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Subject

English Language Arts (NYS P-12 Common Core)

Historical Period

The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)

Procedure

Teaching Suggestions

1. Decoding a Message: In this exercise, students decode a fictitious message using a simple substitution code. As homework, ask students to write a message using the code, and then exchange the messages for decoding.
   
   
2. The Zimmermann telegram provides an opportunity to review geography with your students. Ask them to locate England, Germany, Mexico, and Japan on a world map or globe. Direct students to indicate on the map or globe the territory offered by the Germans to the Mexicans in the telegram. Ask them to calculate how much the territory offered to Mexico would increase the size of that country. What geographical advantages would the Germans gain by Mexican entry into the war? What was the role of Japan?
   
   
3. Discussion questions:
   
   1. What other documents have changed the course of American history? For example, consider the effects of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Monroe Doctrine, and the DeLome Letter.
      
      
   2. What events in 1916 and 1917 contributed to the impact the Zimmermann telegram would have on the American public?
      
      
   3. Would the United States have remained neutral if the Zimmermann telegram had not been revealed?

Description

Teaching with Documents contains teaching activities built upon primary documents from the holdings of the National Archives of the United States. This lesson correlates to the National History Standards and the National Standards for Civics and Government.

Primary Source Documents

Alexander, Mary and Marilyn Childress. "The Zimmerman Telegram." Social Education 45, 4 (April 1981): 266

Source

The Zimmermann Telegram. Teaching with Documents initiative, http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/ accessed June 15, 2011

Used with written permission from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), 3rd Learning has aligned this document with New York State Learning Standards at the Performance Indicator Level. NARA granted full permission and written approval for use of this content within NYLearns.org including text, images, and links.

Website(s)

The Zimmermann Telegram

Related Academic Standards

New York State

RH.5-8.5 Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).

RH.5-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

RH.5-8.10 By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

RH.9-10.3 Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them.

RH.9-10.5 Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or analysis.

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