Goal: To examine the varied reactions of U.S. soldiers fighting in the Philippines; to use those soldiers' letters to understand American purposes and tactics in the war.

Skills: Analysis of written documents; use of those documents as a basis for creative expression (script writing or drawing).

Resources: Letters from Jim Zwick, ed., The War from a Parlor: Stereoscopic Images of the Philippine-American War and Soldiers' Letters Home.

Activity:

Step 1: Reading Documents

Go to Jim Zwick, ed., "The War from a Parlor: Stereoscopic Images of the Philippine-American War and Soldiers' Letters Home" (http://www.boondocksnet.com/stereo/parlor_index.html). Individually, read the "Introduction" by Jim Zwick (second screen) and move through the images and excerpts from soldiers' letters written during the Philippine-American War.

Step 2: Freewriting and Sharing Your Thoughts

• In a small group, each member should choose ONE of the letters. Free-write your immediate thoughts and responses to the letter. For example, how does the soldier’s description of the war make you feel? What type of images does the letter evoke in your mind?
  
• As a group, each member will share his or her free-writing by reading aloud.

Step 3: Synthesizing Information

As a group, collectively discuss the following questions:

1. What type of actions did U.S. soldiers take against the Filipinos during the war?

2. How did different U.S. soldiers view the Filipino people? How did they view the Filipino struggle or cause?

3. How did different U.S. soldiers feel about the war? What was their opinion about the purpose of the war and about the tactics used by the U.S.? Explain.

4. What would you want to know more about with regard to the experiences of U.S. soldiers? What questions do the letters raise for you about war and struggles for independence in general?

Step 4: Creative Activity

Individually or in pairs, choose ONE of the following activities:

• Creating Art: Imagine you are an artist and have been asked to create a sketch or painting for an exhibit on the Philippine-American War. Think about the letters you just read and the images they bring to mind. Make a sketch or painting that you feel captures your interpretation of the experiences of U.S. soldiers or Filipinos in the war.

• Writing a Dialogue: Imagine you are a writer and have been asked to develop a script for a film that on the Philippine-American War. In one scene, two U.S. soldiers will have a conversation immediately after the war. Using the soldiers' letters as the basis for the content, write a dialogue between two soldiers from different regiments who have opposing points of view.

Step 5: Group Discussion

As a class, share and discuss your creative projects. What was most interesting and/or enjoyable about the activity? What was most challenging? Why?