Teaching World War I in the 21st Century 1

HEROES WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE: MEMORIALIZING A DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS AWARD RECIPIENT Ron Hustvedt, Jr., Salk Middle School STEM, Pre-Engineering Magnet Program, Elk River, Minnesota GRADE LEVEL 6-8 OBJECTIVES: At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to • • • Examine the requirements to earn the Distinguished Service Cross Select and research a recipient of the medal during World War I Write a newspaper editorial commemorating that soldier What does distinguished service to your country in a time of war look like? How does a medal serve as a symbol of the extraordinary service of an otherwise ordinary individual? How do we honor those individuals a century later? GUIDING QUESTION: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. CONNECTIONS TO COMMON CORE: D2.His.3.6-8 Use questions generated about individuals and groups to analyze why they, and the developments they shaped, are seen as historically significant. CONNECTIONS TO C3 FRAMEWORK: DOCUMENTS USED: Secondary Sources: Distinguished Service Cross: Artifact Photograph and Explanation http://historyexplorer.si.edu/resource/?key=4186 Object Record: Distinguished Service Cross http://amhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/collection/object.asp?ID=424 Lesson Plans & Activities 41

Teaching World War I in the 21st Century 1 | Page 45