World War I: The Great War to End All Wars

An interdisciplinary book for students ages 12 to 15 that delves into one of the most horrific periods in global history. An excellent roadmap for today’s political climate.

The basic human losses of World War I can be made plain with these staggering casualties: 9 million dead soldiers, 7 million civilian lives lost, millions more wounded. But those numbers only hint at the devastation, both political and personal, that lies at the heart of the Great War.

World War I: The Great War to End All Wars for ages 12 to 15 brings to light the key details of this critical point in history. It marks the transition to a modern era in which mass destruction became a reality through military technologies a century in the making. By examining military life on the battlefields and in the trenches, as well as focusing on anti-war protest movements, art and popular culture, home-front efforts across the globe, and experiences in British and French colonies, this book offers a sense of how World War I penetrated all corners of the world and impacted all of its peoples. Graphic novel-style illustrations, amazing historical photography, and primary sources bring the past to life and illustrate how far World War I reached around the globe.

• Through an interdisciplinary approach, themes of "Time, Continuity, and Change," "Science, Technology, and Society," and global interconnectedness are key concepts that drive the narrative.
• This accessible, social history introduces the conflict from the varied perspectives of those who lived it. Profiled within its pages are improbable heroes, from volunteer, "Flying Aces" to a resistant Belgian king, from Native American soldiers who stymied Central Power intelligence officials to German artists who organized to demand "Never Again War."

Projects include Research recruiting on the football and rugby pitch, Analyze the messages and the messengers, Discover satire in the pre-war years, and Colonial Cartography: The scramble for Africa.

Aligns with Common Core state standards.

Additional materials include a glossary, a list of media for further learning, a selected bibliography, and index.

Essential questions guide readers’ investigations while hands-on activities promote critical and creative problem solving, and text-to-world connections highlight the way the past provides context for the present-day world.

About the Inquire & Investigate series and Nomad Press

Nomad Press books in the Inquire & Investigate series integrate content with participation, encouraging readers to engage in student-directed learning. Combining content with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers.

All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and themes identified by the National Council for Social Studies.

All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.

Julie Knutson is an author and educator with a wide-ranging background in history and the social sciences. She holds an undergraduate degree in cultural studies from NYU, a Master’s degree in political sociology from the London School of Economics, and additional post-graduate degrees in education and art history from Rice University in Houston, Texas. She is the author of Global Citizenship: Engage in the Politics of a Changing World (Nomad Press 2020) and an active member of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), having served as the Chair of its Middle School Teacher of the Year Award in 2018. She also maintains membership in Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

Micah Rauch is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator from the beautiful state of Montana. He received a BFA in graphic design from Montana State University in Bozeman Montana and is the illustrator of Crazy Contraptions; Build Rube Goldberg Machines that Swoop, Spin, Stack, and Swivel; Fairground Physics: Motion, Momentum, and Magnets and Kitchen Chemistry: Cool Crystals, Rockin’ Reactions, and Magical Mixtures.