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Library of Congress: Recordings from WWI

Details

Activity Description

American Leaders Speak
Source: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/nfhtml/nforSubjects01.html (License: Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])
 

This historical site consists of fifty-nine sound recordings of speeches by American leaders at the turn of the century. The speeches focus on issues and events surrounding the First World War and the presidential election of 1920. Text of speeches is also available. RealAudio, MP3, or Windows Media player is needed to listen to the recordings. (Most PC's probably have at least the Windows Media Player.)

 

Preparation

Students should have a basic previous knowledge of the events before, during, and after World War I.

  1. Review the material in order to guide your students through the speeches available.
  2. Download recordings before the class.
  3. Check if your computer has the software needed to play the speech recording.

More Ways

You can use the same steps to teach the 1920 election or other items in the speech list.

Program Areas

  • ASE: High School Diploma

Lesson Plan

Warm-up
Engagement
  • 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.

Introduction
  • 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).

Presentation
  • 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).

Practice
  • 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?
Evaluation
  • 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.)

Application

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.

Documents

Subjects

  • English Language Arts
    • Journalism
    • Speech
  • Social Studies
    • U.S. History

Tags

France, Germany, Library of Congress, speech, war, World War I, WWI, communism, crisis, England, fight

Creative Commons License

CC BY
CC BY: This license allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.

Conditions

As a publicly supported institution, we generally do not own the rights to materials in our collections. You should determine for yourself whether or not an item is protected by copyright or in the public domain, and then satisfy any copyright or use restrictions when publishing or distributing materials from our collections. Transmission or reproduction of protected items beyond what is allowed by fair use or other exemptions requires written permission from the copyright holder. Permitted Uses Educational Use: You may use the lesson plans and associated materials for personal, educational, and non-commercial purposes, such as classroom instruction and academic research. Sharing: Sharing links to these materials with students and colleagues for educational purposes is encouraged.

AI Reference

ChatGPT was used to rewrite this lesson in the WIPPEA format
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OTAN activities are funded by contract CN240137 from the Adult Education Office, in the Career & College Transition Division, California Department of Education, with funds provided through Federal P.L., 105-220, Section 223. However, OTAN content does not necessarily reflect the position of that department or the U.S. Department of Education.