Standard 4: Demonstrate an understanding of the changing role of the United States in world affairs through the end of World War I.

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General Information
Number: SS.912.A.4
Title: Demonstrate an understanding of the changing role of the United States in world affairs through the end of World War I.
Type: Standard
Subject: Social Studies
Grade: 912
Strand: American History

Related Benchmarks

This cluster includes the following benchmarks.

Related Access Points

This cluster includes the following access points.

Access Points

SS.912.A.4.AP.1
Identify major factors that drove United States imperialism.
SS.912.A.4.AP.2
Identify the purpose of the United States expanding into other territories.
SS.912.A.4.AP.3
Identify a cause and consequence of the Spanish American War.
SS.912.A.4.AP.4
Identify an economic, military, and security reason why the United States completed the Panama Canal and the challenges that were faced during its construction.
SS.912.A.4.AP.5
Identify a cause and consequence of United States involvement in World War I.
SS.912.A.4.AP.6
Identify ways the United States government prepared the nation for World War I, such as Selective Service Act, War Industries Board, war bonds, Espionage Act, Sedition Act, Committee of Public Information.
SS.912.A.4.AP.7
Identify the impact of the development of airplanes, battleships, new weaponry, and chemical warfare in creating new war strategies (trench warfare, convoys).
SS.912.A.4.AP.8
Identify experiences diverse American groups had while serving in Europe.
SS.912.A.4.AP.9
Identify impacts of the war on German Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Jewish Americans, Native Americans, women and dissenters in the United States.
SS.912.A.4.AP.10
Identify a provision of the Treaty of Versailles and the failure of the United States to support the League of Nations.
SS.912.A.4.AP.11
Identify a key event or person in Florida history related to United States history.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this topic.

Assessment

Quiz: Imperialism :

Test your knowledge of American imperialism and the Age of Empire with this 9-question multiple choice quiz!

Type: Assessment

Lesson Plans

Attack on Pearl Harbor:

Students will learn about the causes and consequences of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This lesson will trace the failures of the Treaty of Versailles, its effect on international relations, the motives behind the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and how the United States responded through legislative action. The lesson includes a guided presentation, guided notes for students, built-in review questions to determine comprehension, and a formative assessment utilizing a primary source text.

Type: Lesson Plan

Types of Propaganda: WWI:

In this lesson plan, students will use the types of propaganda to help analyze WWI propaganda. Students will learn about the different types of propaganda and then apply those techniques to famous WWI propaganda posters. 

Type: Lesson Plan

Social Issues in America: Individual Rights vs. Common Good:

In this lesson, students will use case studies to evaluate issues that cause the government to balance protecting individual rights with protecting the common good.

 

 

Type: Lesson Plan

Preparation for War:

In this lesson, students will review how the United States prepared the country to enter World War I and the effect of the entry into the war on American citizens' rights and liberties.

Type: Lesson Plan

Over There: America Prepares for War:

This lesson will be part of the World War I unit. Students will analyze George M. Cohan’s song, “Over There” to evaluate how he used propaganda techniques to gather support for the nation’s entry into WWI. It will also demonstrate how one individual can influence public policy and how the song helped boost morale and prepare the people for war.

Type: Lesson Plan

War and Words:

In this lesson plan, students will be placed into four groups. Each group will be tasked with becoming “experts” on one of the following topics: the Espionage Act of 1917, the Sedition Act of 1918, the Schenck v. United States (1919) Supreme Court ruling, and the Debs v. United States (1919) Supreme Court ruling.  Using the jigsaw strategy, students will share their analyses and discuss and debate responses to the inquiry question: When, if ever, is the government justified in limiting individual rights?

Type: Lesson Plan

Balancing Individual Rights with the Public Good During Wartime:

In this lesson, students will develop a deeper understanding of how the U.S. government balances the rights of individuals with the public good.  Students will learn about the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act and will research the Schenck v. U.S. case of 1919 to explain and evaluate the Court’s ruling in relation to these controversial laws.

Type: Lesson Plan

Florida During the Spanish-American War of 1898: Structured Academic Debate on African-American Participation in the War:

In this activity, students examine examples of newspaper editorials arguing both sides of this debate along with documents describing Floridian attitudes toward black soldiers. Using this evidence, students will explore ideas about the meaning of black participation in the Spanish-American War

Type: Lesson Plan

Reading Like a Historian: Chicago Race Riots of 1919:

In this lesson, students analyze primary and secondary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: What caused the Chicago race riots of 1919? The teacher begins with a mini-lecture on the Great Migration and then streams the video trailer for a documentary film called Up South. Students then read 2 secondary source accounts of the riots: 1 from a generic textbook and another from John H. Franklin's From Slavery to Freedom. Students analyze with a graphic organizer and discuss: which account is more believable and why? They then do the same for 3 primary sources, drawn from contemporary newspapers and magazines. A final class discussion attempts to identify the real cause of the riots and places them in a larger context of racial violence at the time.

Type: Lesson Plan

Reading Like a Historian: Sedition in WWI:

In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Were critics of the First World War anti-American? Students begin by free-writing: what is patriotism? Is it unpatriotic to criticize one's government? Students receive 2 documents: a speech by Eugene Debs and a pamphlet by Charles Schenck. For both, they answer detailed questions on a graphic organizer. After discussing, students then look at the text of the 1917 Sedition Act and answer guiding questions. Finally, the class looks at Oliver Wendell Holmes' Supreme Court decision ruling against Schenck and discuss: Did he break the law? Do you agree with the decision? For homework, students answer the central question in writing with evidence from the documents.

Type: Lesson Plan

Reading Like a Historian: U.S. Entry into WWI:

In this lesson, designed to follow a more general lesson on the causes and warring parties of WWI, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the U.S. enter World War I? The teacher begins with a mini-lesson on Woodrow Wilson. Students then read 2 Wilson documents: 1) a 1914 speech urging American neutrality and 2) Wilson's 1917 speech on the U.S. entry into the war. Students then read their class textbook's explanation for the end of U.S. neutrality, followed by an excerpt from Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States. For all documents, students answer guiding questions which stress contextualization and close reading. A final class discussion evaluates Zinn's views and compares them to the other sources.

Type: Lesson Plan

Reading Like a Historian: Anti-Suffragists:

In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did people, including women, oppose women's suffrage? It is recommended (but not essential) that the teacher begin by screening some of the HBO film Iron Jawed Angels to start a discussion about the motives of anti-suffragists. In groups, students then analyze 3 documents: 1) an excerpt from Molly Seawell's anti-suffragist book, 2) an anti-suffrage newspaper article, and 3) a speech by Tennessee Congressman John Moon. For each, students answer questions on a graphic organizer. In a final class discussion, students discuss the validity of anti-suffragists' motives, relate them to the film, and discuss what other sources they might want to read for further corroboration and contextualization.

Type: Lesson Plan

Reading Like a Historian: Explosion of the Maine :

In this lesson, students analyze primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: What sank the Maine? The teacher introduces the concept of media sensationalism and shows a painting of the Maine's destruction and a propaganda song blaming the Spanish. Students then receive opposing newspaper accounts from Hearst's New York Herald and the New York Times; for each, they fill out a graphic organizer and/or guiding questions. A class discussion explores how the reporting of news influences readers' opinions. For homework, students explain--using textual evidence--which account they find more believable.

Type: Lesson Plan

Reading Like a Historian: Philippine War Political Cartoons :

In this lesson, students analyze political cartoons in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the United States annex the Philippines after the Spanish-American War? The teacher first uses a timeline to review basic information about the war, then distributes Rudyard Kipling's poem "The White Man's Burden," which students analyze in pairs. Then, students are split into 6 groups and receive 2 different cartoons each: 1 from a pro-imperial magazine like Judge or Puck, and 1 from an anti-imperial magazine like Life or The World. Using a graphic organizer, students examine the cartoons and then present 1 of them to the class, explaining how the cartoonist makes his point. A final class discussion contextualizes the cartoons and the events of the late 1890s.

Type: Lesson Plan

Reading Like a Historian: Soldiers in the Philippines:

In this lesson, students analyze primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: What accounted for American atrocities during the Philippine War? The teacher first uses a timeline to review basic information about the Philippine occupation and the 1902 Senate hearings regarding atrocities. Students then read numerous source documents from witness and participants in the war: the testimony of U.S. soldiers to the Senate, letters from soldiers to home, and a report from a Filipino soldier. Students use the sources and a graphic organizer to test 3 different hypotheses as to why soldiers were brutal. In a 1-page final response, students write about the hypothesis they find most convincing, using textual evidence. A final class discussion follows.

Type: Lesson Plan

Reading Like a Historian: Spanish American War :

In this lesson, students analyze primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the U.S invade Cuba? The teacher streams a short film (link included) while students take notes as to possible reasons for the invasion. Students then read the following: 1) song lyrics of an anti-Spanish propaganda a song written after the Maine sinking, 2) a telegram sent by Fitzhugh Lee, U.S. Consul-General in Cuba, and 3) a Senate campaign speech from Albert Beveridge. For each, students complete a graphic organizer and guiding questions. A final class discussion goes back to the original class hypotheses and determines which ones are most supported by the evidence.

Type: Lesson Plan

Original Student Tutorials

War and Peace? Part 2 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the end of World War I and the Paris Peace Conference that followed, from the point of view of the United States and President Woodrow Wilson.  You'll learn about the Treaty of Versailles that ended the war with Germany, about the League of Nations, and about Wilson's failure to make the U.S. a part of the newly created international organization.  

CLICK HERE to open Part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

War and Peace? Part 1 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the end of World War I and the Paris Peace Conference that followed, from the point of view of the United States and President Woodrow Wilson.  You'll learn about the Treaty of Versailles that ended the war with Germany, about the League of Nations, and about Wilson's failure to make the U.S. a part of the newly created international organization.  

CLICK HERE to open Part 2.

 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

The "Isolationist" 1920s:

In this interactive tutorial, learn about a different side of the 1920s: the foreign and economic policies the U.S. pursued in the decade following World War I.  You'll learn about the treaties and agreements the U.S. entered into during this time in an effort to produce a more peaceful and stable world, and you'll evaluate the extent to which the U.S. truly pursued "isolationist" policies during the 1920s.   

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Over Here: Americans at Home in World War I, Part 2 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn how Americans on the home front experienced World War 1 while helping the U.S.A win the war. You'll learn about war bonds and about the changes WWI brought to America's economy. You'll also learn how propaganda and new laws against wartime dissent curbed Americans' civil liberties. Finally, you'll learn how the war lead to increased opportunities for women and African Americans.

CLICK HERE to open Part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Over Here: Americans at Home in World War I, Part 1 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn how Americans on the home front experienced World War 1 while helping the U.S.A win the war.  You'll learn about war bonds and about the changes WWI brought to America's economy.  You'll also learn how propaganda and new laws against wartime dissent curbed Americans' civil liberties.  Finally, you'll learn how the war lead to increased opportunities for women and African Americans.  

CLICK HERE to open Part 2.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Over There: Americans at War in World War I, Part 2 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the experiences of the Americans who served "over there" in Europe during World War I. Learn about doughboys, trench warfare, and some of the WWI veterans who would go to become famous Americans!

CLICK HERE to open Part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Over There: Americans at War in World War I, Part 1 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the experiences of the Americans who served "over there" in Europe during World War I. Learn about doughboys, trench warfare, and some of the WWI veterans who would go to become famous Americans!

CLICK HERE to open Part 2.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

America Joins the Great War: Part 2 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn how World War I, "the Great War,"  began in Europe. You'll also learn why the U.S.A. joined the side of the Allies after years of attempted neutrality.

CLICK HERE for Part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

America Joins the Great War: Part 1 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn how World War I, the "Great War," began in Europe.  You'll also learn why the U.S.A. joined the side of the Allies after years of attempted neutrality.

CLICK HERE for Part 2. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Imperialism and the Spanish-American War:

In this interactive tutorial, learn about imperialism and understand the four major factors that drove America's imperial mindset in the late 1800s. Then learn about the causes and consequences of the Spanish-American War and how the U.S.A. gained new territories as a result.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Territorial Behaviors:

In this interactive tutorial, learn the history behind the different territories that belong to the United States, including those that have become states, like Alaska and Hawaii, and those that haven't, like Puerto Rico and American Samoa.  You'll also learn about America's role in the construction of the Panama Canal and the Panama Canal Zone the U.S. controlled.  

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Text Resources

Supreme Court Landmark Case: Abrams v. United States (1919):

Learn more about the 1919 landmark Supreme Court decision Abrams v. U.S. In this case, the Court decided issues of free speech during wartime: a group of immigrants and anarchists had criticized American involvement in World War I and urged resistance to the war. The Court's decision produced a famous dissent by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Type: Text Resource

American Exceptionalism, American Freedom:

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the Social Studies content area. It is most appropriate for 11th-12th grade students enrolled in a U.S. History class.

This article explores the origins - both in language and ideology - of the complicated concept "American Exceptionalism." The author explains the positive and negative implications of the idea and the impact American Exceptionalism has on our culture and politics today.

Type: Text Resource

Tutorials

U.S. History Overview: Reconstruction to the Great Depression:

Learn about key events in American history from the Reconstruction Era to the start of the Great Depression in this tutorial video provided by Khan Academy. The video touches on the Reconstruction Amendments, Jim Crow laws, the Coinage Act and the Panic of 1873, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and the 18th and 19th Amendments.

Type: Tutorial

The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles:

Learn about the Treaty of Versailles, which officially made peace with Germany and ended World War I, in this short video tutorial provided by Khan Academy. The treaty formed new alliances among countries and changed the map of Europe forever.

Type: Tutorial

The U.S. Enters World War I:

Learn how and why the United States joined the Allies of World War I in this short tutorial video provided by Khan Academy. Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare, the interception of the Zimmermann Telegram, and various other factors led President Woodrow Wilson to ask Congress for a war declaration.

Type: Tutorial

The Age of Empire:

Learn about the factors that drove United States imperialism and the acquisition of territories in this short video provided by Khan Academy. Helpful graphics illustrate the content.

Type: Tutorial

Theodore Roosevelt and the Panama Canal:

Learn how President Theodore Roosevelt spearheaded America's creation of the Panama Canal, the waterway that linked the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and revolutionized global transportation.

Type: Tutorial

Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders:

Learn how the future President Theodore Roosevelt rose to national fame by fighting fearlessly in the Spanish-American War with his all-volunteer cavalry division: The Rough Riders.

Type: Tutorial

Theodore Roosevelt: Speak Softly & Carry a Big Stick:

Learn about American imperialism and expansion in this short video that details the attitudes and philosophies of America's 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt.

Type: Tutorial

60-Second Presidents: Woodrow Wilson:

View this brief, funny video about the 28th President, Woodrow Wilson, commander-in-chief during World War I and its aftermath!

Type: Tutorial

60-Second Presidents: William McKinley:

View a brief, funny video about our 25th president, William McKinley, commander-in-chief during the Spanish-American War!

Type: Tutorial

60-Second Presidents: Theodore Roosevelt:

View a brief, funny video about our 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt, the progressive, trustbuster, and canal builder!

Type: Tutorial

American Empire:

In this tutorial, you'll view a short video that will teach you about all the different U.S. territories and the legal status of each. It's a fast-paced, entertaining look at some of the least understood parts of the United States!

Type: Tutorial

Safe for Democracy:

In this webisode brought to you by PBS, you will explore key events that took place in American history from 1903-1927. Topics include the Wright Brothers, World War I, women's suffrage, Prohibition, jazz, Hollywood in the 1920s, and Charles Lindbergh. In this resource you can examine primary source documents and photographs, a timeline and glossary, take a quiz, and explore additional resources. Enjoy this journey into American history!

Type: Tutorial

Crash Course U.S. History: America in World War I:

In this tutorial video, you'll take a whirlwind journey through the events that led America from isolation to intervention in World War I. You'll learn how WWI affected Americans on the home front as well, increasing the size of the government and curtailing civil liberties. Enjoy this "crash course" in U.S. History!

Type: Tutorial

Crash Course U.S. History: Progressive Presidents:

In this tutorial video, you'll take a whirlwind journey through the Progressive Era. You'll specifically look at the domestic and foreign policies of 3 presidents: Theodore Roosevelt, William H. Taft, and Woodrow Wilson, all of whom had progressive ideas about how government should be operated. Enjoy this "crash course" in U.S. History!

Type: Tutorial

Video/Audio/Animations

The Treaty of Versailles and Germany:

Learn how Germany was punished by the Allies of World War I in this short video from Khan Academy. The infamous Treaty of Versailles is considered by some to be a root cause of World War II.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points:

Analyze President Woodrow Wilson's plan for world peace in this tutorial video provided by Khan Academy. During a special joint session of Congress in 1918, President Wilson announced the Fourteen Points that would shape the peace negotiations that ended World War I.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

World War I: Blockades, U-Boats, and the Sinking of the Lusitania :

Learn about the events that drew the U.S. into World War I in this Khan Academy video. You'll learn about submarine warfare, naval blockades, the sinking of the ocean liner Lusitania, and President Woodrow Wilson's response to these events.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

The Zimmermann Telegram:

Learn about a World War I event in this Khan Academy video. The Zimmermann Telegram was an invitation from Germany to Mexico to declare war on the United States--an unsuccessful ploy by Germany to keep America out of the war in Europe.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this topic.

Original Student Tutorials

War and Peace? Part 2 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the end of World War I and the Paris Peace Conference that followed, from the point of view of the United States and President Woodrow Wilson.  You'll learn about the Treaty of Versailles that ended the war with Germany, about the League of Nations, and about Wilson's failure to make the U.S. a part of the newly created international organization.  

CLICK HERE to open Part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

War and Peace? Part 1 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the end of World War I and the Paris Peace Conference that followed, from the point of view of the United States and President Woodrow Wilson.  You'll learn about the Treaty of Versailles that ended the war with Germany, about the League of Nations, and about Wilson's failure to make the U.S. a part of the newly created international organization.  

CLICK HERE to open Part 2.

 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

The "Isolationist" 1920s:

In this interactive tutorial, learn about a different side of the 1920s: the foreign and economic policies the U.S. pursued in the decade following World War I.  You'll learn about the treaties and agreements the U.S. entered into during this time in an effort to produce a more peaceful and stable world, and you'll evaluate the extent to which the U.S. truly pursued "isolationist" policies during the 1920s.   

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Over Here: Americans at Home in World War I, Part 2 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn how Americans on the home front experienced World War 1 while helping the U.S.A win the war. You'll learn about war bonds and about the changes WWI brought to America's economy. You'll also learn how propaganda and new laws against wartime dissent curbed Americans' civil liberties. Finally, you'll learn how the war lead to increased opportunities for women and African Americans.

CLICK HERE to open Part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Over Here: Americans at Home in World War I, Part 1 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn how Americans on the home front experienced World War 1 while helping the U.S.A win the war.  You'll learn about war bonds and about the changes WWI brought to America's economy.  You'll also learn how propaganda and new laws against wartime dissent curbed Americans' civil liberties.  Finally, you'll learn how the war lead to increased opportunities for women and African Americans.  

CLICK HERE to open Part 2.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Over There: Americans at War in World War I, Part 2 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the experiences of the Americans who served "over there" in Europe during World War I. Learn about doughboys, trench warfare, and some of the WWI veterans who would go to become famous Americans!

CLICK HERE to open Part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Over There: Americans at War in World War I, Part 1 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the experiences of the Americans who served "over there" in Europe during World War I. Learn about doughboys, trench warfare, and some of the WWI veterans who would go to become famous Americans!

CLICK HERE to open Part 2.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

America Joins the Great War: Part 2 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn how World War I, "the Great War,"  began in Europe. You'll also learn why the U.S.A. joined the side of the Allies after years of attempted neutrality.

CLICK HERE for Part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

America Joins the Great War: Part 1 (of 2):

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn how World War I, the "Great War," began in Europe.  You'll also learn why the U.S.A. joined the side of the Allies after years of attempted neutrality.

CLICK HERE for Part 2. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Imperialism and the Spanish-American War:

In this interactive tutorial, learn about imperialism and understand the four major factors that drove America's imperial mindset in the late 1800s. Then learn about the causes and consequences of the Spanish-American War and how the U.S.A. gained new territories as a result.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Territorial Behaviors:

In this interactive tutorial, learn the history behind the different territories that belong to the United States, including those that have become states, like Alaska and Hawaii, and those that haven't, like Puerto Rico and American Samoa.  You'll also learn about America's role in the construction of the Panama Canal and the Panama Canal Zone the U.S. controlled.  

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Assessment

Quiz: Imperialism :

Test your knowledge of American imperialism and the Age of Empire with this 9-question multiple choice quiz!

Type: Assessment

Text Resource

Supreme Court Landmark Case: Abrams v. United States (1919):

Learn more about the 1919 landmark Supreme Court decision Abrams v. U.S. In this case, the Court decided issues of free speech during wartime: a group of immigrants and anarchists had criticized American involvement in World War I and urged resistance to the war. The Court's decision produced a famous dissent by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Type: Text Resource

Tutorials

U.S. History Overview: Reconstruction to the Great Depression:

Learn about key events in American history from the Reconstruction Era to the start of the Great Depression in this tutorial video provided by Khan Academy. The video touches on the Reconstruction Amendments, Jim Crow laws, the Coinage Act and the Panic of 1873, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and the 18th and 19th Amendments.

Type: Tutorial

The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles:

Learn about the Treaty of Versailles, which officially made peace with Germany and ended World War I, in this short video tutorial provided by Khan Academy. The treaty formed new alliances among countries and changed the map of Europe forever.

Type: Tutorial

The U.S. Enters World War I:

Learn how and why the United States joined the Allies of World War I in this short tutorial video provided by Khan Academy. Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare, the interception of the Zimmermann Telegram, and various other factors led President Woodrow Wilson to ask Congress for a war declaration.

Type: Tutorial

The Age of Empire:

Learn about the factors that drove United States imperialism and the acquisition of territories in this short video provided by Khan Academy. Helpful graphics illustrate the content.

Type: Tutorial

Theodore Roosevelt and the Panama Canal:

Learn how President Theodore Roosevelt spearheaded America's creation of the Panama Canal, the waterway that linked the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and revolutionized global transportation.

Type: Tutorial

Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders:

Learn how the future President Theodore Roosevelt rose to national fame by fighting fearlessly in the Spanish-American War with his all-volunteer cavalry division: The Rough Riders.

Type: Tutorial

Theodore Roosevelt: Speak Softly & Carry a Big Stick:

Learn about American imperialism and expansion in this short video that details the attitudes and philosophies of America's 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt.

Type: Tutorial

60-Second Presidents: William McKinley:

View a brief, funny video about our 25th president, William McKinley, commander-in-chief during the Spanish-American War!

Type: Tutorial

60-Second Presidents: Theodore Roosevelt:

View a brief, funny video about our 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt, the progressive, trustbuster, and canal builder!

Type: Tutorial

American Empire:

In this tutorial, you'll view a short video that will teach you about all the different U.S. territories and the legal status of each. It's a fast-paced, entertaining look at some of the least understood parts of the United States!

Type: Tutorial

Safe for Democracy:

In this webisode brought to you by PBS, you will explore key events that took place in American history from 1903-1927. Topics include the Wright Brothers, World War I, women's suffrage, Prohibition, jazz, Hollywood in the 1920s, and Charles Lindbergh. In this resource you can examine primary source documents and photographs, a timeline and glossary, take a quiz, and explore additional resources. Enjoy this journey into American history!

Type: Tutorial

Crash Course U.S. History: America in World War I:

In this tutorial video, you'll take a whirlwind journey through the events that led America from isolation to intervention in World War I. You'll learn how WWI affected Americans on the home front as well, increasing the size of the government and curtailing civil liberties. Enjoy this "crash course" in U.S. History!

Type: Tutorial

Crash Course U.S. History: Progressive Presidents:

In this tutorial video, you'll take a whirlwind journey through the Progressive Era. You'll specifically look at the domestic and foreign policies of 3 presidents: Theodore Roosevelt, William H. Taft, and Woodrow Wilson, all of whom had progressive ideas about how government should be operated. Enjoy this "crash course" in U.S. History!

Type: Tutorial

Video/Audio/Animations

The Treaty of Versailles and Germany:

Learn how Germany was punished by the Allies of World War I in this short video from Khan Academy. The infamous Treaty of Versailles is considered by some to be a root cause of World War II.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points:

Analyze President Woodrow Wilson's plan for world peace in this tutorial video provided by Khan Academy. During a special joint session of Congress in 1918, President Wilson announced the Fourteen Points that would shape the peace negotiations that ended World War I.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

World War I: Blockades, U-Boats, and the Sinking of the Lusitania :

Learn about the events that drew the U.S. into World War I in this Khan Academy video. You'll learn about submarine warfare, naval blockades, the sinking of the ocean liner Lusitania, and President Woodrow Wilson's response to these events.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

The Zimmermann Telegram:

Learn about a World War I event in this Khan Academy video. The Zimmermann Telegram was an invitation from Germany to Mexico to declare war on the United States--an unsuccessful ploy by Germany to keep America out of the war in Europe.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this topic.