articles (groups may wish to draft out a pros and cons list
to gather all the different perspectives) and determine the
U.S. position toward war: Should the United States remain
neutral or should the nation join the fight?
• Using the large Post-it chart paper or your classroom
chalk/white board, have the groups write down three to
five reasons that justify their final position. Student should
cite the articles they have used to come to this decision.
• Have each group present its final decision, including the
conclusion for its argument, to the class.
Homework
Present students with the second section of the contextual
narrative. Students should write a two-paragraph response
that explains how closely their decision aligned with history,
providing reasons for why it may have differed.
Lesson Activities: Day II
Local Perspective/Further use of Chronicling
America: 45-60 minutes
• Introduce students to the Chronicling America database.
Explain its purpose and demonstrate how to use it.
• If desired, http://edsitement.neh.gov/what-chroniclingamerica/using-chronicling-america offers a short video
tutorial to get students started.
• Divide students into three to five groups, depending
on technology access. (If each student has access to a
computer, then this can be done individually).
• Have each group find two or three newspaper articles from
your own state or region that discusses U.S. involvement in
World War I from 1914-1916.
• Have students fill out the same article analysis chart they
used for the pre-selected articles to determine the opinion
of people from their own state/region compared to those
in the original articles they read.
• As a summative assessment or exit ticket, ask students:
»»Would your final decision been different given this new
information? Explain why or why not.
Extension / Adaptation
• As a class, discuss the kinds of information that can be learned
through newspaper articles. Brainstorm other topics that can
be well researched using newspapers/Chronicling America.
54
• Now that students are familiar with Chronicling America,
have each group find two or three articles that discuss U.S.
NATIONAL HISTORY DAY 2015
Russian soldiers outside a marconi wireless station. (Photo courtesy of
the Topical Press Agency)
involvement in World War I from 1917-1918. How do the
issues discussed in articles building up to war show up in
subsequent press coverage?
• Now that students are familiar with the kind of information
that can be located in newspaper articles, have them
locate additional primary sources (letters, government
documents, photographs, political cartoons, etc.) dated
between 1914 and 1916. Places to try might include:
a local archives, www.ourdocuments.gov, The World
War I Museum, the Library of Congress, or the National
Archives. How are they similar or how do they differ from
newspaper coverage?
For more teaching and learning ideas go to http://edsitement.
neh.gov/.
For all materials, graphic organizers, and newspaper articles,
go to www.nhd.org/themebook.htm.