ALEX Learning Activity

  

Our Boys Need Help! Assist the Rainbow Division

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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Lesa Roberts
Organization:Whitesburg Christian Academy
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 2109
Title:
Our Boys Need Help! Assist the Rainbow Division
Digital Tool/Resource:
Letters from Leo Strassburger in Montgomery
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

The students will read a letter about the plight of Alabama soldiers in the Rainbow Division of World War I and will create a list of supplies that were described in the primary document. The students will illustrate the Rainbow Divisions' need for supplies by creating fundraising posters.

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Gap Project.
  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Social Studies
SS2010 (2010)
Grade: 6
United States Studies: The Industrial Revolution to the Present
3 ) Identify causes and consequences of World War I and reasons for the United States' entry into the war.

Examples: sinking of the Lusitania, Zimmerman Note, alliances, militarism, imperialism, nationalism

•  Describing military and civilian roles in the United States during World War I
•  Explaining roles of important persons associated with World War I, including Woodrow Wilson and Archduke Franz Ferdinand
•  Analyzing technological advances of the World War I era for their impact on modern warfare
Examples: machine gun, tank, submarine, airplane, poisonous gas, gas mask

•  Locating on a map major countries involved in World War I and boundary changes after the war
•  Explaining the intensification of isolationism in the United States after World War I
Example: reaction of the Congress of the United States to the Treaty of Versailles, League of Nations, and Red Scare

•  Recognizing the strategic placement of military bases in Alabama (Alabama)
Unpacked Content
Strand: Economics, Geography, History, Civics and Government
Course Title: United States Studies: The Industrial Revolution to the Present
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • Identify how the sinking of the Lusitania, the Zimmerman Note, alliances, imperialism, militarism and nationalism led to U.S. entry into WWI.
  • Describe the various roles of military and civilians in WWI.
  • Explain Woodrow Wilson and Archduke Franz Ferdinand and their association to WWI.
  • Analyze machine guns, tanks, submarines, airplanes, poison gas, and gas masks and their contributions to advancing modern warfare during WWI.
  • Use map skills to locate key countries involved in WWI and boundary changes post WWI.
  • Explain reactions to the Treaty of Versailles, League of Nations and the Red Scare pertaining to the intensification of isolationism in the United States after WWI.
  • Recognize military bases of Alabama and their strategic placement.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • WWI
  • Lusitania
  • Zimmerman Note
  • alliances
  • militarism
  • imperialism
  • nationalism
  • modern warfare
  • isolationism
  • Treaty of Versailles
  • League of Nations
  • Red Scare
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • The causes and consequences of U.S. involvement in WWI (sinking of the Lusitania, the Zimmerman Note, Alliance System, Militarism, Imperialism, and Nationalism).
  • The roles of military and civilians played in WWI.
    • Important people involved in WWI (Woodrow Wilson, Archduke Franz Ferdinand).
  • The impact of technological advances of WWI on modern warfare (machine guns, tanks, submarines, airplanes, poison gas, and gas masks).
  • How to locate countries involved in WWI on a map and boundary changes that occurred after WWI.
  • The factors contributing to isolationism in the United States after WWI (Treaty of Versailles debate, Red Scare, League of Nations).
  • Strategic locations of military bases in Alabama.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Locate places on a map.
  • Read and interpret primary source documents.
  • Cite evidence to support historical events.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • There were many reasons for United States entry and involvement in World War I and there were causes and consequences of this involvement.
Alabama Archives Resources:
Click below to access all Alabama Archives resources aligned to this standard.
Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
SS.AAS.6.3- Identify strategic placement of military bases in Alabama, such as Redstone Arsenal, Fort Rucker, Fort McClellan, and Craig Air Force Base.
Learning Objectives:

  • Students will analyze a primary source letter to learn about the supplies the Rainbow Division lacked during the last months of the war. 

  • Students will create fundraiser posters depicting the needs of the Rainbow Division.
  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
After/Explain/Elaborate
Activity:

  1. Review the struggles that the Allies were experiencing during the first three years of World War I (long, unsuccessful battles, extreme weather conditions, trench warfare, lack of supplies, poisonous gases, etc).

  2. Review how the Allies were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the American soldiers, including General Pershing and the American Expeditionary Forces. 

  3. Distribute the letter from Leo Strassburger to each student.

  4. Allow students to read, analyze, and annotate the letter.  

  5. Assign the task of creating posters that will encourage Alabamians to donate supplies to the Rainbow Division.

  6. Distribute the materials (copy paper, colored pencils, markers) to create fund-raiser posters for the needed supplies.

  7. Posters should include: Title, illustrations, list of needed supplies, how, when and where to donate materials and/or funds.
Assessment Strategies:

  • The teacher should monitor the review discussions and encourage all students to participate.

  • The teacher should monitor students as they read and annotate the primary document.

  • If available, students may use a document camera to share their posters.

  • Posters may be graded on creativity, accuracy, and neatness.
Advanced Preparation:

  1. Students should have prior knowledge about the creation, organization, and deployment of the 42nd Rainbow Division (4th Alabama Infantry to the 167th United States Infantry Regiment).

  2. Students should have prior knowledge of the major battles of World War I.

  3. Students should have prior knowledge of the importance of the U.S. Army's arrival in France in January 1918.

  4. Students should be familiar with propaganda posters and techniques used to sway the public to comply with their messages.

  5. Students should be proficient in analyzing and annotating primary documents.
Variation Tips (optional):

  • Students may work in pairs to create a poster.

  • Students may use images from archives as the illustrations for the posters.

  • Digital posters may be created.
Notes or Recommendations (optional):

The teacher should remind students that war-time posters usually contained a memorable title, are quickly read, with memorable illustrations.
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