Remembrance, Reflection, and the World War I Centenary:

What Happened Then, and What Have 100 Years Taught Us?
Unit Rationale
by Samantha Garrett

High School students in Tennessee are required to complete three credits (courses) of
Social Studies/History course work. Of their options, American and World History are two very
important courses to which they should have exposure. Because this year through to the year
2018 marks the centennial of World War I, and many institutions such as the BBC and historians
the world over are studying the event in earnest, I believe a comprehensive unit lesson plan
covering the events of World War I is not only opportune but also necessary.
The centennial is taking place at a time when technology is putting historical documents
in the hands of the public. This ease of access has allowed students better access to relevant and
engaging first-hand documents. This unit will take full advantage of the ease with which these
primary source documents can be accessed, allowing students to not only gain a deeper, more
meaningful understanding of World War I through use of the documents in the classroom, but to
gain experience thinking like a historian and learning to interact with history in meaningful
ways that will prepare them for college coursework through an in-class project that will take
place at the end of the unit.
In meeting these larger goals, this unit will not only allow students to meet the following
standards in both World and American History that pertain to World War I (US.26, US.27,
US.28, US.29, and US.30; W.23, W.24, W.25, W.26, W.28, W.29, W.30, W.31, W.32, W.34,
W.35) but will also focus on teaching them to think like historians and meet other standards
that are a part of the common core mindset, such as citing textual evidence, examining the
intentions of an author, among others.