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DocsTeachThe online tool for teaching with documents, from the National Archives National Archives Foundation National Archives

Americans on the Homefront Helped Win World War I

Seeing the Big Picture

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Americans on the Homefront Helped Win World War I

About this Activity

  • Created by:National Archives Education Team
  • Historical Era:The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
  • Thinking Skill:Historical Analysis & Interpretation
  • Bloom's Taxonomy:Analyzing
  • Grade Level:Middle School
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Please use a tablet or desktop computer to use this activity.
In this activity, students will match photographs, posters, and documents to visualize ways that Americans contributed to the war effort on the home-front during World War I. Students will see a payoff image related to the armistice celebration and reflect on the sacrifices made during wartime.
https://docsteach.org/activities/student/americans-on-the-homefront-helped-win-world-war-i

Suggested Teaching Instructions

Learning Objectives

Students will analyze documents related to homefront activities in which Americans were encouraged to engage during World War I. They will compare documents, identify patriotic activities, and reflect on the meaning of American citizenship. For grades 6-8. Approximate time needed is 25 minutes.

Instructions

This activity is intended as an individual student or small-group activity to introduce students to home-front activities during World War I. It could also serve as an introduction and reflection on Veterans Day as a national holiday and/or the meaning of citizenship.

After defining the term "home-front" as it relates to wartime, project the activity for the entire class and choose one document from the grid with which to model document analysis.

Ask students to complete the activity on their own, performing similar analysis with each document they click on. The activity will instruct students to match the documents according to nine specific ways that Americans were asked to help on the homefront to win the war. (Point out that there may have been other ways to help as well.) Americans could have:

  1. enlisted or supported relatives who were fighting,
  2. bought bonds from the government to help finance the war,
  3. been loyal to the government and told on those who weren't,
  4. worked in a wartime industry, even switching from their regular jobs,
  5. worked instead of staying at home if they were women,
  6. volunteered skills or time to help the nation or soldiers,
  7. eaten more of some things and less or none of others,
  8. saved sugar for the soldiers,
  9. or grown crops to increase the food supply.

After students make all of the matches, they will see a photograph of an armistice celebration showing cheering and flags of the Allies. Upon learning that Armistice Day became a U.S. holiday to commemorate this event, they will reflect on the purpose of the holiday now known as Veterans Day.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs states the purpose of Veterans Day is "to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good."

Following students' responses to the questions "Do citizens owe their country sacrifices?" and "How much did Americans sacrifice on the homefront during WWI?" in the "When You're Done" section, conduct a class discussion about sacrifice during wartime and peacetime, and what it means to be an American citizen.

Documents in this activity

  • All About W.S.S. What are they?...Why Should I Buy Them?...How Can I Buy Them?... Where Can I Buy Them?... Every Stamp helps to Save a Life, Every Stamp Helps To End The War...
  • American Protective League to U. S. Food Administration re: Carl A. Rink
  • American Red Cross Parade, Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham View Company
  • "Yanks and Tommies" During the Armistice Celebration
  • Doctor Stephen S. Wise, Rabbi of the Free Synagogue, has become a laborer in the shipbuilding yards of the Luder Marine Construction Company, at Stanford, Connecticut, together with his eighteen year
  • Eat more corn, oats, and rye products...
  • Girls operate stock boards at Waldorf-Astoria. The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel is employing girls to operate tickers and stock exchange boards. The Waldorf is the first to employ girls in its various depart
  • Has eleven sons in service. Ike Sims of Atlanta, Georgia, 87 years old, has eleven sons in the service. . .
  • John Meints, Punished During World War I
  • Little Americans. Do Your Bit.
  • Patriotic old women make flags. Born in Hungary, Galicia, Russia, Germany, Rumania. Their flag-making instructor, Rose Radin, is standing. Underwood and Underwood
  • Photograph of Bicycle Boat Promoting Food Conservation in Calexico, California.
  • Women Rivet Heaters at Puget Sound Navy Yard
  • School Children Holding Cabbage Raised in a War Garden
  • Sugar. 1- none on fruits, 2- none in desserts, 3- less on cereals, 4- less in coffee or tea, 5- less in preserving, 6- less cake and candy, 7- use other sweeteners. Save It."
  • Team Work Wins! Your work here makes their work over there possible. With your help they are invincible. Without it they are helpless. Whatever you make, machine gun or harness, cartridges or helmet,
  • Uncle Sam Says, Garden to Cut Food Costs
  • Draft Registration Card for George Herman Ruth
  • You Buy A Liberty Bond. Lest I perish. Get Behind The Government.

CC0
To the extent possible under law, National Archives Education Team has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to "Americans on the Homefront Helped Win World War I".

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