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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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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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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The VolunteersAmericans Join World War ICreator: National WWI Museum and Memorial, AFS Intercultural ProgramsThe digital exhibition The Volunteers: Americans Join World War I examines the stories of the young men and women who transformed the meaning of volunteerism. Prompted by altruism, personal ambition, a search for adventure or hope for an Allied-led redemption of a devastated Europe, these American volunteers engaged in the war before the United States entered the conflict. This exhibition, produced in collaboration with AFS Intercultural Programs and the National WWI Museum and Memorial, shares their inspirational stories.Explore 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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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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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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9 Women Reveal The Dangers Of Working In A First World War Munitions FactorySound StoryCreator: Imperial War MuseumsFollowing a shortage of shells in 1915, the Ministry of Munitions was founded to control Britain's output of war material. A number of new initiatives were soon introduced, including an appeal to women to register for war service work. Thousands of women volunteered. This "sound story" from the Imperial War Museums uses audio clips from interviews with British women to tell the story of their lives as munitions workers in World War I.View 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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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: