Task 1

Before World War I, Western civilization was characterized by a general sense of faith in human potential, the promise of new technologies, and the strength of old empires to maintain order and stability for their subjects around the world. The Austro-Hungarian empire, the British empire, the Russian empire, the French, the Germans -- all of Europe sought to bring what it saw as its wisdom and culture to the rest of the world through colonial expansion. The United States had just experienced an era of political, social, and economic reform known as the Progressive era, leading many to believe in the power of governments and society to shape their lives for the better.

Then came World War I.

Your task: To collect information, using double-entry journal format, that uses the following web sites to answers these questions:

1. What was life like for the soldiers fighting in the trenches?

2. What kind of chemical weapons were used during WWI, and how were soldiers affected by these weapons?

3. As the war closed, how did soldiers feel about the war -- about their efforts, about their leaders?

You should generate at least four entries per site.

Set up your double-entry journal with four columns, not the usual two. See the model below. The final two columns will be used for Task 2 and Task 3.

Collect

Connect -- You

Connect -- Gassed

Connect -- "Dulce et Decorum Est"

Life in the Trenches in World War I

Chemical Warfare in World War 1

Perspectives of soldiers on World War I

Finished? Click here to go to Task 2.