World War II Writer - Stephanie van Hover, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Social Studies Education, University of Virginia Editor - Kimberly Gilmore, Ph.D., The History Channel Introduction: In the years following World War I, the world enjoyed an uneasy peace. Over the next two decades, a complex confluence of factors set the stage for World War II. The stresses imposed by the first World War and the Treaty of Versailles, the worldwide Depression of the 1930s, the deterioration of the political climate of Interwar Europe, the aggression of Japanese miltarists, and the rise of totalitarian governments strained the peace until it reached a breaking point. The devastating global military conflict that followed is considered one of the major turning points in world history. WWII signified a rapid development in the technology of warfare, including terrible weapons of mass destruction. For the first time, civilian populations became strategic targets and systematic genocide became part of the war effort. For the United States, World War II cemented the nation s role as a global power and served as an engine of social and cultural change by ushering in changes that established new policies of reform. At the same time, the country denied the civil liberties of interned Japanese-Americans and ignored the irony of racial minorities fighting for democratic principles. World War II remains a source of fascination for many, the epic story of the defense of democracy in the face of totalitarian aggression. High school students are expected to understand the causes of World War II, the course of the war, the nature of the war at home and abroad, the ways in which this war served to reshape the role of the United States in world affairs, and the rise of the Cold War. Introduction to Student: The activities included in this lesson are designed to enrich and expand your knowledge of World War II and to foster critical thinking skills. These activities assume a certain level of background knowledge; I would recommend reviewing the key events of the war before starting these activities from your text book, library and internet. Each topic includes an activity designed to help you make local connections. These activities will help you make links between the history you explore in the classroom and your everyday lives. Hopefully these endeavors will encourage you to become active civic participants in your communities and in the preservation of your local histories. Items marked as bonus can only be done when all other requirements are met. Items marked with a are required unless otherwise indicated. Goal: To build an understanding of causes and consequences of World War II, and its influence and significance in American history. National Standards: This lesson plan addresses the NCSS Curriculum Standards associated with the following themes: Culture Time, Continuity and Change People, Places and Environments Power, Authority and Governance Key terms are in bold. As you work through this project, define any terms you are not familiar with. 1 saveourhistory.comapril
Activity #1: Interwar Years A Game of Risk? This multi-part activity explores the complex causes of World War II. You will investigate the foreign policy motivations of several different nations in the 1930s and the notion of appeasement. Part I: Who Are We & What Do We Want? Assign each member of your group a country: Japan, China, Russia, United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. (Feel free to add additional countries if you need to.) ROLE Geographer RESPONSIBILITY The geographer s job is to locate and identify your country on a world map. Also, the geographer will create a map key and a) identify any colonies your country might possess and b) identify your country s territorial ambitions (if any). Historian The historian will research background information on the country and provide information including type of government, name of leader, and experiences during World War I. The historian will also create a timeline of signifi cant events for this country during the Interwar period (from World War I to World War II). Negotiator The negotiator must research what your country wants as World War II nears. In other words, the negotiator must have the background information necessary to be able to protect and advance your country s interests. The negotiator will fi ll in Chart A to prepare for the second part of this activity. Artist The artist s job is to create a collage that captures the mood/experiences of your country during the Interwar period. Include attention to government, ideology, symbols, fl ags anything that you believe can visually capture the feeling of your country during the Interwar period. The artist is answering the basic question, What was going on in your country in the Interwar period? Part II: Now What? Each group member will present their geographic information, their history, and their poster to the class.
2 saveourhistory.com April Activity #1: Interwar Years A Game of Risk? (continued) CHART A: COUNTRY THEY WANT WE WANT RESULT OF OUR NEGOTIATION JAPAN CHINA RUSSIA UNITED STATES GREAT BRITAIN FRANCE GERMANY ITALY SPAIN Part III: So What Really Happened? As a class, share the results of the negotiation. Then, compare and contrast the group findings with the actual outcome of the Interwar years and the onset of World War II. This is a lead-in to the discussion of aggression and appeasement. This activity will allow you to consider the possibilities of alternative historical outcomes during this era, and to examine why these years ultimately resulted in war. Local Connection! Visit the website of your local historical society. What was your community like during the Interwar years? Divide your group into pairs to make a poster that depicts the Interwar years in your community. To prepare, research how the war first reached your community. Review the procedures for collecting oral histories from the History Matters website of George Mason University at historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/oral/. You can contact local nursing homes and veterans homes and conduct oral histories of life in the Interwar years and how the war came to our area. You can create a short video that tells the story of World War II coming to your community, and explore how the community was affected. (50 points Bonus) 3 saveourhistory.comapril
Activity #2: Ideology in Pictures The events of World War II were influenced by competing ideologies the 1920s and 1930s witnessed the rise of Japanese militarists, fascist dictators in Italy and Germany, and the Russian Communist dictator, Joseph Stalin. This activity examines several different ideologies. As a whole group, brainstorm a definition for the term ideology. Each group member will be responsible for becoming an expert on one of the following ideologies: democracy, Fascism, Nazism, Communism, and totalitarianism. Each group member will have to do the following: 1. Fill in a graphic organizer or chart that asks students to: a. Define the ideology b. Provide an example of the ideology c. List the countries in 1940 which embodied each ideology. (15 points) 2. Using magazines, newspapers, construction paper, markers, glue, etc. Create a poster that, with visuals not words, answers the basic question: What is [democracy, Fascism, Nazism, Communism, totalitarianism]? The poster should include a visual definition of the ideology and include any symbols (for example, the hammer and sickle for the Communists, the Swastika for Nazism, the fasces for Fascism) or leaders (Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Tojo, etc.) closely associated with each ideology. (25 points) 3. Each group member will present their poster. In your presentation, you should explain why these ideologies gained power and followers during and leading up to the World War II era. Students in the audience will complete their chart so that at the end of the activity they have background information on all of the different ideologies. (25 Points) Local Connection Visit your local historical society or local archives. Frequently, universities or neighborhood libraries will have archives which include holdings which document the area s local history and significant leaders. Research newspaper articles, radio broadcasts, or other artifacts from World War II. Discuss how the ideologies at the core of World War II politics were presented in your local community. (25 Points Bonus) Activity #3: World War II Museum The chronology of the war can often be overwhelming. This activity is an excellent review of the key events/issues of World War II. Each group member is responsible for a year of the war: 1939; 1940; 1941; 1942; 1943; 1944; 1945. You have to create a visual exhibit in a museum that highlights the key events/issues/people of that particular year. You can use PowerPoint, a website, or construction paper. The first section of the exhibit must be a timeline that includes the key dates in the European and Pacific theaters of the war. You have to choose artifacts that you believe adequately illustrate the key events and issues of that year in the war. You will present your exhibit to the class. (20 points) Local Connection: You will research your year in the war in your community and decide what local artifacts to add to your museum exhibit. (25 points Bonus) 4 saveourhistory.comapril
Activity #3: Propaganda! Propaganda played a central role in World War II as all governments fought to win the hearts and minds of their citizens (and to attempt to sway the opinions of the enemy). This activity involves analysis of propaganda. Next, compare and contrast your lists with the National Archives Poster Analysis Worksheet at http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/poste r.html Then, analyze tour posters using the NARA worksheet. (20 points) There are many websites that include propaganda from all countries involved in World War II. They include: teacheroz.com/wwiipropaganda.htmlibrary.northwestern.e du/govpub/collections/wwii-posters/ archives.gov/exhibits/ calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/library.unt.edu/govinfo/ma psandposters/wwiipost.html archives.gov/education/lessons/wwii-posters/ Gather several examples of World War II propaganda from different countries. Each group member is charged with coming up with the following: (30 points) A list of attributes of propaganda. What makes this poster propaganda? A list of questions you believe should be asked to analyze propaganda Categories of propaganda (for example, posters to encourage people to fight, posters encouraging people to work, posters encouraging people to remain quiet, etc.) Fun Follow-Up (Class Activity) View a film excerpt from Charlie Chaplin s The Great Dictator (1940). (You can download clips at http://reelclassics.com/actors/chaplin/chaplin.htm Debate the question: Is this propaganda? Why or why not? What are modern examples of propaganda? (20 points) Local Connection: Create a map of your community. Research the ways various groups in your local community contributed to the war effort (farming, factories, etc.). Then, using what you know about propaganda and your community, create World War II propaganda posters targeted at your community. Identify where you would hang your posters to reach a large audience. (20 points Bonus) 5 saveourhistory.com April You can also reach out to a local community center, senior care center, or veteran s home and see if there are World War II veterans or others (factory workers, farmers, etc.) who contributed to the war effort. Interview them about their experiences, and more specifically, their memories of propaganda, how it affected their decisions, and their feelings about it now. Before conducting an interview, be sure to review the procedures for collecting oral histories from the History Matters web site of George Mason University at historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/oral/. (50 points Bonus)