Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Teacher's Page
You are an average American living in 1917. Your country is debating whether or not to go to war against the Central Powers. Listen to the speeches which the leaders of your country are making about the war. Why do they think we should go to war? Are you convinced? Do you think that the United States should join the Allied cause or not?
Imagine that television was as common in 1917 as it is today. Working in groups of 4, prepare a television commercial which promotes involvement in the war or continued isolationism. Be sure that your commercial is fact based.
1. Independently research America's reasons for entering the war using the recorded speeches on the American Memory website. Links are provided below. Write a short essay defending your view regarding whether or not America should have entered the war. If applicable, use the principles presented by these speakers to describe your opinion concerning any current conflict in which America is involved.
2. Join a group of 4 students who agree with your position on America's involvement in the war.
3. Prepare a commercial which you think can convince other Americans of your view.
4. Collect props and decide on a location for the filming of your commercial.
5. Film your commercial.
6. Present your commercial to the class.
7. Follow up: Poll the class to determine how many were convinced by your commercial.
Resources: From Library of Congress: American Memory Collection
Students will be graded according to the following rubric:
| Web Quest Rubric | 1 - Unsatisfactory | 2 - Fair | 3 - Good | 4 - Excellent | Score |
| Participation | Student did not participate often with the group. | Student participated occasionally. | Student did his fourth of the work. | Student did his part and then went beyond expectations. | |
| Content Knowledge | Student did not demonstrate a knowledge of the content. | Student demonstrated some knowledge of the content. | Student demonstrated a satisfactory understanding of the content. | Student demonstrated an exceptional understanding of the content. | |
| Organization & Clarity | Student did not follow directions. His work was very disorganized. | Student was somewhat organized but skipped some steps. | Student was somewhat organized and followed all directions. | Student was very organized and followed directions. | |
| Essay (graded according to essay rubric | See essay rubric | See essay rubric | See essay rubric | See essay rubric |
You have now discovered how Americans felt about the First World War. How would you have reacted to America's entry into the war if your had lived then? How would you apply what you have learned to current conflicts in which America is involved?
This Web Quest teaches the students about America's attitude about joining the Allies in World War I. It utilizes speeches of American leaders during the period which are found in the American Memory collection on the Library of Congress website.
This Web Quest was designed to be used in a 7th Grade World History class.
Standards Addressed:
II. Power, Authority,
and Governance: Government/Political Science
7.2.5 The student
should be able to describe the influence of American political ideas on other
nations
and regions.
III. People,
Places, and Environments: Geography
7.3 The learner
will demonstrate an understanding of world culture regions. The student
should be able to:
7.3.16 explain the
different ways in which places are connected and how these connections impact
economic, cultural, and political interdependence on the regional and global
scales.
Process:
1. Each student will independently research America's
reasons for entering the war using the recorded speeches on the American Memory
website. They can do this during class or as a homework assignment (if
given several days to get to a library with internet access). He will then
write a short essay defending his view regarding whether or not America should
have entered the war. If applicable, he should also use the principles
presented by the speakers to describe his opinion concerning any current
conflict in which America is involved.
2. He will be part of a group of 4 students who agree with a position on America's involvement in the war.
3. They will then prepare a commercial which they think can convince other Americans of their view.
4. They will be responsible for collecting props, but the teacher should provide a camcorder and do the filming.
5. Preview the students' script and spend a class hour filming.
6. Take part of the next class hour to view the commercials and allow them to take votes to see who they convinced of their position.
Resources needed:
Computers with internet access
Camcorder and blank tape
Conclusion:
This activity will give students a glimpse into the minds of Americans
during World War I. It will also teach them American principles which can
be applied to modern times.
Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Teacher's Page
