We can identify the causes of World War I and explain why the United States entered the war.
Do you agree with President Wilson's response to the sinking of the Lusitania? Why or why not?
I agree/disagree with President Wilson's response to the sinking of the Lusitania because...
By studying this visual, students might:
- The Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat, killing 128 Americans.
- The event happened in 1915, after World War I began in 1914.
- The U.S. was trying to remain neutral before and after the sinking.
- President Woodrow Wilson asked Germany to stop attacking ships.
- The American public was angry after the attack.
- Why was the Lusitania attacked if the U.S. was neutral?
- Did the sinking directly cause the U.S. to enter the war?
- Why didn’t the U.S. go to war immediately after the Lusitania was sunk?
- What was Germany's response to Wilson’s demand?
- How did this incident affect public opinion in the U.S.?
Extending the Discussion
- After randomly calling on students, if there is anything from this list that was not mentioned, then ask the class, "Did anyone notice...?"
- After students have shared what they notice, ask the class, "Did anyone wonder...?" using the suggestions above or anything else you might think is interesting or relevant to the lesson.
Structured Conversation Prompts
What happened when the Lusitania was sunk?
When the Lusitania was sunk, ...
How was the sinking of the Lusitania related to the assassination of Franz Ferdinand?
The sinking of the Lusitania was related to the assassination of Franz Ferdinand because...
Do you agree with President Wilson's response to the sinking of the Lusitania? Why or why not?
I agree/disagree with President Wilson's response to the sinking of the Lusitania because...
Example Student Responses to the Observational Question
When the Lusitania was sunk, 128 Americans died.
When the Lusitania was sunk, it caused outrage in the United States and increased pressure on President Wilson to respond to German aggression.
Responding to Responses
Emphasize and celebrate each student's use of the key vocabulary to support a culture of "no wrong answers."
Structuring Student Conversations
Have students list observations from the visual as a warm-up, then use the Q-SSS-A process to guide small-group conversations. In the slide decks, brackets can be moved to prepare the structured conversation. In the example to the right, students will be instructed: Q-SSS-A.
- To put a thumb up, then lower their hand when they are ready to answer the question
- To share with their elbow/shoulder partner, and that the student with the darkest shoe will share first
- That they will be randomly called on after the conversation
Here is an example of structuring a conversation with Q-SSS-A.
Note: the inferential question is the same as the language objective. It is recommended that students answer the inferential question in a small-group discussion before answering it individually as the closure or exit ticket of the lesson.
Structured Reading
The purpose for reading is to understand how different events, like the sinking of the Lusitania, influenced America’s decision to enter World War I.
- reasons the U.S. stayed neutral at first
- details about the sinking of the Lusitania
- how Americans reacted to the attack
- President Wilson’s response
- events that changed public opinion
Why might some people have supported Wilson’s decision to stay neutral, while others wanted war?
Some people supported neutrality while others wanted war because...
Structuring the Reading
Communicate the purpose of reading to the students and instruct them to make a note every time they see something on the PAT ("Pay Attention To") list. How you have students note items on the PAT list is up to you. This could include:
- Putting an asterisk in the margin
- Underlining text that supports the PAT list
- Putting a comment in the margin
Follow the reading with the post-reading discussion. Structure this discussion using the Q-SSS-A process just like the structured conversations in this lesson.
Note: you might find the relational question is better discussed before or after the reading. This depends on whether the relational question is directly related to the reading or might make connections across units.
Differentiating the Reading
You will notice that three different reading passages are provided with this lesson. Look at the shapes in the top-left of each passage to determine the grade level.
In a class with students at diverse reading level proficiencies, you can give the appropriate reading passage to different students, while having all students follow the same PAT list and post-reading discussion.