Teaching World War I in the 21st Century 1 | Page 28

Visitors cross the Paul Sunderland Glass Bridge from the Museum lobby to the main exhibit hall, passing over a field of 9,000 red poppies, each
representing 1,000 combatant fatalities from the Great War.

Every community was touched by the war, and there are

Commemorate

plenty of stories of courage, honor, patriotism, and sacrifice
that deserve to be told. Beginning in 1917, the U.S. military
went from a standing army of 127,500 to more than four
million men and women who had served by 1919. As

the centennial approaches, take part in the international

coalition for commemoration. Find ways to honor the legacy
of veterans in your own community. Support a poppy drive;
encourage your school to pause for a moment of silence

on Armistice Day, now known as Veteran’s Day in the U.S.

Empower your students to create a commemoration that
will be uniquely meaningful to their generation.

Avoid relegating World War I to just one history unit.
Spend More Time for Critical Lessons...

In the United States, we tend to focus on the conflict’s
cause and immediate consequences. This means that

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many times we boil the conflict down to: “Acronym”
Essays & Resources

(MAIN or MANIAC) + Franz Ferdinand Assassination =
useless death and prologue to World War II.

There is never enough time in a school year, but

oversimplifying can lead to miseducation. Explore the

lessons, legacies, and enduring events. Anchor events of
the twentieth and twenty-first centuries back to their

origins in WWI. Note this can be a dangerous thing, as
it seems that shaky analogies are made in the media
every year.

Instead, ask open-ended questions:

• Is there a moral imperative to aid those who
fight for freedom and democracy?

• How do results of diplomacy meet local
expectations?

• Victory ends war. How is peace achieved?