Era 7: The Emergence of Modern America: World War I (1890–1930)

Summary: In this lesson, students will explore immigration through the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration 1989 documentary "Island of Hope, Island of Tears." Students will hear some of the reasons why people emigrated to the U.S. and view their experiences along their journeys as they passed through Ellis Island.

Overarching questions:

CIVICS: Have the concepts of liberty, justice and/or equality changed during the time period? If so, how and what has been the impact? CIVICS: How well...

Summary: This lesson provides background on why immigrants decided to leave their homelands and settle in New Jersey in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Students will be asked to compare and contrast the immigration debate in the early twentieth century to today’s debate about immigration; to identify current issues regarding immigration and their impact on New Jersey; and to analyze the historical impact of changing U.S. immigration policies on New Jersey.

Overarching questions:

CIVICS: Have the...

Summary: In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson declared that neutrality in the Great War was "no longer feasible" and that the U.S. had to intervene to make the world "safe for democracy." What changed between 1914 and 1917 that caused the U.S. to enter WWI? In this lesson, students address this question as they corroborate a textbook account with two documents: a speech by President Wilson and an excerpt from Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States.

Overarching Questions:

CIVICS: How well...

Summary: With the onset of World War I, women took on the traditional roles of providing indispensable services such as cooking, nursing, and laundry. But they also engaged in newer ones. Women in the United States formed organizations that brought relief to the war-torn countries in Europe, both before and after America's entry in April 1917. These groups were highly organized, much like the military, which garnered women respect from their fellow citizens. This three-lesson unit examines the complexity...

Summary: Historian Geoffrey Wawro observed, “With one in three Americans in 1918 either born abroad or of foreign-born parents, resentment of immigrants became as American as apple pie.” The three lessons in this unit explore the integration of foreign-born soldiers into the US military during World War I and compare that integration to the integration of foreign-born civilians into American society during World War I. Students will read, analyze, and evaluate secondary and primary sources,...

Summary: This lesson provides an opportunity to analyze primary and secondary written texts and political cartoons in order to both understand the participation of black soldiers in World War I and sharpen the literacy skills related to the distinction between imply and infer. These essential literacy skills will be applied to answer two essential questions; 1) How did World War I affect (or impact) the lives of African Americans?; and 2) To what extent did the patriotism of African Americans...

Summary: The Sedition Act of 1917 limited freedom of speech. President Wilson and Congress claimed political dissent would harm the country's war effort. In this lesson, students consider whether critics of the First World War were anti-American as they read anti-war documents from prominent socialist leaders Eugene Debs and Charles Schenck, as well as excerpts from the Sedition Act and a Supreme Court ruling upholding the act.

Overarching Questions:

CIVICS: Have the concepts of liberty,...

Summary: The history of New Jersey has closely paralleled that of the United States. This lesson looks at the role of New Jersey during World War I. Topics include the impact of the war on New Jersey’s economy, it’s role in training troops and serving as a port for transport to and from the Western Front, the role of women, and the explosion of the Black Tom depot.

Overarching Question:

CIVICS: How well does the government balance individual rights and the common good, including the need to...