The Doughboy Foundation Delivers the Lessons of World War I to a New Generation

Published: 11 May 2023

Special to the Doughboy Foundation web site

Teaching resources 3

New resources, available at no cost, help bring the consequential but often overlooked First World War to life for students through images, documentaries, and augmented reality.

The Doughboy Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to World War I education, makes high-quality, compelling digital learning resources about WWI available to students and educators. The resources, which include augmented reality apps and lessons that provide an interactive and engaging way to teach and learn about World War I, can be accessed through Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, a free online education portal that empowers educators to help bring new ways of learning and next-gen tech into the learning experience.

Although WWI defined one of the most consequential periods in American history, few high-quality teaching and learning resources about the so-called “Great War” are available. To fill that gap and help a new generation understand the history of WWI, the Doughboy Foundation has made its collection available at no cost to teachers and students around the country.

How WWI Changed America” was developed with the help of prominent WWI historical experts led by Dr. Libby O’Connell, Chief Historian Emeritus for the Discovery Channel, and included Dr. Chris Capozzola, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Dr. Jennifer Keene from Chapman University; Dr. John Morrow Jr. of the University of Georgia; Dr. Jeffrey Sammons from New York University; and Dr. Herman Viola, Curator Emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution. To provide a complete picture of the impact of the war on American society, the available learning resources look at the war through the experiences of women, Black and Native Americans, and immigrants; as well as through lenses such as the Bill of Rights, propaganda, and more.

“Our WWI Teaching and Learning Resources are comprehensive, sourced from credentialed and respected experts, well-crafted, interactive, and designed to appeal to modern students,” said Theo Mayer, the program director at the Doughboy Foundation. “It is an honor to make them freely available for a new generation of students to learn about this critical, yet often overlooked, chapter in our national history.”

The Doughboy Foundation’s collection available through Verizon Innovative Learning HQ includes:

      • A 20-page “The United States in WWI” history eBook;
      • A series of video documentaries called “How WWI Changed America;”
      • Augmented reality apps for smartphones and tablets;
      • Additional primary sources;
      • Teacher guides; and
      • Student worksheets.

Created for use in history or civic classes in grades 7–12, the Doughboy Foundation’s WWI teaching and learning resources are standards-driven and flexible. Teachers can use the materials to plan and deliver lessons about WWI for as little as a single day or as long as a full school week or more.

To further immerse today’s students in history, the Doughboy Foundation has also made its National WWI Memorial “Virtual Explorer” and “Visitor Guide” apps available through Verizon Innovative Learning HQ. These augmented reality apps offer visitors multimedia guided tours through the National WWI Memorial in Washington, DC, or bring the memorial to visitors virtually no matter where they are.

Verizon Innovative Learning HQ is an award-winning, free education portal that makes next-gen learning tools, including a curated collection of lesson plans, available to all. Through Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, K–12 educators nationwide gain free access to over 275 lesson plans, ranging from supplemental turnkey lessons to yearlong courses, with 20 corresponding augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) apps. The education portal also provides educators with extensive training and resources, including over 40 professional development courses, to help educators learn new skills and feel more confident integrating technology into the learning experience. Educators can visit Verizon.com/Learning to sign up.

Learn more about the WWI Teaching Resources and access them through Verizon Innovative Learning HQ here.

About the Doughboy Foundation

The Doughboy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the District of Columbia in 2013 under the name “United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars.” The Foundation has as its vision to keep faith with the American “Doughboy,” as soldiers who fought in World War I were called. To learn more, visit Doughboy.org.

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