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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Americans All: Foreign-born Soldiers and World War ITeaching Literacy through HistoryCreator: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American HistoryThe three lessons in this unit explore the integration of foreign-born soldiers into the U.S. military during World War I and compares it to the integration of foreign-born civilians during World War I. Students are given the opportunity to read, analyze and evaluate an essay and a variety of primary sources.Download PDF |
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The Liberty LoansCreator: The Joe. L. Herbstman Memorial Collection of American FinanceThis online collection includes rare Liberty Loan bonds, advertising posters and documents related to Treasury Secretary William Gibbs McAdoo from the World War I era.Explore Online |
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The Gladstone Collection of African American PhotographsCreator: Library of CongressThese images from the collections of the Library of Congress document African American participation in the First World War.Explore Online |
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Influenza Epidemic of 1918 (Spanish Flu)Topics in Chronicling AmericaCreator: Library of CongressBetween the spring of 1918 and 1919, a virulent and fatal influenza swept the United States. This guide provides information for researching the "Influenza Epidemic of 1918 (Spanish Flu)" in the Topics in Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers from the Library of Congress.View Online |
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The Influenza Epidemic: Educator ResourceHow WWI Changed AmericaCreator: U.S. WWI Centennial Commission, Doughboy FoundationThe 1918–1919 Influenza Pandemic was one of the deadliest in history, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide and killing upwards of fifty million people. Occurring against and worsened by the global movements of World War I, the pandemic added to the devastation felt by communities worldwide. This video is made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and is a partnership of the U.S. WWI Centennial Commission, the Doughboy Foundation and the National WWI Museum and Memorial as part of the teaching and learning resources of "How WWI Changed America.”View Online |
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Pandemic Then and NowLessons from the 1918 InfluenzaCreator: Nancy Bristow, National WWI Museum and MemorialAs American soldiers mobilized for war in the spring of 1918, a handful of army physicians began noticing a worrisome influenza moving among their soldiers. Often resulting in a deadly pneumonia, it struck down previously healthy young men, sometimes with surprising rapidity. This timely article by professor/author Nancy K. Bristow, written in March 2020 for the National WWI Museum and Memorial, parallels the 1918 Influenza epidemic with the COVID-19/Coronavirus.outbreak.Read Online |
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Women and WarThe Experience of European Women in the First World WarCreator: National WWI Museum and MemorialWhat was the experience of European women during the First World War? Using primary sources, students will examine a wide variety of documents and artifacts that represent the experiences of European women during the First World War in this lesson created by Laura Huffman for the National WWI Museum and Memorial.Download PDF |
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Letter from Lutiant Van Wert to "Louise"Creator: National ArchivesFormer Haskell Institute student Lutiant Van Wert sent this letter to her friend Louise, who was still at the school. Van Wert describes her work as a volunteer nurse in Washington, DC, during the 1918 influenza epidemic. Van Wert was one of many Native Americans who volunteered as nurses and in other roles during WWI. This primary source comes from the Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.Read Online |
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African American Doctors in World War IWorld War I Podcast SeriesCreator: MacArthur MemorialPart of the MacArthur Memorial’s World War I Podcast Series, this episode explores the little known story of African American doctors who answered the call to service. Why did they serve? And what is their legacy? In this podcast, W. Douglas Fisher and Joann H. Buckley, authors of the book: African American Doctors of World War I, shed light on the little known story of African American doctors who served during World War I. Fisher and Buckley discuss the difficulties these men faced in obtaining medical degrees, their service in a segregated military, and their ultimate return to life in the United States.Listen Online, Visit Website |
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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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Medicine in the First World WarCreator: University of Kansas Medical CenterDuring the war, the U.S. Army mobilized medical resources to create one hundred large base hospitals. This website has been created to tell the story of Base Hospital #28, the 2,500 bed military base hospital that was formed by Kansas City doctors and nurses and which arrived in Limoges, France, in July 1918. During the six months of its active operation it served nearly 10,000 patients. The hospital was led by doctors who were associated with the medical school of the University of Kansas before and after The Great War. The website will also examine unexpected medical challenges, e.g. the influenza epidemic of 1918 and gas gangrene.Explore Online |
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LIMITS OF MODERN SCIENCEVideo and Discussion QuestionsCreator: National WWI Museum and MemorialAdvances in medicine have prevented the recurrence of another global Influenza outbreak on the scale of a century ago, yet weaknesses to new viruses remain. In his lecture “Influenza’s Threat: Then and Now,” Dr. Powel H. Kazanjian, Professor and Chief, Division of Infection Diseases at University of Michigan Medical Center, explored past and present preparedness for pandemics. Though a lecture from 2018, it draws timely parallels between the COVID-19 outbreak and the Influenza pandemic of 100 years before - watch the video on YouTube, then answer the provided discussion questions.Download Lesson |
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Western Front at the CinemaWorld War: Choices and ConsequencesCreator: Facing History and OurselvesThis short article about the 1916 British film Battle of the Somme looks at its effectiveness in stirring public sentiment during the war. From Facing History and Ourselves, this article is part of a larger collection of readings that look into how WWI affected people's attitudes towards war and the value of human life. Discussion questions are included for use in the classroom.Read Online |
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Propaganda During World War 1Creator: The Great War YouTube ChannelPropaganda existed for many years prior to the start of World War I; however, inventions in media made it easier to reach people on a massive scale. In this 8-minute video, host Indy Neidel with the Great War Channel explores mass propaganda during the war, specifically in Germany, Britain, and the United States. Want to learn more? Follow up with this video about propaganda films to go further in depth.Watch Online |
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Lawrence of ArabiaBattle for the Arab WorldCreator: PBSCreated in 2003, this website is a companion to the PBS program Lawrence of Arabia, Battle for the Arab World. Though older, this site still includes multiple articles and lesson plans on the Arab Revolt, Bedouin culture and biographies that can be used by a classroom with or without viewing the original television program.View 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:
