Instructor Overview & Lesson Plan
Lesson Presentation
Activities & Options
Additional Resources
Instructors: this presentation follows the suggested outline found in the Teacher’s Guide (see .pdf file on DVD).
Please feel free to customize this presentation for YOUR students and area of concentration; share your Winning
Ideas at www.izzit.org for a chance to be selected as Teacher of the Year.
Instructors: this presentation follows the
suggested outline found in the Teacher’s Guide
(see .pdf file on DVD).
Please feel free to customize this presentation
for YOUR students and area of concentration;
share your Winning Ideas at www.izzit.org for a
chance to be selected as Teacher of the Year.
Standards Alignment available here
Lesson Plan begins on the following slide
I. Objective/Purpose:
• Students will be able to define and appropriately use the key terms.
• Students will understand the pros and cons of a volunteer military vs. the draft.
• Students will consider the importance of free choice of citizens in a free
country.
• Students will reflect upon the question of whether every able-bodied male has
a responsibility to defend the country. Do females?
II. Activating/identifying background knowledge:
• Informal pre-assessment for differentiation (formative assessment).
• Tier 1, 2, 3 responses – note student groups for use with discussion questions
and enrichment activities.
• Discuss the preview questions as a class or using a Think/Pair/Share strategy.
III. Materials & Activities:
• Distribute copies of the Worksheet for students to use as a note-taking viewing
guide (Technology/green option: post the worksheet for student computer
access).
• Watch the video, pausing if needed to facilitate understanding and note-taking.
• Use Discussion Questions to spark class discussion, or as homework.
IV. Assessment Options:
• Replay the video as preparation for the Quiz.
• Administer the Quiz and grade using Quiz Answers as a guide.
• Collect and grade the Worksheet Answers
OR Use Think/Pair/Share within differentiated tiers;
OR review and discuss Worksheet answers.
• Assign selected Enrichment Activities as class work, homework, or extra credit.
These materials may be used in a variety of ways.
For maximum benefit, we suggest the following lesson plan progression:
•
Discuss and define the Key Terms.
•
Distribute copies of the Viewing Guide for students to use as a note-taking tool during
the video.
•
Play the video, pausing if needed to facilitate note-taking and understanding.
•
Review and discuss answers to the Viewing Guide.
•
•
Use Discussion Questions to spark class discussion, or assign these questions as
homework.
•
Replay the video as preparation for the Quiz.
•
Administer the Quiz.
•
Optional: Assign Enrichment Activities.
For a list of additional resources for use with this video, see www.izzit.org/products.
Before viewing the video, define these terms (possible Think/Pair/Share activity):
• Compulsory
• Conscription or Draft
• Propaganda
• War of Attrition / Attrition Warfare
• Mercenary
During the viewing of the video, have students write down the sentence in which each
term is used. (You may need to stop the DVD to give them time.) At the end of the
DVD, have a volunteer student read the sentence aloud to further instill the
concept by noting the use of the term in the specific context.
Post-viewing extension: Have each student write an original sentence using each Key
Term, preferably one that provides proof of comprehension.
Compulsory – required
Conscription or draft – compulsory enrollment in the armed forces
Mercenary – a professional soldier hired for service in a foreign army;
motivated solely by a desire for monetary or material gain
Propaganda – official government communications to the public that are
designed to influence opinion in a systematic, large scale manner; the
information may be true or false, but it is always carefully selected for its
political effect
War of attrition/attrition warfare – a strategic concept which states that to
win a war, one’s enemy must be driven to the point of collapse by continuous
losses in personnel and material; the war will usually be won by the side with
greater resources
1. In what ancient civilization were people not considered full citizens unless they were
willing to participate in the nation’s defense?
2. Unlike many European countries in the 19th century, the United States did not have a
conscript army. What war was the major exception?
3. Contrary to popular belief, there were actually an estimated _______________ thousand
American draft evaders during WWI.
4. Which new industry was used by America’s leaders to distribute propaganda widely to the
public during WWI?
5. What new name was given to the military draft?
6. Woodrow Wilson claimed that the country had volunteered for WWI “en masse” (all
together, as a whole). Was this true?
7. The U.S. sent 16 million men into WWII. Were the majority volunteers or draftees?
8. What percentage of U.S. production was diverted to war needs during WWII?
9. The draft became a focal point for resistance to which war in the 1960s?
10. Which Presidential candidate’s campaign supported ending the draft?
11. Who was the controversial professor of economics who had been calling for an allvolunteer army for years?
12. What did Milton Friedman say about the use of compulsion in our society?
13. For what purpose did President Nixon establish the Gates Commission?
14. What term did General Westmoreland use to describe army volunteers (a term that
Milton Friedman strongly objected to)?
15. Milton Friedman compared an army of draftees to what?
16. When did the draft end?
17. What did the military do to attract new, voluntary recruits?
18. According to Professor Kennedy, what is the principal worry about an all-volunteer
force?
1. Ancient Greece
12. It’s repugnant
2. Civil War
13. The question of whether to end the draft
3. 300
14. Mercenary
4. Advertising
15. Slaves
5. Selective Service
16. 1973
6. No
17. Improve salary and benefits; advertise
7. Draftees
18. The principal worry about the allvolunteer force is its capacity to be used
without the civil society in whose name it
fights having any interest in the actual use
of the force.
8. 40%
9. Vietnam
10. Nixon
11. Milton Friedman
1. According to ancient ideas of citizenship, citizenship was tied to service in the
military. Is there any connection between military service and citizenship in
America today? Should there be?
2. Does past military service help or hurt a candidate running for political office in
America today? Should it? Why or why not?
3. In what ways was WWII the end of an era in the history of warfare?
4. How did opposition to the draft influence the 1968 Presidential campaign?
5. What were Milton Friedman’s views on military conscription? Do you agree or
disagree? Why?
6. When the draft ended, the military suddenly had to compete with every other
employer to fill its ranks. How did the army adapt?
7. Why do some people believe that having a draft system would make it more
difficult for national leaders to take the nation into a war? Is this a good reason for
having a draft system?
8. Others argue that it is easier for national leaders to continue involvement in a bad
war with a draft system. Explain.
9. Do you agree or disagree with the statement that the government’s power to
command citizens to serve in the military is only legitimate in times of dire
necessity or threat to the nation? Why?
10. In America, how fundamental is the individual’s right to choose? Should each
individual be able to make his own decision as to whether to join the military?
11. Does every able-bodied male have a responsibility to defend the country? What
about women?
12. Does the all-volunteer military allow the army to be more selective than it could be
with a draft? Do you think volunteers are typically more qualified than draftees, or
less qualified?
13. If America had a draft system, would that have changed any of the decisions
America made about military action after the terrorist attacks against America on
9/11?
14. If military recruitment falls short of military needs, what should we do as a nation
to attract the needed recruits?
15. Does a draft make it harder or easier to go to war? Why?
1. A draft system is best described as a(n) ____________________ system of getting
military manpower.
a) voluntary
b) compulsory
c) new
d) untried
2. A mercenary soldier is one who
a) volunteers in an army out of patriotism.
b) serves in a military unit only because of the pay.
c) is a conscript in the service.
d) is thrown out of the army for cowardice.
3. The first significant resistance to the military draft in the U.S. occurred during which
war?
a) Civil War
b) World War I
c) World War II
d) Vietnam War
4. During World War I, the military draft was given the name ___________________.
a) Gates Commission
b) conscription
c) Selective Service
d) all-volunteer military
5. In his criticism of the idea of an all-volunteer military, General Westmoreland
referred to volunteers in such a system as ____________________.
a) recruits
b) mercenaries
c) slaves
d) patriots
6. Which U.S. President established a commission to study the question of whether to
end the draft?
a) Woodrow Wilson
b) Lyndon Johnson
c) Richard Nixon
d) George W. Bush
7. According to the video, Woodrow Wilson’s claim that the country had volunteered
“en masse” for World War I was____________________.
a) true
b) ignored
c) advertising
d) propaganda
8. Economist Milton Friedman stated that compulsory military service would only be
justified____________________.
a) in a dire emergency
b) when American interests were at stake
c) if there were not enough volunteers
d) during a just war
9. Which of the following was the last war in which military conscription was used?
a) World War I
b) World War II
c) Vietnam War
d) Iraq War
10. Why does the military like an all-volunteer force?
a) They like the challenge of recruiting.
b) They get to recruit more selectively.
c) They get more soldiers.
d) They don’t have to admit women or minorities.
Essay
According to Professor Kennedy,
what is the principal worry about an all-volunteer force?
1. B) compulsory
2. B) serves in a military unit only because of the pay.
3. A) Civil War
4. C) Selective Service
5. B) mercenaries
6. C) Richard Nixon
7. D) propaganda
Essay: The principal worry about the
all-volunteer force is its capacity to be
used without the civil society in whose
name it fights having any interest in
the actual use of the force.
8. A) in a dire emergency
9. C) Vietnam War
10.B) They get to recruit more selectively.
1. Essay: A mercenary army in the true sense is an army for hire, owing no allegiance to a
particular country. Examples: Swiss armies of Renaissance times and the Hessians during the
American Revolution. In the exchange between General Westmoreland and Milton Friedman,
was Westmoreland using the term mercenary in a different sense? How did Friedman win the
argument?
2. Create a scene for a play: Review the arguments made by General Westmoreland and Milton
Friedman for and against a volunteer military. With a partner, create a dialog of a heated
discussion between two imaginary 19-year olds in a coffee shop during the Vietnam War era,
one of whom is arguing strongly in support of a draft army, and another who argues just as
strongly for an all volunteer army. Perform the scene for the class.
3. Find and interview two people who have served in the American military. Describe their
views on such questions as these: Why did you join? Was military service what you expected?
Do you think military service made you a better person and citizen, or worse? Do you believe
America should bring back the draft system, or keep the current all-volunteer system? Why?
4. Review Article I Section 8 of the United States Constitution. Paraphrase that section—that is,
rewrite in your own words. Under what conditions does it allow military action?
5. Create a military recruitment ad that is geared to students graduating high school. In what
ways would that ad have to be different from a college recruitment ad? In what ways would
the ad have to be similar?
Before viewing the video, define these terms (possible Think/Pair/Share activity):
• Compulsory
• Conscription or Draft
• Propaganda
• War of Attrition / Attrition Warfare
• Mercenary
During the viewing of the video, have students write down the sentence in which each
term is used. (You may need to stop the DVD to give them time.) At the end of the
DVD, have a volunteer student read the sentence aloud to further instill the
concept by noting the use of the term in the specific context.
Post-viewing extension: Have each student write an original sentence using each Key
Term, preferably one that provides proof of comprehension.
Please play
A Volunteer Military or a Draft?
now.
1. In what ancient civilization were
people not considered full citizens
unless they were willing to
participate in the nation’s defense?
Ancient Greece
2. Unlike many European countries
in the 19th century, the United
States did not have a conscript
army. What war was the major
exception?
Civil War
300
3. Contrary to popular belief, there were actually an estimated ____
thousand American draft evaders during WWI.
4. Which new industry was used by America’s
leaders to distribute propaganda widely to
the public during WWI?
Advertising
5. What new name was given to the
military draft?
Selective Service
6. Woodrow Wilson claimed that the country
had volunteered for WWI “en masse”
(all together, as a whole). Was this true?
No
7. The U.S. sent 16 million men
into WWII. Were the majority
volunteers or draftees?
Draftees
8. What percentage of U.S.
production was diverted to
war needs during WWII?
40%
9. The draft became a focal point for
resistance to which war in the 1960s?
Vietnam
10. Which Presidential candidate’s
campaign supported ending the
draft?
Nixon
11. Who was the controversial professor of
economics who had been calling for an
all-volunteer army for years?
Milton Friedman
12. What did Milton Friedman say
about the use of compulsion in
our society?
It’s repugnant
13. For what purpose did President Nixon
establish the Gates Commission?
The question of whether
to end the draft
14. What term did General Westmoreland use to
describe army volunteers (a term that Milton
Friedman strongly objected to)?
Mercenary
15. Milton Friedman compared an
army of draftees to what?
Slaves
16. When did the draft end?
1973
17. What did the military do to
attract new, voluntary
recruits?
Improve salary and
benefits; advertise
18. According to Professor Kennedy, what is the
principal worry about an all-volunteer force?
The principal worry about the all-volunteer force is its capacity
to be used without the civil society in whose name it fights
having any interest in the actual use of the force.
1.
According to ancient ideas of citizenship, citizenship was tied to service in
the military. Is there any connection between military service and
citizenship in America today? Should there be?
2.
Does past military service help or hurt a candidate running for political
office in America today? Should it? Why or why not?
3.
In what ways was WWII the end of an era in the history of warfare?
4.
How did opposition to the draft influence the 1968 Presidential
campaign?
5.
What were Milton Friedman’s views on military conscription? Do you
agree or disagree? Why?
6.
When the draft ended, the military suddenly had to compete with every
other employer to fill its ranks. How did the army adapt?
7.
Why do some people believe that having a draft system would make it
more difficult for national leaders to take the nation into a war? Is this a
good reason for having a draft system?
8.
Others argue that it is easier for national leaders to continue involvement
in a bad war with a draft system. Explain.
9.
Do you agree or disagree with the statement that the government’s
power to command citizens to serve in the military is only legitimate in
times of dire necessity or threat to the nation? Why?
10. In America, how fundamental is the individual’s right to choose? Should
each individual be able to make his own decision as to whether to join
the military?
11. Does every able-bodied male have a responsibility to defend the country?
What about women?
12. Does the all-volunteer military allow the army to be more selective than it
could be with a draft? Do you think volunteers are typically more qualified
than draftees, or less qualified?
13. If America had a draft system, would that have changed any of the
decisions America made about military action after the terrorist attacks
against America on 9/11?
14. If military recruitment falls short of military needs, what should we do as
a nation to attract the needed recruits?
15. Does a draft make it harder or easier to go to war? Why?
1. A draft system is best described as a(n) ____________________ system of
getting military manpower.
a) voluntary
b) compulsory
c) new
d) untried
2. A mercenary soldier is one who:
a) volunteers in an army out of patriotism.
b) serves in a military unit only because of the pay.
c) is a conscript in the service.
d) is thrown out of the army for cowardice.
3. The first significant resistance to the military draft in the U.S. occurred
during which war?
a) Civil War
b) World War
c) World War II
d) Vietnam War
4. During World War I, the military draft was given the
name ____________________.
a) Gates Commission
b) conscription
c) Selective Service
d) all-volunteer military
5. In his criticism of the idea of an all-volunteer military, General
Westmoreland referred to volunteers in such a system as
____________________.
a) recruits
b) mercenaries
c) slaves
d) patriots
6. Which U.S. President established a commission
to study the question of whether to end the draft?
a) Woodrow Wilson
b) Lyndon Johnson
c) Richard Nixon
d) George W. Bush
8. According to the video, Woodrow Wilson’s claim that the country had
volunteered “en masse” for World War I was____________________.
a) true
b) ignored
c) advertising
d) propaganda
8. Economist Milton Friedman stated that
compulsory military service would only be
justified____________________.
a) in a dire emergency
b) when American interests were at stake
c) if there were not enough volunteers
d) during a just war
9. Which of the following was the last war in which military conscription was
used?
a) World War I
b) World War II
c) Vietnam War
d) Iraq War
10. Why does the military like an all-volunteer force?
a) They like the challenge of recruiting.
b) They get to recruit more selectively.
c) They get more soldiers.
d) They don’t have to admit women or minorities.
Essay
According to Professor Kennedy,
what is the principal worry about an all-volunteer force?
A Volunteer Military
or a Draft?
What Do You Think?
1. Essay: A mercenary army in the true sense is an army for hire, owing no allegiance to a
particular country. Examples: Swiss armies of Renaissance times and the Hessians during the
American Revolution. In the exchange between General Westmoreland and Milton Friedman,
was Westmoreland using the term mercenary in a different sense? How did Friedman win the
argument?
2. Create a scene for a play: Review the arguments made by General Westmoreland and Milton
Friedman for and against a volunteer military. With a partner, create a dialog of a heated
discussion between two imaginary 19-year olds in a coffee shop during the Vietnam War era,
one of whom is arguing strongly in support of a draft army, and another who argues just as
strongly for an all volunteer army. Perform the scene for the class.
3. Find and interview two people who have served in the American military. Describe their
views on such questions as these: Why did you join? Was military service what you expected?
Do you think military service made you a better person and citizen, or worse? Do you believe
America should bring back the draft system, or keep the current all-volunteer system? Why?
4. Review Article I Section 8 of the United States Constitution. Paraphrase that section—that is,
rewrite in your own words. Under what conditions does it allow military action?
5. Create a military recruitment ad that is geared to students graduating high school. In what
ways would that ad have to be different from a college recruitment ad? In what ways would
the ad have to be similar?
Antoinette Wittrock
English Teacher, Fairfield High School ,Fairfield, IA
(Grades Taught: 10)
I incorporated the Critical Choices: A Volunteer Military or A Draft? video into my fiction novel unit for A
Separate Peace. This novel was written by John Knowles to capture the essence of youth and war. The
story takes place during WWII so the boys in this novel not only have to face the pressures of growing
up but they also have to face the difficult decision of whether they will enlist or wait to be Drafted for the
war. Most of my students don’t understand the seriousness and purpose of a Draft since we have not
had one since Vietnam.
I show this video after I introduce the author and novel so they can better understand character
motivation. I showed the video and had a short discussion regarding the Draft and how this would serve
as character motivation in this novel.
Shelby Sullivan
Business Teacher, Yucaipa High School, Yucaipa, CA
(Grades Taught: 10 – 12)
I use Critical Choices: A Volunteer Military or Draft? in my Business and Personal Law course. At the beginning of the
course we talk about the Constitution and the rights of citizens. A question that has come up over the past few years,
in this time of war, is whether or not we have a Draft. My students have all heard of it but are unsure of its use. This
usually sparks interest as I tell my students that a Draft system exists but is not currently used. Then they are
shocked to find out the males at age 18 must register for the Draft. The video supplies a great insight on the use of
the Draft and its pros and cons.
It is also a great launching point for further discussions. Some discussions I have had are:
• What are your views of the military?
• What are your views on the Draft vs. volunteer military?
• Do you think the Draft is supported by the conception of our forefathers? Of our society today?
• Does the Draft make it harder or easier to go to war?
• What do you think about the use of the phrase ‘slave force’ to describe the Draft?
• What is the difference between enlisting and being Drafted?
• Do you think we should have rights automatically or should they be earned?
• If earned...how could you earn them?
• Would you join voluntarily? Why?
• What are the different branches of our military?
• In the time of an active Draft, should women be part of the Draft?
Ctd next slide
Shelby Sullivan
Business Teacher, Yucalpa High School, Yucaipa, CA
(Grades Taught: 10 – 12)
After these discussions I have the students complete a KWL chart. They divide their paper into three columns. The
1st column is labeled KNOW. They will write in what the already know about our military, the Draft, and our volunteer
system. The middle column is WANT TO KNOW. Here they indicate what they would like to find out. Some areas of
what they want to know may stem from the discussions. After the movie and their projects they fill out the last column,
LEARNED. This is a great activity to tie everything together.
Differentiated project ideas that the students may choose from:
• What role have women played in the armed forces throughout our history? Should women be allowed on
the battlefield or on the front lines?
• Does a volunteer army separate our society into the military and the rest of us?
• Does a volunteer army cause society to be ignorant of the military’s actions?
• Interview people who have enlisted and find out what motivated them.
• When do you think the Draft is acceptable? When has the Draft been used and what are your views?
• What countries have a required military service? What are the requirements?
• Research the use of advertising in relation to our military (find examples, include your views of the slogans
or advertising in general).
• Create your own advertising plan for Volunteer Military or anti-Draft (create a campaign/print
ads/commercial).
• Should recruiters be allowed on campus? In your classroom?
Tim Bowes
English, Red Wing High School, Red Wing, MN
(Grades Taught: 10-12)
I use the video and accompanying study guide / discussion questions for Critical Choices: A Volunteer Military
or a Draft? in connection with my Advanced Placement Language and Composition studies in a unit on
Politics. Our text offers a diverse array of issues within the overall chapter but focuses on the relationship
between the citizen and state. Several great essays from world-renown authors such as Virginia Woolf, Chris
Hedges, Henry David Thoreau, and Tim O’Brien provide unique insights as to how the individual may or may
NOT, by choice, participate in the actions of war as directed by their government. In O’Brien’s fictional tale ‘On
the Rainy River,’ in particular, the author asks readers to contemplate their own response to being ‘called up’
via a draft after regaling his character’s deep concerns and doubts about the convictions of war, his family
heritage, his hometown, his party politics, his personal fears, his ambivalence, and self-respect. Students
invariably consider this an impossible question to answer and rightly so, since until one is actually IN the
situation we never know how we as individuals might respond. However, by coupling this video with follow up
questions and discussion with this tale and several essays about the individual’s response and responsibility
to a ‘state,’ students are far more able to fully realize and respect the concept of military conscription, a draft in
their own lives. That idea, grasping the potential for one’s own possible requirement for having to ‘answer the
call’ at some point in their lives is a great moment for my high-achieving, advanced students. They might all
Ctd next slide
Tim Bowes
English, Red Wing High School, Red Wing, MN
(Grades Taught: 10-12)
ace the accompanying quiz confidently, yet I find them all a bit more ‘ponderous’ about their own relationship
as citizens of a state after this unit. This particular video helps me get them thinking more about their future as
Americans and about what their country’s priorities are. We follow up the readings, viewing, discussions,
responses to study guides, and quiz(zes) with an essay that brings them back to the question regarding the
relationship between individual citizens and the state. Thank you for the perfect complementary inclusion.
Sidenote - As a veteran and 15-year educator, I am very pleased to have students aware of the
legalities and realities revolving their own potential service. It makes for great classroom
discussion and often some argumentation, not to mention a little classroom dramatics.
Maxine Marks
English Teacher, Luella High School, Locust Grove, GA
(Grades Taught: 9-10)
Essential Questions: What is true Democracy? How important is freedom of choice?
Objectives: Students will:
1.
Participate in student-to-teacher, student-to-student, and group verbal interactions.
2.
Formulate reasoned judgments about written and oral communication in various media genres.
They will deliver focused, coherent, and polished presentations.
3.
Discuss the issues in society as it relates to freedom of choice and important decision making.
4.
Write persuasively to the school media presenting their opinions on voluntary versus military Draft.
5.
Engage in a class debate on the importance of free will and the ability to make decisions.
Ctd next slide
Maxine Marks
English Teacher, Luella High School, Locust Grove, GA
(Grades Taught: 9-10)
Step 1: Preliminaries- Anticipation Guide
Lesson: Students were asked to discuss their feelings when told to do a chore by their parents
as opposed to them volunteering to do the same chore. Students were asked to set rules for the class room
and decide on consequences when broken. Another class was just given rules to comply with and differences
were compared. Findings: It was observed that students who had the freedom to set the rules and
consequences placed more effort in keeping those rules, while those who were dictated to have a harder time
complying. After discussing these options students decided that having the freedom to make choices gave
them more ownership and made them more comfortable and responsible to get things done.
Step 2: A class survey was given to students to find out which they prefer voluntary or military Draft. At the
end of the class it was discovered that 15 of 25 students preferred voluntary service as opposed to being
Drafted in the military. Students were asked to write a persuasive letter/essay to the senator expressing their
opinions on voluntary versus military Draft. These were handed in and critiqued by the teacher as well peer
edited by the students.
Ctd next slide
Maxine Marks
English Teacher, Luella High School, Locust Grove, GA
(Grades Taught: 9-10)
Step 3: Students watched video and were asked to write down at least two points made by individuals in the
video that confirmed their opinions on Draft versus military. Students were divided into teams for a class
debate. There were 2 teams, each team comprised of 6 students. One team argued for military Draft and the
other team argued for voluntary service in the military.
Step 4: The rest of the class was used as judges. They were given rubric handouts. Evaluation: The debate
was very engaging and entertaining! Students presented their points by using statistics, personal experience
and technology resources. They were very competitive and persuasive in their presentations. The
audience/judges decided that the team which supported Draft won because of how they presented their points.
Students learned however that freedom of choice is the way to go and that freedom will encourage greater
performance in any venture. The lesson was also linked to persuasive writing and speech presentation which
is a part of the curriculum covered during this time.
For more great teacher tested ideas,
visit izzit.org
• Conscription, from The Concise Encyclopedia
of Economics
• Current Events Service