US History

Lesson Activities
Student Answer Sheet

The US Role in World War I

The Lesson Activities will help you develop these 21 st century skills:
 Critical thinking
 Problem solving
 Media literacy

Directions
You will evaluate some of these activities yourself, and your teacher may evaluate others.
Please save this document before beginning the lesson and keep the document open for
reference during the lesson. Type your answers directly in this document for all activities.
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Self-Checked Activities

Read the instructions for the following activities and type in your responses. At the end of the
lesson, click the link on the Summary screen to open the Student Answer Sheet. Use the
answers or sample responses to evaluate your own work.

1. Why We Go to War

Think about what justifies a nation going to war. If you were a political leader, what
conditions would, in your judgment, justify a declaration of war? Write an essay that is at
least 200 words long.

Sample answer:
If I were a political leader, I know there would be times when I would need to consider
sending my country to war. I would try to mediate peace through diplomatic channels, but
that wouldn’t always work. I think the main circumstance that would make me choose to
send my country to war would be a significant, direct attack on my country.

The September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and the Pentagon were significant. An
attack like that would probably force me to go to war if I were the US leader. The
September 11 attacks, however, were not committed by a particular nation, but by radical
terrorists, so that would make things tricky.

Another example would be the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. In this case the attackers
were clearly identified and war was quickly and justly declared.

There could also be times when the actions of a country’s leader are so terrible and
inhumane to another country—or perhaps even to his own people—that war, supported by
certain higher moral beliefs, could be justified. While I know that the sending troops to fight

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 for whatever the reason would be hard, I also know there are times when it could be
required.

2. Propaganda

Explore what propaganda is. Then, using online resources, select any war poster that was
displayed across the United States during World War I and answer the following questions:

a. Who is the creator or sponsor of the poster?

Sample answer:
Answers will vary.

b. Describe the subject of the poster. What is its message?

Sample answer:
Answers will vary but should describe both visual and text elements.

c. What the desired outcome of the poster? How do you know?

Sample answer:
Answers will vary but should provide evidence from the poster and context from the
time period when citing the desired outcome.

d. Is this poster propaganda? Explain your answer.

Sample answer:
Answers will vary but should present clear reasoning based on the definition of
propaganda.

e. How do you think posters like this one can help us better understand a historical time
period?

Sample answer:
Answers will vary but should focus on putting the poster in a historical, political, or
cultural context.