Abran N. Shaffer



Introduction

Topic - American entry into WWI

Lesson Length - 90 minutes

VA Standard of Learning - USII.5 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the changing role of the United States from the late nineteenth century through World War I by c) explaining the reasons for the United States’ involvement in World War I

Cognitive Objectives:

Given the major reasons for the U.S. entry into WWI, the students will examine various forms of propaganda including poster images, songs, and cartoons and explain the possible impact on the war.

The students will collaborate in groups to analyze the impact of a propaganda poster on popular sentiments regarding US involvement in WWI.

Assessments:

Formative – During the lecture presentation students will participate by verbally answering probing questions to analyze propaganda cartoons, posters and songs that demonstrate the major reasons for the United States' entry into WWI.

After the lecture, the students will break into small groups and collaborate to analyze one of the 3 propaganda posters and complete a handout for their item. They will be expected to explain and defend their responses.

Summative – Students will be given a short writing assignment for homework where they must find another piece of propaganda (modern or historical), describe the item and propose a plausible response the piece was designed to elicit.

Information covered in the lecture presentation will be included in a cumulative exam to cover the contents of this unit.

Materials/Technology/Advanced Preparation:

Computer and projector with sound capabilities

“Analyzing Propaganda” handouts

Groups preassigned (done strategically to balance learning levels and styles) and roles given.

Teaching and Learning Sequence:

|Anticipatory Set: 10 min | |

|5 min | |

|The teacher will activate the presentation and hand out lyrics to the |Students will collect the lyrics sheet and listen to the song. |

|song “Over There” and play song. (YouTube video) | |

|3 min | |

|After listening, students will be asked to respond to teacher prompt |The students will offer responses to the prompt questions and as a class |

|questions and discuss the meaning(s) of the lyrics |discuss the impact of the song on American sentiments. |

|Lesson Development: 70 min | |

|5 min | |

|The teacher will give a brief review of the context of the U.S. |Students will be called on to offer prior understanding of the conditions|

|declaration of war, calling on students to recall prior knowledge of the |of Europe prior to the U.S. entry into the war. |

|conditions of WWI Europe. | |

|40 min | |

|The teacher will continue the presentation, stopping at selected items of| |

|propaganda (posters, songs, and political cartoons) to lead the students |The students will follow the presentation and dissect the selected images|

|dissection of their importance using the “See-Think-Wonder” strategy. |and other media by using the “See-Think-Wonder” strategy. |

|5 min | |

|The teacher will divide the students into preassigned groups and give the| |

|handout to complete the propaganda analysis activity (student roles will | |

|be preassigned). |The students will move into their assigned groups and collect the |

|15 min |propaganda analysis handout. |

|The teacher will monitor and assist the groups in analyzing the | |

|propaganda. | |

| |Students will work in their groups to complete the handout. |

|10 min | |

|The teacher will call on each group to present their image and explain |The students will present their image to the class and explain their |

|their reactions. Handouts will be collected. |reactions, offering follow up to any teacher questions. One complete |

| |handout for each group will be collected. |

|Closure 10 min: | |

|8 min | |

|The teacher will show the modern army recruitment film and ask students |Students will watch the video and offer responses to the teachers |

|how this differs from the pieces they analyzed today, and if so, how? |prompts. |

|2 min | |

|The teacher will explain and handout the homework assignment. | |

| |The students will collect the homework and ask any relevant questions |

| |about the days lesson or the assignment. |

Homework: The students will be assigned a short writing assignment where they locate a piece of propaganda (historical or modern) and, using the methods they developed in class, interpret the media.

References:

Ayers, E.L., Schulzinger, R.D., de la Teja, J.F., White, D.G. (2009). American Anthem: Modern American History. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Richthard, R., Church, M., Morrison, K. (2011). Making thinking visible: How to promote engagement, understanding, and independence for all learners. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

WWI – over there: (Nov. 2009). Retrieved from .

"When the Lusitania Went Down"Columbia A1772 (historic, recorded 13 days after the Lusitania sank): (June 2013). Retrieved from .

US marines ad. (2006). Retrieved from

Note: Images and Newspaper headings in this presentation are all published prior to 1923 and are in the Public Domain.

Appended Materials:

Student Handouts:

Lyrics for “Over There”

Groups “Propaganda Analysis” handout

Homework Assignment directions

Lesson Organizer

Curriculum Framework Document

Lesson Organizer

Prior Knowledge: Students have prior knowledge of the outbreak of WWI and the conditions of the battlefields of Europe.

Anticipatory Set (First 2 frames of the presentation):

The teacher should remind the students that radio and print was the only form of media people had during this period, songs became important for spreading ideas and influencing popular sentiments.

Handout the lyrics for the song “Over There” - Interesting facts: George M. Cohan developed the song almost immediately after the United States declared war on Germany. It became hugely popular during the war and in 1936 Cohan received the Congressional Metal of Honor for writing the song.

Turn on the projector and cue up the presentation; play the song for the class

After listening to the song, the teacher should ask the students to respond to the lyrics and tune by answering questions that my include but are not limited to: What tone does the melody of the song create? Who do you think is the intended audience of this song? What lyrics stand out as particularly persuasive to the intended audience?What does the song make you wonder about public opinion of the war? (Answers should demonstrate an understanding that the song was designed to encourage young people to support the war, by volunteering ect., and people at home to be proud of their soldiers. Noting the patriotic tone of the song and depictions of the enemy.)

After a brief discussion of the song, the teacher will ask students to recall the previous lesson material that covered the major events of 1914-1917.

Students should recall and identify:

Allied and Central powers involved in WWI

Horrors of trench warfare, and stalemate of the Western Front.

British blockade and German submarine warfare

U.S. economic and political support to the British and French.

Lecture Presentation:

As the presentation continues the teacher will stop at various images and allow students to dissect the image by using the “See-Think-Wonder” strategy that has been used in previous lessons. The teacher should guide the student discussion by offering probing questions and suggestions when needed.

See-Think-Wonder – Designed to emphasize the importance of observation, students are first asked to only provide what they see in the image (after a brief period of observing silently and writing down what they notice). The students then will be asked what they think these observations mean/represent/symbolize. The students then are given the chance to “wonder”, opening up new student centered exploration of the image.

After the song and discussion, the teacher will move on with the presentation to the next image.

Newspaper headline from April 6, 1917

The teacher will explain that there were several major factors leading to this headline. Remind students that before war was declared, opinions varied greatly on how America should proceed, isolationism was favored by most and some of German decent supported the Central Powers but opinions shifted greatly through the use of media of various forms.

Teacher should introduce the students to the use of propaganda by explaining that all sides of the conflict utilized images, songs, and news media to influence popular opinions, increased enlistments of soldiers and gain financial support from the population.

“I Want You” enlistment poster by J.M. Flagg – students should respond to the image, noting the patriotic nature of the image. What sentiment(s) does this poster instill? Possible responses: Patriotism, obedience to elders, duty to one's country ect.

Lord Kitchener poster – offered as a comparison (Flagg's poster modeled after it)

Anti-German propaganda:

(shown in this order)

Cartoon from The Bulletin (1916) – The teacher will model “See-Think-Wonder” to remind students how to dissect an image (presentation designed to zoom on points of interest).

“Destroy this mad brute” poster – The students will be asked to analyze this poster using the method described.

“Remember Belgium” propaganda poster – The students will analyze this poster.

When examining these images the teacher should allow students to explore freely but lead them to the focal points when needed. Students response should address these important factors:

Portrayal of Germany as the aggressor; Barbaric, militaristic, and the committing of atrocities; Designed to motivate enlistment by creating anger and feelings of revenge; Dehumanizing the enemy.

Notes:

The German attack through and occupation of Belgium was a major source of British (and later American) propaganda regarding German barbarity. There were cases of brutality against the Belgian civilians and much property was destroyed but the reality was highly exaggerated by the media.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare and the sinking of the RMS Lusitania:

(In this order)

“Enlist” poster – The students will analyze this poster using “See-Think-Wonder”

Liberty bond poster – The teacher will explain the impact of German U-Boats on American shipping interests and sentiments during the years before war is declared. (students will not be asked to analyze this image)

Newspaper heading New York Times May 7, 1915

When the Lusitania Went Down (1915)

“Shall this Continue?” Naval Recruitment poster – Students will be asked to dissect this image.

When examining these images the teacher should allow the students to respond freely but when needed steer them to the focal points. Student responses should note: the powerful use civilian deaths (especially women and children) and the barbarity of submarine warfare.

Notes:

Germany worried that submarine warfare would bring the U.S. into the war on the side of the Allies. Sinking of the French ship Sussex (Germany makes Sussex Pledge May 1916)

Renewed Unrestricted Submarine warfare January, 1917

Zimmerman Telegram:

Newspaper Heading March 1, 1917

Image of the Zimmerman Telegram – The teacher will read the decoded message to the class.

Political cartoon (Appeared in the Dallas Morning News) – Students will be asked to analyze

this cartoon. Responses should note the devil horn on the German figure, the map in the background showing Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, bag of money/supplies.

Notes:

The telegram, decoded by the British, and released to the American public in print enraged the public giving president Wilson the needed fuel to go to Congress and ask for a declaration of war. Americans felt directly targeted by Germany although Mexico had no intention of taking the offer. After this event, Americans felt they could not longer remain neutral.

Group Activity: Students will be divided into three groups. Each group will be given a worksheet and an image. The students will work in groups to collaborate on responding to the image and filling out the handout. After the time is up, each group will have a few minutes to show their image, explain their responses, and turn in the handout to the teacher.

Closure: The teacher will explain that propaganda continues to be important for recruiting soldiers (even more so without the draft) and affecting moral. The students will watch the Marines recruiting advertisement video and be asked to respond to what they saw. What similarities/differences did this video have to propaganda of the First World War? Student responses should be guided to note the imagery of “enemy” as undefined yet non-human, patriotic music, changing a person to become part of elite group, cheering crowd ect.

|Instructional modifications designed to ASSIST |Learning Sequence |Instructional modifications designed to CHALLENGE|

|students | |students |

|Song lyrics handout will be highlighted to |Anticipatory Set: |During the lecture presentation students will be|

|emphasize important words/meanings. |Song and discussion |called on to offer “Think-Wonder” responses to |

| | |the images provided. |

|During the lecture presentation, students will be|Lecture presentation | |

|given a copy of the lecture notes so they can |image dissection/analysis |Each group will have a leader, and a recorder (to|

|focus on responding to the prompts and not | |fill out the sheet), these roles will be assigned|

|note-taking. These students will be called on to |Group research/analysis activity |to more advanced students. |

|offer “See” responses to the images provided. | | |

| |Closure: | |

|These students will also receive a copy of |Video and discussion | |

|directions for “See-Think-Wonder” to reference. |Homework assigned | |

| | | |

|Students will be assigned to present the response| | |

|to the class, or describe the image (depending on| | |

|what they would prefer) | | |

Homework Assignment

Find a modern or historical piece of propaganda (could be video, audio, or imagery), give a brief (1 page max) description of the item, your response to the image/song/video, and what you think is the main purpose of this particular piece. What response do you think was intended?

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