This is a quick activity to connect students to how war might affect family and loved ones. Students will warm-up with discussion about their own family, watch a short World War I film about Private Ralph E. Weiler and his sister, and then answer and discuss follow-up questions.

Guiding Questions

• How does war affect the one who is leaving his family and how does it affect those left behind?

Learning Outcomes

The student will be able to:

• Synthesize information from the written narrative, maps, and statistics of the ABMC Blue Book to build an argument about the United States’ contribution to World War I.
• Create an infographic using the web application Piktochart

Activities

• 5 minute warm-up for students: List three things that are fun/ exciting/interesting about you and your family.
• Ask the students to share the three items with their neighbors if they so wish.
• Students watch the short film “Out of Isolation.”
• Students answer the following questions on a sheet of paper:
  • How would you feel if you were Catherine and your
    brother was leaving for war?
  • How would you feel if you were Ralph and you were
    leaving your family to go to a foreign country to fight?
• Students share and discuss their reflections.

Assessment

Assess students based on their class discussion.

Modifications

There is a version of the short film in French. This could be used as a cross-curricular activity

Materials Needed

Projector and computer to show film

Out of Isolation short film