The Indie ScholarWorld War I
Learn about the Great War from the perspective of America — read primary accounts, listen to period music, and paint a field of poppies as you learn about the sacrifices Americans made.
- The Great War, told from the American perspective
- The sacrifices ordinary Americans made during the war
- The art of "dazzle" ship camouflage, and Cher Ami, the WWI homing pigeon
- Period music and a hands-on poppy field painting project
- A significant historical figure of their choosing, researched in depth
Student Workbook
FreeWritten directly to the student — guides them through daily reading and activities with minimal parent involvement.
Answer Key
Add-onIdentical to the student workbook, with answers included. Not required to complete the unit.
Required Text
American History: a Visual Encyclopedia and Usborne: The World Wars, plus Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion and Cher Ami: WWI Homing Pigeon.
Hands-On Activities
A poppy field painting project (paint set with brushes) and an invisible ink pen writing exercise, alongside a biography poster.
Choose one historical fiction title to read alongside the unit.
- Above the Trenches — Nathan Hale
- Treaties, Trenches, Mud and Blood — Nathan Hale
- Five Children on the Western Front — Kate Saunders
- War Horse — Michael Morpurgo
- Private Peaceful — Michael Morpurgo
- Brother's Far From Home (Dear Canada Series)
- Stay Where You Are and Then Leave — John Boyne
- All of a Kind Family Uptown (#3) — Sydney Taylor
- War Girls — Adele Geras and others
- Searching for Silverheels — Jeannie Mobley
Then choose one nonfiction title, or a biography of a person of the era:
- The Harem Hellfighters — Max Brooks
- The Red Baron — Wyane Vansant
- Hold the Ox! — Marion Fargey Brooker
- Red Baron
- Kaiser Wilhelm
- John Pershing
- Mata Hari — spy
- Ezra Pound
- Woodrow Wilson
- Edith Cavell
- Alvin York
- Thomas Edward Lawrence — Lawrence of Arabia
- Frank Luke
- Charles Whittlesey
- Edouard Izac
- Dan Daly
Optional books & videos:
Grade Range
Built for 4th–8th grade. Can be scaled down, but not recommended for high school students.
Pace
Written to cover 20 school days of self-guided study.
Best Fit
Students ready to engage with primary sources and a more sobering chapter of history.
- Read the required chapters and complete the daily workbook pages at your own pace.
- Choose one historical fiction book and one nonfiction title to read alongside the unit.
- Paint a field of poppies and complete the invisible-ink activity.
- Research a significant person of your choice and build a biography poster as a final project.
The workbook is free to download
Since the full student workbook is free, you can preview the whole unit before you start — these are real pages from the actual unit, not mockups.
Click any page to open the full, real workbook PDF.
Download the workbook →
