TodaySTEM in 30Creator: Smithsonian National Air and Space MuseumThis video webcast series from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum creates an interactive classroom program consisting of 30-minute webcasts that engage middle school students in STEM topics ranging from WWI airplanes to rovers on Mars.Watch Video |
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Atatürk and Women's Rights in TurkeyCreator: Stanford History Education GroupAfter leading Turkey to victory in its war of independence, Mustafa Kemal, known as Atatürk, pushed forward a series of reforms meant to modernize the new Turkish state. Among these was the granting of formal rights, such as suffrage and inheritance, to women. But did the extension of legal rights translate to real change? In this lesson, students read primary and secondary sources to answer the question: Did Atatürk's reforms actually improve the status of women in Turkey?Download Files |
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The Story of the Female Yeomen during the First World WarCreator: National ArchivesAmerican women were not able to officially serve in the military until World War I, when a loophole allowed for women to join the Navy as Yeoman (F) - The F stood for female. These women did not fight overseas, but their work in administrative roles was vital to the war effort. To learn more about the Yeoman (F) read this article by Nathaniel Patch in the National Archives' Prologue Magazine.Read Online |
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about this project
The United States World War One Centennial Commission and the National WWI Museum and Memorial are dedicated to educating the public about the causes, events and consequences of the conflict and we encourage the use of these resources to better understand the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community.
Assisting in this endeavor are:
