This inquiry explores some of the changes occurring in technology and society during World War I through the investigation of the compelling question “why is World War I considered the first ‘modern’ war?” The importance of understanding societal and technological changes in this inquiry is twofold: (1) students should be able to understand some of the wide-ranging impacts the war effort had on technology and the modernization of countries around the world and (2) students will benefit from understanding the impact of the war on societal norms. While progressing through the inquiry, students will analyze the changes that occurred during this time that continue to be reflected in American culture today.
This inquiry is expected to take four class periods; however, teachers are encouraged to adapt the inquiry to meet the needs and interests of their students and the amount of time they have available.
- USS North Dakota Document Set
- News Reports of the Great War Document Set
- The Great War, a Photo Essay Document Set
- Leila Halvorson Goes to War Document Set
Understand: Research how World War I affected students’ communities.
Assess: Determine the most impactful ways in which students’ communities contributed to the war effort.
Act: Using the research done on a soldier from your community, develop a documentary or a script for a short performance that can be presented to your school or community during a history fair.