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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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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”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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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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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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Female Spies in World War ITopics in Chronicling AmericaCreator: Library of CongressArticles from historic American newspapers document the coverage of women in espionage during the First World War. All the linked articles and many more are searchable via the Chronicling America: American Historic Newspapers digital collection.Explore Online |
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Remembering the Reconstruction AidesCreator: American Physical Therapy AssociationThis article documents and commemorates the 100th anniversary of the first use of physical therapists, most of whom were women, as civilian employees of the Medical Department of the U.S. Army during World War I.Read Online |
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The Women Warriors of the Russian RevolutionCreator: Smithsonian MagazineSet against the backdrop of the February Revolution in Russia, this short article by Carolyn Harris for Smithsonian Magazine describes the creation of the Women's Battalion of Death. Under the command of experienced female soldier Maria Bochkareva, the Women's Battalion of Death was created in part to shame men into continuing to fight. While women's rights activists around the world applauded the female soldiers, they were unable to stop Russia from leaving the war.Read Online |
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Colonial Empires after the WarDecolonizationCreator: 1914-1918 OnlineEuropean colonies mobilized to assist with the war effort. After the Armistice, many colonists took hope from Woodrow Wilson’s idea of “self-determination” from his Fourteen Points. This article explores the anti-colonial nationalist challenges that developed after the Treaty of Versailles.Read Online |
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The Peace Treaties that Ended the First World WarCreator: Imperial War MuseumsOn 11 November 1918, an armistice came into effect ending the war in Western Europe – but this did not mean the return of peace. The armistice was effectively a German surrender, as its conditions ended any possibility of Germany continuing the war. Similar agreements had already been signed by Bulgaria, Turkey and Austria. However, the peace treaties which officially ended the First World War were not signed until 1919. This article from Paul Cornish of the Imperial War Museums looks into the peace treaties that officially ended the war.Read Online |
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The Surprisingly Important Role China Played in WWIWorld War I: 100 Years LaterCreator: Smithsonian.comAt the turn of the 20th Century, China was no longer the most powerful Asian nation with its influence lost to Russia and Japan as well as European “spheres of influence.” China joined the Allies to regain lost territory and ensure they had a seat during the peace talks. This article explores how China contributed to the Great War and how their treatment as an inferior nation at the Paris Peace Conference had an enormous influence on their future.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:
