It was "The War To End All Wars,"- a senseless slaughter that set the stage for the bloodiest century in human history.

BACK

By: Wilfrid Gibson (1878-1962)

They ask me where I’ve been,

And what I’ve done and seen.

But what can I reply

Who know it wasn’t I

But someone just like me,

Who went across the sea

And with my head and hands

Killed men in foreign lands…

Though I must bear the blame.

Because he bore my name.

Introduction

A telegram has just been intercepted and published on March 1^st 1917. In this telegram German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmerman has just proposed a secret alliance with Mexico. Zimmerman offers Mexico the possibility to regain all of its lands lost during the Mexican war, should the Central Powers be victorious. As a result of “the Zimmerman Telegram” and previous events, Wilson asks Congress for a declaration of war on April 2, 1917 therefore involving the United States into a conflict of such magnitude that no one will know how drastically it will affect the world order as it is known. As an observer of history, it will be your responsibility to observe the events and report on them impartially.

The Quest

In this Webquest, you will be working independently in and out of class. In your task, you will explore Web pages from people all over the world who care about World War I. The resources will be numerous. Feel free to use a dictionary if necessary to help you with any vocabulary that you are unfamiliar with.

To help you in your quest there will be questions to look for and answer. These questions will aid you in completing your main goal and your mini lessons. Please answer these questions in full sentences and list the web pages you located the information from. This will help you once again, in completing your bibliography (works cited) page.

Main Project:

You will begin by getting some background information on World War I. You will use the Internet to locate, gather and process information. You will investigate, express findings, and finally interpret in your own words on the "cause and or the effects” of World War I. Include your opinion, what might have been done differently to avoid America’s involvement in World War I? How might history have been different if war had been avoided? What issues led up to World War I?

This is your main goal in researching World War I on the World Wide Web. This research paper will be 10 pages in length, written in APA format.

While you are in the process of writing, you will be evaluating web sites simultaneously. You must also turn in 3 web site evaluation forms.

Mini Lessons:

Along the way in your explorations, you will be required to complete a mini lesson. The purpose of this mini project is to give you an opportunity to do an in depth exploration of other World War I topics you find interesting.

Mini Activities

1) Report on the assassination of Archduke Franz (Francis) Ferdinand. Write a five paragraph expository essay about how his assassination could be considered to be a cause of WWI. Include a photo or a picture of the event or person.

2) Discuss German submarine warfare and how it changed the concept or idea of maritime war. Examine the sinking of: the Lusitanian, Arabic and Sussex and determine the American response to these acts. Write a five paragraph expository essay. Include a photo or a picture of the event or person.

3) Report on the Zimmerman telegram and discuss why America considered it to be a threat to their security. Write a five paragraph expository essay. Include a photo or a picture of the event or person.

4) Examine how the media was used to “mobilize” people’s minds for war. Report on the Committee on Public Information and how George Creel used it to “inspire” patriotism in America. Write a five paragraph expository essay. Include a photo or a picture of the event or person.

5) Report of the limitation on American civil rights by researching the Espionage Act of 1917, Sedition Act of 1918, the legal precedent of Schenk v. the US 1919 (the clear and present danger rule) and the conviction of Eugene V. Debs. Determine if the United States was right or wrong in making these decisions. Write a five paragraph expository essay. Include a photo or a picture of the event or person.

6) Report on the women of WWI. How did their social roles change when more job opportunities were available? Write a five paragraph expository essay. Include a photo or a picture of the event or person.

7) Explain how the usage of mustard and chlorine gas, machine guns and other new weapons of war changed the way people fought (trench warfare). Also discuss how these new weapons intensified the brutality of war. Write a five paragraph expository essay. Include a photo or a picture of the event or person.

8) Report on African American units such as the 369^th infantry and the Harlem hell fighters and discuss issues such as segregation, and how they overcame segregation and prejudice to become wartime heroes. Write a five paragraph expository essay. Include a photo or a picture of the event or person.

9) Report on three civilian people who lived during WWI and discuss their experiences. Examine personal experience that may have been written down in journals, letters etc.

Write a five paragraph expository essay. Include a photo or a picture of the event or person.

10) Report on the art of WWI, describe how it impacted Europeans and or Americans. (Did the artwork show subjects such as violence, sadness, patriotism, pride or happiness)? Write a five paragraph expository essay. Include a photo or a picture of the event or person.

11) Discuss Allied or Central Power soldiers who became famous during WWI such as the Red Baron (Manfred von Richthofen) or Francis Gillet and report their achievements during the war. Write a five paragraph expository essay. Include a photo or a picture of the event or person.

12) Describe the various types of medals of honors both Allied and Central Power Soldiers could earn during WWI. Write a five paragraph expository essay. Include a photo or a picture of the event or person.

Questions

1. Why did America stay out of WWI so long?

2. What were the reactions in the US to the outbreak of the war in Europe?

3. What is the Zimmerman telegram?

4. What countries was a part of the Allied Powers? Central Powers?

5. What did President Wilson when he said "peace without victory"?

6. Why did Russia withdraw from the war?

7. Name some of the military innovations introduced during WWI.

8. Why did the government try to control the economy at home?

9. What was the American reaction to the 14 Points

10. What is the League of Nations?

Resources

http://members.aol.com/TeacherNet/WWI.html

http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/wwi_369th_infantry/wwi_369th_infantry.html

http://uboat.net/history/wwi/

http://www.pitt.edu/~pugachev/greatwar/toc.htm

http://mars.acnet.wnec.edu/~grempel/courses/wc2/lectures/worldwar1.html

http://www.ku.edu/~kansite/ww_one/naval/n0000000.htm

http://www.worldwar1.com/

http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwone/index.shtml

http://www.ku.edu/~kansite/ww_one/photos/greatwar.htm (you may use the photos from this site provided that you give the source credit)

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWW.htm -encyclopedia of WWI

http://www.ibiscom.com/w1frm.htm

http://www.firstworldwar.com/

http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/EMS/WWI/WWI.html

http://www.besmark.com/ww1b.html

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/dms/past/ww1index.html (another site where you can use the photos, but do not use the photographs relating to the Hoeffgen brothers)

http://history.searchbeat.com/worldwar1.htm

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook38.html

http://members.fortunecity.se/mikaelxii/ww1/

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ww1.htm

http://www.geocities.com/~worldwar1/default.html - Casualties, Biographical dictionary & maps of WWI

http://members.rotfl.com/WorldWar1/

http://www.sd54.k12.il.us/schools/keller/ww1/causes.htm

http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/

http://www.hcu.ox.ac.uk/jtap/pubs/ publications of WWI

http://www.greycounty.on.ca/museum/bishww1.html#water,%20mud,

http://www.richthofen.com/ - The Red Baron

Evaluation

You will be evaluated on both the process of completing the WebQuest and the final product. Before you hand in your papers, please check the following rubric to make sure you have completed each objective.

Conclusion

The divisions in Europe created by the Great War are still felt today. Socially, the War provided an enormous upheaval in perceptions of hierarchy and duty. It fed on existing prejudices and created new ones that are still present throughout the world. Before it ended, the Great War would take the lives of almost 13 million men in the armed forces of both sides, and an additional 13 million civilians.

WWI

Essay/Term Paper Grading Rubric

An “A” paper will contain the following information:

- A well-developed topic/introductory sentence.

- a) Discuss, the causes of World War I

- b) Identify the reasons why America entered WWI.

- c) Describe the types of technology utilized.

- d) Analyze the economic impact the war had on America.

- e) Discuss how the role of women changed because of the war.

- f) Discuss how the role of African Americans changed because of the war.

- g) Examine the rationale for the failure of the United States to join the League of Nations and the nation's return to isolationism.

- h) Evaluate America’s new role as a dominant world power after the war.

- A well-developed thesis that effectively argues the paper’s subject

- Sub-theses (at least three) roadmap that effectively supports the thesis statements argument

- Will be at least 10 pages in length

- Will effectively follow the appropriate organization of a paper

2. - Provides a solid argument with information supporting the thesis

- Does not write passively

- Does not use language such as “in this paper I will demonstrate”, usage of the first person, or “I think”.

- Does not use vocabulary beyond their ability/the usage of simple and direct language

3. - Effectively uses the APA format for writing

- Uses parenthetical citation

- Uses at least three book references and three internet references in their biography

- Uses exceptional grammar and contains no errors

A “B” paper will contain the following:

- An adequately developed topic/ introductory sentence.

- A thesis statement (at least three)/ road map that makes an attempt to support the thesis

statement

- Will be at least 9 pages in length

- Will adequately follow the appropriate organization of a paper

- Provide an adequate argument with information supporting the thesis

- Makes a strong effort to not write passively

- Makes a strong effort to not use language such as “in this paper I will demonstrate”, usage of the first person, or “I think”.

- Tries not to use vocabulary beyond their ability/the usage of simple and direct language

- Makes a strong effort to use APA format for writing

- Makes a strong effort to use parenthetical citation

- Uses at least three book references and two internet references in their bibliography

- Makes an effort to use appropriate grammar and may contain few errors that do not seriously take away from the quality of the paper

A “C” paper will contain the following:

- An adequately developed topic/introductory sentence

- A thesis statement that adequately argues the paper’s subject

- Sub-theses (at least two)/road map that makes an attempt to support the thesis statement

- Will be at least 6 pages in length

- Will adequately follow the appropriate organization of a paper

- Provides a recognizable argument with information supporting the thesis

- Makes an effort to not write passively

- Makes an effort to not use language such as “ in this paper I will demonstrate”, usage of the first person, or “I think”

- Makes an effort to use APA format for writing

- Makes an effort to use parenthetical citation

- Uses at least two book and internet references in their bibliography

- May contain some grammatical errors

A “D” paper will contain the following:

- A limited or confused topic/introductory sentence

- A limited or poorly developed thesis statement

- A limited sub-thesis

- Will be at least 4-6 in length

- May barely follow the appropriate organization of a paper

- Barely provides an argument and little information supporting the thesis

- Uses the first person or language such as “in this paper I will demonstrate”, or “I think” often

- Barely uses the APA format for writing

- Does not effectively cite sources

- Uses at least one or two book or internet references in their bibliography

- Contains grammatical errors

An “F” paper will contain the following:

- A vague or no thesis or topic sentence

- A vague or no sub-thesis

- Under 4 pages in length

- Vaguely follows the appropriate organization or doesn’t follow it at all

- Provides little or no argument in the thesis or its supporting statements

- Uses the first person or language such “in this paper I will demonstrate” or “I think” often

- Barely uses APA format for writing

- Does not effectively cite sources

- Uses at least one or two book or internet references in their bibliography

- Contains major grammatical errors

Background Information

The student will analyze the changing role of the United States in world affairs at the turn of the twentieth century.