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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CSI Holy LandWWI in the Middle East: Analyzing Primary Source DocumentsCreator: National WWI Museum and Memorial, Lisa AdeliHow was the Middle East connected to the origins of WWI? What did war in the Middle East look like? How was the peace process different for the Middle East than it was for European nations? This lesson helps students develop their reading, writing and analytical skills, while also learning more about World War I and the modern Middle East. Students read primary accounts (diaries and newspaper accounts), analyze visual images (photographs and drawings), conduct research and create a documentary or news program.Download PDF, Download Accompanying Articles |
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Razzle DazzleDazzle Camouflage Coloring SheetCreator: National WWI Museum and MemorialThis brief article and coloring sheet activity provides younger learners with more information on the “dazzle camouflage” used to protect ships in WWI. Used first by Britain’s Royal Navy, the idea behind dazzle camouflage was to create a mix of lines, shapes and colors that would help a ship better blend into the ocean or to make it difficult for spotters to pinpoint the ship’s exact location.Download PDF |
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Dazzle PaintingWorld War I Podcast SeriesCreator: MacArthur MemorialThis episode of MacArthur Memorial's World War I Podcast series explores Dazzle paintings of ships. This jarring, brightly colored paint scheme helped camouflage ships and made it hard for U-Boats to gauge the speed and direction of the vessel.Listen Online, Visit Website |
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Devastation Wrought by U-Boats in WWIInteractive MapCreator: Smithsonian magazine, Esri, Li ZhouGermany's use of unrestricted submarine warfare, where U-boat submarines were used to sink both military and merchant ships without warning, was very controversial and provocative. Smithsonian magazine and GIS-mapping company Esri have created an interactive map of the attacks by German U-boats during WWI. The accompanying article by Li Zhou details Germany's decision to use this type of warfare and how it forever changed the rules of war.View Online |
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Trenches of World War IAn Immersive TourCreator: National WWI Museum and MemorialExplore several model WWI trenches and understand the history of trench warfare with this narrated, immersive online tour. The tour can also be viewed as a VR experience using Google Cardboard-compatible device. Visit Google Arts and Culture to learn more.Explore Online |
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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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Technology in World War ICreator: MacArthur MemorialUsing primary sources, students will use this worksheet to think critically about changes in technology that brought tanks, planes, and submarines to the battlefield. Download PDF |
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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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Destruction of the EcosystemCreator: Tait KellerThis article by Tait Keller posted to 1914-1918 Online: International Encyclopedia of the First World War examines the ecological impact of WWI, explaining in detail how large-scale environmental transformations came from expanded production and industrialization during the war rather than just the tolls of combat.Read Online, Download PDF |
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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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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:
