Article

WWI Hero Henry Johnson Finally Receives Medal of Honor

Though Henry Johnson was hailed as one of the bravest Americans to fight in WWI, due to lasting racism in the U.S. it wasn't until 2004 that he was granted the Medal of Honor. This article from...
HISTORY®
Activities for Young Learners

WWI Maker Activity: Letter Writing

In a time before emails and text messages, soldiers in World War I relied on written letters to communicate with their loved ones back home. In these maker activities from the Virginia Cooperative...
Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H
Activities for Young Learners

WWI Maker Activity: War Gardens

Food production was essential in World War I. American citizens were encouraged to create "War Gardens" and grow their own food, allowing more commercially-produced food to reach troops. In this maker...
Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H
Activities for Young Learners

WWI Maker Activity: Monuments

Many monuments and memorials were constructed in communities across the US at the end of World War I. They were as simple as a small bronze statue or as large as an entire granite building. It is...
Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H
Activities for Young Learners

WWI Maker Activity: Airplanes

Aviation evolved rapidly during WWI, with modern and more effective aircraft replacing the basic machines, shaping the way countries fight wars more quickly than any other weapon in military history.
Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H
Activities for Young Learners

WWI Maker Activity: Making Music

General Pershing believed that military bands were a key element in maintaining the morale of his soldiers. In this maker activity from the Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H, young students will...
Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H
Activities for Young Learners

WWI Maker Activity: Telephones

The U.S. Army adopted the telephone as soon as it was invented, using it in the Spanish-American War. In 1917 General Pershing asked the War Department to recruit women to serve overseas as telephone...
Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H
Activities for Young Learners

WWI Maker Activity: Codes and Ciphers

Armies used codes and ciphers to send secret messages back and forth during World War I. One of the most successful use of codes during the war was with a group of 14 Choctaw Indians soldiers from...
Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H
Stem in 30 Video Series

WWI: How History Shaped Technology

This video webcast series from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum creates an interactive classroom program consisting of 30-minute webcasts that engage middle school students in STEM topics...
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
YouTube Video

Zeppelins - Majestic and Deadly Airships of WWI

Balloons were used in war as early as the American Civil War, but the invention of the dirigible, a steerable airship, opened up the possibilities of this new technology. The German Army and Navy...
The Great War YouTube Channel
Downloadable Curriculum

Zimmermannland: The Southwestern Front of WWI

The Zimmermann Telegram was a major factor in the U.S. decision to join the Allies in World War I. Using this lesson, students will analyze the context of the telegram from the perspectives of the U.S...
Wall Street Journal Interactive Article

100 Years, 100 Legacies: The Lasting Impact of WWI

The Wall Street Journal has collected a list of "100 legacies that still shape our lives today." From chemical warfare and guided missiles to blue doctors' scrubs and Pilates, the First World War...
Wall Street Journal
More to Explore at the Museum and Memorial

Gallery Activities

Explore activities you can use during a visit at the National WWI Museum and Memorial: a gallery guide, scavenger hunts, Acoustiguide audio tours and home/class crafts.