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Lesson Plans

Out of Many: A History of the American People ©2000

by Faragher, Buhle, Czitrom, and Armitage

Focus Lesson 19

Chapter 22: "World War I, 1914–1920"

AP* Course Description

Foreign Policy, 1865–1914
- Theodore Roosevelt
  - The Panama Canal
  - Roosevelt Corollary
  - Far East
- Taft and Dollar Diplomacy
- Wilson and Moral Diplomacy
The First World War
- Problems of neutrality
  - Submarines
  - Economic ties
  - Psychological and ethnic ties
- Preparedness and pacifism
- Mobilization
  - Fighting the war
  - Financing the war
  - War boards
  - Propaganda, public opinion, civil liberties
- Wilson's Fourteen Points
  - Treaty of Versailles
  - Ratification fight
- Postwar demobilization
  - Red scare
  - Labor strife

Key Components

Instructor's Manual: pp. 121–127
Study Guide, Vol. II: pp. 51–60
Documents Set, Vol. II: pp. 308–323
Test Item File: pp. 199–209

Key Web Sites

Given the changing nature of the Internet, you may wish to preview these sites. Always check PHSchool.com for updated links to U.S. history sites.

Key Words and Terms

Big Stick
Panama Canal
Dollar Diplomacy
Espionage and Sedition Acts

Debs v. United States
Fourteen Points
election of 1920

Suggested Pacing

Allow two 90-minute class sessions on a block schedule or three sessions on a traditional bell schedule of 45-minute periods.

Test Strategy

The AP* exam will not ask questions about the battles of World War I (or any war). Both the multiple-choice questions and the essay prompts will ask students to analyze the political/philosophical ideas or differences of the people involved in World War I, the causes of events, and the importance of decisions. Help students dissect cause and effect like a journalist. Have them answer these questions about The Great War: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?

Key Concepts

Continuity of foreign policy
Students should be aware of the continuity of U.S. foreign policy before and after 1900. The nation's entrance into World War I was a continuation of its policy of using power, and at times military force, to protect its overseas economic interests. Remind students of both "gunboat diplomacy" and "dollar diplomacy."
Suppression of civil rights
World War I aggravated many of the social and economic tensions of the nation. The result was suppression of dissent. Congress passed the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act. The former gave the postmaster the power to remove from the mail any publications deemed treasonous. The latter act allowed the government to crush any anti-war opposition. In Schenck v. United States, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Sedition Act and established the principle of "a clear and present danger."

Summing Up Student Understanding

Have students analyze the Fourteen Points as a way of defining U.S. goals in World War I. Divide students into groups. Ask part of the class to read Woodrow Wilson's "War Message to Congress" on p. 311 in Documents Set, Vol. II. Require the remainder of the class to read Woodrow Wilson's "Fourteen Points" on p. 322 in Documents Set, Vol. II. Through class discussion, have students compare the message to Congress and the Fourteen Points to answer the question: How do the Fourteen Points define U.S. goals in the Great War?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

You might also find these additional readings useful in developing students' background knowledge or for DBQ activities:

American Issues: Vol. II Since 1865, edited by Unger and Tomes—Chapter 7
Constructing the American Past, Vol. II, edited by Gorn, Roberts, and Bilhartz—Chapter 7
American Experiences: Volume II From 1877, edited by Roberts and Olson (secondary source readings)—Part Three

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