Library of Congress: Recordings from WWI

• Activity:

Ask students: "What do you think were the biggest challenges America faced during World War I and right after it?"

Write their answers on the whiteboard.

• Quick Discussion:

Have students briefly discuss how they might expect American leaders to speak about war, the economy, and politics at that time.

• Objective Sharing:

Explain that today they will listen to real speeches from American leaders during and after World War I.
Emphasize that these speeches give a direct voice to the past and show how people tried to persuade, explain, or influence public opinion.

• Technology Check:

Make sure all students can hear the sample clip (test the sound/audio player briefly).

• Instructions:

Tell students they will listen to several short excerpts from historical speeches on different topics:

• • Collaborationists in the U.S.
  • Economic aspects
  • War finance
  • Naval operations
  • Propaganda efforts

Listening with Purpose:

As they listen, students should write down:

• • One main idea
  • One piece of evidence
  • One emotional appeal (if any)

Tip: Play 2-minute excerpts from each speech for time management.

Sources:

Speeches available through American Memory, Library of Congress collections (for example: Library of Congress: American Leaders Speak).

• Collaborative Whiteboard Activity:

      After each speech:

• • Students share their main ideas, evidence, and emotional appeals.
  • The teacher records ideas into two categories on the board: Similarities and Differences among the speeches.
• Small Group Discussion:

      Students break into small groups and discuss:

• • How did the leaders try to influence public opinion?
  • Which speech was the most persuasive, and why?

• Exit Slip Writing Assignment:

      Each student writes a short paragraph answering:

• • "What did you learn about American society from listening to these speeches?"
  • "How do these speeches help you better understand World War I and its aftermath?"

(You may collect these for participation credit or formative assessment.)

Essay Assignment:

Students choose one of the following prompts:

• Compare how two speeches addressed different aspects of the war.
• Analyze how propaganda was used to influence public opinion.
• Reflect on the differences between speeches about war operations and speeches about economic challenges.

Essays should cite specific quotes from the speeches.