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.
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How WWI Changed AmericaCreator: National WWI Museum and Memorial, Doughboy FoundationHow WWI Changed America includes a series of “toolkits” for educators with resources, lessons, videos and podcasts about the enduring impact of the First World War in the United States. This project was created to improve the resource materials for teaching history in the United States and to increase fundamental knowledge of World War I.Explore Online |
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WWI GIFsAnimated GIFs of World War I FootageCreator: National WWI Museum and MemorialIn March 2021, the National WWI Museum and Memorial launched a collection of nearly 500 animated GIFs on giphy.com. From the funny to the tragic, these short videos were created using archival film footage of the war, primarily from the U.S. Signal Corps. They provide a small glimpse into daily life during the First World War and show how much — and how little — has changed in the past century.Explore Online |
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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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1918 Pandemic InfluenzaHistoric TimelineCreator: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)In 1918, a new influenza virus emerged. During this same time period World War I was taking place. The conditions of World War I (overcrowding and global troop movement) helped the 1918 flu spread. The vulnerability of healthy young adults and the lack of vaccines and treatments created a major public health crisis, causing at least 50 million deaths worldwide, including approximately 675,000 in the United States. Provided by the CDC, this resource is a historical timeline of major events that took place during this time period.View Online |
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Document Based QuestionPeace Talks and Self-DeterminationCreator: National WWI Museum and MemorialIn his Fourteen Points proposal, President Woodrow Wilson advocated for self-determination and the interests of the populations of colonial territories, but who exactly did Wilson intended to receive rights of self-determination? Students are asked to evaluate an historian’s arguments with review of related primary documents, highlighting the experience of post-WWI colonies.Download PDF |
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The Rise of GivingAmerican Philanthropy and WWICreator: National WWI Museum and MemorialThe digital exhibition The Rise of Giving: American Philanthropy and WWI explores the American philanthropic movement in WWI, sharing the stories of the Americans and the organizations that played a key role in reshaping the world in the wake of war.Explore Online |
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CHANGING TECHNOLOGY, CHANGING TACTICSHow technology changed the way WWI was foughtCreator: National WWI Museum and MemorialWhy is WWI considered the first “modern” war? In this lesson, high school students will consider the advancement in technology and, specifically, adaptations of trench warfare based on technological advances through discussion, primary sources and a hands-on activity.Download PDF |
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Getting Dressed in WWIVideo SeriesCreator: Crows Eye ProductionsFrom soldiers in the Artists Rifles and nurses in the Voluntary Aid Detachment to working class suffragettes and young women, see who wore what—and why they wore it—in Great Britain during the Great War and the 1919 Flu Pandemic with these short videos by Crows Eye Productions.View Online |
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Women & The American StoryModernizing America: 1889–1920Creator: New-York Historical SocietyA departure from years of isolationist policies, the U.S. entry into WWI signaled a change in the way Americans thought and felt about the rest of the world - a change reflected in their fashion. In these lessons created by the New-York Historical Society Museum and Library, learn about the rise of Madame C.J. Walker, the first self-made Black female millionaire in the United States who built her beauty empire during the war, as well as post-war consumerism and the popularization of flappers.Explore Online |
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When Paper Clothing Was the Perfect FitArticle by Greg DaughertyCreator: Smithsonian MagazineA cheaper, light-weight alternative to wool and cotton—materials that were either scarce or too expensive to afford in countries ravaged by the war—paper quickly became a popular fabric for garments in the last and post-war years. Learn more about this convenient cloth that could be cleaned with an eraser with this article by Smithsonian Magazine.Read Online |
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The Wool Brigades of World War IWhen Knitting Was a Patriotic DutyCreator: Atlas ObscuraVolunteer knitters—men and women of various ages and races—dedicated two million hours, nearly 230 years’ worth of labor, in the eighteen months the United States was at war. By its end, 45 million pounds of wool were used to make 22 million garments to support soldiers stationed domestically and overseas. Learn more about the nation-wide knitting campaigns with this article by Atlas Obscura.Read Online |
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Intricate Illustrations of Parisian CostumesFrench Fashion Plates from 1912-1914Creator: Chester Beatty LibraryA century after the publication of the fashion magazine Journal des Dames et des Modes (1912-1914), the Chester Beatty Library exhibited over 100 of the Journal’s unique fashion illustrations, known as Costumes Parisiens. This virtual exhibition by Google Arts and Culture provides a brief introduction to the Journal, the artists and designers represented, and the fashion and clothing of the period, through a stunning collection of vividly illustrated fashion plates.Explore Online |
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O SAY CAN YOU SEE? Stories from the MuseumWWI Blog PostsCreator: National Museum of American HistoryThis blog series from the National Museum of American History focuses on interesting stories and objects in the collection, including a wide range of posts related to World War I, including fashion and textile history, volunteers, Black soldiers in the AEF, posters and illustration as well as the service of animals.Explore Online |
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The King of Fashion: Paul PoiretCreator: The Metropolitan Museum of ArtHailed as the defining clothing and costume designer of the 20th century, Paul Poiret is credited for creating “the blueprint of the modern fashion industry.” Explore his pieces and discover more on early haute couture with essays and artifacts featured in The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.Explore Online |
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Digital Archives: 1910sKyoto Costume InstituteCreator: The Kyoto Costume InstituteThe breadth of European imperialism—particularly of the British and French—stretched deep into Africa and Asia, introducing Western colonizers to a myriad of new textiles, patterns, and styles of dress. Examine the cross-cultural influence on European and Asian fashion during the wartime era with The Kyoto Costume Institute’s Digital Archive.Explore 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:
