Students brainstorm which holiday is celebrated on November 11. Then they create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the Fourteen Points and the Treaty of Versailles. Next they learn about the debate over U.S. membership in the League of Nations, and they write a short speech for or against the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles. Finally they evaluate a quote about America’s role as a world power and create a timeline to illustrate the main idea of the quote.
Students read background information about the U.S. entry into World War I and the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918, then view an image of Americans celebrating peace. They respond to a word cloud prompt by identifying which U.S. holiday is observed on November 11.
Teacher MovesClarify the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day, emphasizing whom each holiday honors and when it is observed, and connect Veterans Day to the Armistice that ended World War I.
Students are introduced to Woodrow Wilson’s diplomatic idealism and watch Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points to learn about his plan for peace. They answer a multiple-choice question identifying key elements of the Fourteen Points. After reading about how the Fourteen Points related to the Treaty of Versailles and the postwar redrawing of borders, they complete a Venn diagram graphic organizer comparing and contrasting Wilson’s Fourteen Points with the Treaty of Versailles.
Teacher MovesHighlight that Wilson’s Fourteen Points focused on creating a lasting peace, while the Treaty of Versailles emphasized punishing the Central Powers and dividing territory. Use student Venn diagrams to reinforce the distinction between a peace treaty and an armistice treaty.
Students examine an image from the Treaty of Versailles signing and read about the creation of the League of Nations and the U.S. decision not to join it, including arguments rooted in isolationism and concerns about sovereignty. They then imagine themselves as U.S. senators in 1919 and write a short speech to Congress either supporting or opposing ratification of the Treaty of Versailles, post their speeches to a class wall, and respond to at least two classmates with questions or positive comments.
Teacher MovesInvite students representing both sides of the ratification debate to present their speeches and facilitate a discussion comparing pro- and anti-ratification arguments. Refer students to the Student Pack’s history of the League of Nations as needed to deepen understanding.
Students consider a political cartoon titled “The New Peril” and read an explanation describing postwar fears of bolshevism and expectations that the United States would help “police” Europe. They then read and analyze a quotation by George Rives about the United States moving away from isolationism and becoming more entangled with other world powers. Using this quotation as a guiding idea, they create a timeline that illustrates how U.S. foreign policy developments support Rives’s assertion.
Teacher MovesEncourage students to draw on events from across and beyond World War I to support Rives’s claim about the United States abandoning isolationism. Direct students to the timelines in the Student Pack as reference tools while they construct their own timelines.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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