The Christmas Truce

Hey everyone. In the previous class, we looked at sacrifices made by normal Americans on the homefront. You have two homework assignments over break:

1.) You are to respond to your classmate's letter. This time you are taking the role of a person on the draft board. You are top respond to your classmate telling them why it is important to make these sacrifices for our country. This is going to be the same length as the previous letter. Also, remember that you are writing on behalf of the government. Keep it formal and no slang. Again, this should be 2-3 paragraphs.

2.) On Christmas Day in 1914 (before America joined the war), both sides (the Allies and the Germans) put down their guns to meet in the middle of the battlefield (No Man's Land) and celebrate Christmas together. They sang carols, they talked, and they drank. This is extremely significant because hours later, the two sides were trying to kill each other.
Your other homework assignment is to research the type of warfare used (such as trench warfare) and the new weapons used (such as gas attacks and machine guns) to see what made the war so deadly. Then I want you to write in three paragraphs, why this Christmas truce was so significant relating it to the warfare and weapons used.

For example, the first paragraph would be explaining the Christmas truce. The second would explain the type of warfare used, why it was so deadly, and how does it contribute to the signficance of the truce. Last paragraph is detailing the new weapons used, why it was so deadly, and how do they make the truce so significant.

You can use your textbooks, but I also want more research other than the textbook. This is going to be worth 15 points.

REMEMBER, IT IS 3 PARAGRAPHS.

Have a happy holidays everyone!

~Mr. Mazur

Conscientous Objectors

Hey everyone! We talked about how the United States government tried to get men to enlist in the military once the United States entered WWI. We looked at propaganda posters and analyzed them to see what forms of persuasion that they used to gain more soldiers. We also talked about the Selective Service Act (1917) and how many people legally were able to get out of the draft because of moral, philosophical, or religious reasons.

Your homework assignment is to be one of the those people, called a conscientous objector. You are going to be writing a 2-3 paragraph letter to the draft board explaining why you can not be sent over to the battlefield. You have to take a religious or moral stance that would be an excuse that the government would disregard the law. It can not just be "because I don't want to" or "I don't believe in killing." I want something deeper, such as that you are a factory owner that makes weapons (which are needed in the war. Or you can take a religious stance, detailing how your religion strictly forbids it.

Remember that this is a letter to the government. You need to keep it formal and professional. Do not threaten the government, because remember that they have the power to throw you in jail. Have fun doing it!

~Mr. Mazur

America Enters WWI

Hey everyone. Today we talked about America's reasons to join the Allies during WWI. We talked about how the U.S. was sending weapons and supplies to Europe, even though President Woodrow Wilson stated that the country would be neutral. We also talked about Germany's strategy of unrestricted submarine warfare, sabotage, and persuasion (Zimmerman Telegram). Lastly, we talked about how the Russian Revolution began to shape America's idea of getting involved in the war.

For homework, you have two assignments:

1.) Read Woodrow Wilson's address to Congress on why the United States should declare war against the Central Powers. Write one paragraph on the reasons he gives for joining the conflict.

2.) Create timeline spanning the causes of WWI and ending at the U.S. entering the war in 1917. Use your textbooks to get dates and for more information. MAKE IT CREATIVE. DO NOT DO IT ON LINED PAPER. You can include pictures or make it look nice, but I DO NOT WANT JUST A LINE WITH DATES. It has to be creative!

If you have any questions, feel free to email me. Have a great night!

~Mr. Mazur

Wilson and Neutrality

Today we talked about the causes for World War I. I want you to read President Woodrow Wilson's response to the outbreak of WWI and what is the reasons that he gives to taking that stance. Write a paragraph for it.

Have a great weekend everyone! Good luck on the math test on Monday and Tuesday!

~Mr. Mazur

Period 3-4: Reforming America

Hey everyone. In the previous unit, we talked about different Progressive reformers who saw issues within America and tried to change in a plethora of different ways.

As we all know, we still have various issues today. What I want you to do is organize/create a detailed plan addressing an issue that you feel you have a strong opinion on. It could be regarding the school (such as issues with school IDs), community (such as problems in your town), state (such as the bear hunt), national (such as same-sex marriages), or international (such as genocide). Choose a topic of your choice and answer these questions in paragraph form:

1.) What is the issue in detail?
2.) What is your stance on the issue?
3.) What is your goal in reforming the issue?
4.) What is your detailed plan in obtaining the goal (strike, picket, writing newspaper editorials, organizing with others, etc.)

REMEMBER TO BE AS DETAILED AS POSSIBLE! This will be worth 10 points! If you have any questions, send me an email!

~Mr. Mazur