Grade Level: 5 Unit #: 7 Unit Name: World War II UNIT PLAN Big Idea/Theme: Along with the rest of the world, the United States experienced a boom-and-bust period during the 1920s and 1930s. In the United States, this situation led to significant government intervention to stimulate the economy. Other countries did not follow the same course of action, however, and the resulting political instability and subsequent worldwide response consumed the world in the 1940s. Culminating Assessment: Compose a letter to a soldier fighting on the European front or the Pacific front from the point of view of a person in the United States. In the letter, describe what the people in your community are doing on the home front to help with the war effort, your thoughts on a key event that occurred during the war, and your thoughts on one of the principal leader s actions during the course of the war. (See attached instructions.) Unit Understanding(s) Students will understand that There are several major events that led to the United States involvement in World War II. The campaigns of North Africa (Operation Torch) was to free the Mediterranean Sea from German control and protect oil fields in the Middle East which helped relieved Soviet Union troops. The major battles of the European theater included the Battle of Britain, invasion of Soviet Union, and Normandy invasion. The major events of the Pacific theater included Pearl Harbor, strategy of island-hopping, & bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Several key leaders (Winston Churchill, FDR, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, & Adolf Hitler) played significant roles during Unit Essential Question(s): What major events led to the United States involvement in World War II? Describe the involvement of the U.S. in the campaigns of North Africa and the Mediterranean? How was the U.S. involved in major battles of the European theater? How was the U.S. involved in major events of the Pacific theater? Who were the key leaders, and what were their roles in World War II? What political and social impacts did World War II have on the American Home Front? What was the economic impact of World War II on the United States? What impact did the increased economic interdependence following World War II have on
World War II. The social and political impacts of World War II on America were diverse and significant. These included opportunities for women, African Americans in the workplace and the internment of the Japanese. World War II had a lasting impact on the economy of the United States. Economic interdependence increased greatly following World War II and affected world trade. The end of World War II resulted in changes in national boundaries and governments. world trade? What was the result of WWII on Germany s boundaries and government?
Students will know / Students will be able to Describe how the affects of the Depression led to the rise of dictators such as Benito Mussolini in Italy and Adolf Hitler in Germany. Explain why the bombing of Pearl Harbor led to the United States involvement in World War II. Analyze how the invasion of Normandy led to the eventual surrender of the Axis Powers in Europe. Explain the purpose of the island-hopping strategy in the Pacific theatre. Describe how the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to the Japanese surrender and the end of World War II. Examine the manner in which the United States was pulled out of the Depression by the war effort as everyone went to work to help win the war. List the ways women s roles at home and in the work place changed during World War II. Describe the role African Americans played in the war effort and how this convinced President Truman to desegregate the armed forces. Explain how and why Japanese Americans faced severe discrimination during World War II. Tell how, as a result of the war, political boundaries of some nation-states were changed and governments were altered. Explain how the United States emerged from World War II as a world power. Identify the key developments in technology, weaponry, aviation, and communication which had a significant impact on World War II and the economy of the United States. Explain how the United States made political alliances with and helped rebuild Japan, Germany, and war-ravaged Europe after World War II was over. Summarize the factors involved in the increase in world trade in the postwar years. South Carolina Academic Standards: 5-4.4 Explain the principal events related to the involvement of the United States in World War II, including campaigns in North Africa and the Mediterranean; major battles of the European theater such as the Battle of Britain, the invasion of the Soviet Union, and the Normandy invasion; and events in the Pacific theater such as Pearl Harbor, the strategy of island-hopping, and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 5-4.5 Analyze the role of key figures during World War II, including Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, and Adolph Hitler. 5-4.6 Summarize key developments in technology, aviation, weaponry, and communication and their effects on World War II and the United States economy. 5-4.7 Summarize the social and political impact of World War II on the American home front and the world, including opportunities for women and African Americans in the work place, the internment of the Japanese Americans, and the changes in national boundaries and governments.
Vocabulary/Word Wall: Adolf Hitler Atom Bomb Aviation Battle of Britain Benito Mussolini Charles de Gaulle Communist government Democratic government Economic interdependence Economic productivity European Theater Franklin D. Roosevelt Hiroshima Home Front Internment camps Island-hopping strategy Josef Stalin Mediterranean Nagasaki National Boundaries North Africa Pacific Theater Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Penicillin Political alliances Rationing Rosie the Riveter Soviet Union Tuskegee Airmen Victory gardens Winston Churchill World trade Interim Assessment (formative) Class discussions Response journal Teacher created tests Teacher observation Response cards Quick writes Exit slips Key Criteria (to meet the standard/rubric) Rubric
Letters from Home Project Instructions Background: World War II was a trying time for most Americans. Some lived with the fear for loved ones fighting in the war; others conserved food, fuel, and metal at home, while even more people were consumed with news reports and images of battles raging on both fronts. Letter writing was usually the one and only link between soldiers fighting overseas and their families back home. Task: Your task is to write a five paragraph letter to a soldier fighting on the European front or the Pacific front. Your letter should have a beginning, middle, and an end. In the letter, describe what the people in your community are doing on the home front to help with the war effort. You can include information about victory gardens, ration books, and scrap drives. You also need to include your thoughts on a key event that occurred during the war (Pearl Harbor, invasion of Normandy, etc.) as well as your thoughts on one of the principal leader s actions during the course of the war. Be sure your letter has an appropriate conclusion. It should be written in friendly letter format. LETTER FROM HOME PROJECT RUBRIC Points/Assessment 4 3 2 1 Home front Well developed paragraph with explanations of at least three home front activities. Paragraph includes only two home front activities or the explanations lack details. Paragraph includes only one home front activity or little to no details. Key event Leader Total Well developed paragraph with detailed explanations of key World War II event. Well developed paragraph with a detailed explanation of a principal World War II leader and opinions of his actions. /12 Paragraph of key event was explained briefly, but more details are needed. Paragraph of principal leader was explained briefly, opinions were omitted. Paragraph of key event lacked sufficient details to accurately explain the event. Paragraph of principal leader lacked sufficient details to accurately describe his actions. No opinions are stated. Facts included about the home front are inaccurate. Facts included about the key event are inaccurate. Information about the principal leader is inaccurate. Due Date:
Spartanburg School District Two Social Studies CCSS Addendum Topic: World War II Unit 7 Course: 5th Grade Social Studies Learning Objectives Aligned to ELA CCSS: RI 5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from a text. W 5.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. Vocabulary To Be Included in Unit: A. Content/Domain/Text-Specific Vocabulary B. Academic Vocabulary (Tier III Words specific to the text or field of study.) (Tier II Words applicable to multiple content areas.) homefront victory gardens rationing/ration books ration victory allies scrap drives Texts and / or Other Resources: Lily's Victory Garden by Helen L. Wilbur http://www.world-war-2.info/ United Streaming www.history.com The Harmonica by Tony Johnston Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki Heroes by Ken Mochizuki Faithful Elephants by Yukio Tsuchiya Nim and the War Effort by Milly Lee Number the Stars by Lois Lowry Cumulative Unit Assessment Ideas: Cumulative Assessment will stay the same: Letters from Home Project. *See revised rubric below. Guiding Questions: What is the most important evidence in this text that can help me understand the important events of WWII? What lesson can be learned from this selection about WWII What were the most important events of WWII? Use evidence from the texts to support your ideas.
Writing/Research Activity: *See Culminating Assessment Technology Incorporation/Connections: internet research Points/Assessment 4 3 2 1 Home Front information that pertains to victory gardens, rationing, and scrap drives. information that only pertained to two of the events on the home front. information that only pertained to one of the events on the home front. Key Event Leader information about their thoughts on Pearl Harbor, D-Day, Operation Torch, Battle of Britain, island-hopping, or new technologies. information about Franklin Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, Benito Mussilini, Harry Truman, or Joseph Stalin. information on a key event with some elaboration. information on an important person from this time period with some elaboration. information on a key event with little elaboration. information on an important person from this time period with little elaboration. The student did not include any information about the events on the home front. Student did not include any relevant information about the topic. Student did not include any relevant information about the topic.
Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric Score Focus/Opinion Organization Support/Evidence Language/Vocabulary Convention 4 The response is fully focused: main idea of a The response has a clear and effective organizational structure: The response provides thorough and convincing support/evidence for the The response clearly and effectively expresses ideas, using precise language. The response demonstrates a strong command of conventions. topic is focused, Effective, main idea that includes Use of academic Few, if any, clearly stated, and strongly consistent use of a variety of the effective use of sources, facts, and details. and domainspecific errors in usage and sentence maintained. transitional Use of evidence vocabulary is formation. Main idea of a devices from sources is clearly Effective and topic is Logical smoothly appropriate for consistent use introduced and communicated clearly within the progression of ideas from beginning to integrated, comprehensive, and relevant. the audience and purpose. of punctuation, capitaliztion, and spelling. context. end. Effective use of Effective introduction and conclusion for a variety of elaborative techniques. audience and purpose 3 The reponse is mostly focused. Focus is clear and for the most part maintained, though some loosely related material may be present. Some context provided for the main idea of the topic is adequate. 2 The reponse is somewhat on focus. May be clearly focused on the main idea but is insufficiently sustained. Main idea maybe unclear and somewhat unfocused. The response has a evident organizational structure, though there may be minor flaws and some ideas may be loosely connected. Adequate use of transitional devices with some variety. Adequate progression of ideas from beginning to end. Adequate introduction and conclusion The response has an inconsistent organization and some flaws. Inconsistent use of transitional devices with little variety. Uneven progression of ideas from beginning to end. Conclusion and introduction, if present, are weak. The response provides adequate support/evidence for the main idea that includes the use of sources, facts, and details. Some evidence from sources is integrated, though citations maybe general or imprecise. Adequate use of some elaborative techniques. The response provides uneven support/evidence for the main idea that includes partial or uneven sources, facts, and details. Evidence from sources is weakly integrated, and citations are not in the correct format. Weak or uneven use of techniques. The response adequately expresses ideas, employing a mix of precise with more general language. Use of domainspecific vocabulary is generally appropriate for the audience and purpose. The response does not express ideas that coorelate, using simple language. The use of domain-specific vocabulary may at times be inappropriate for the audience and purpose. The response demonstrates an adequate command of conventions. Some errors in usage and sentence formation are present, but no systematic pattern of errors is displayed. Adequate use of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. The response demonstrates a partial command of conventions. Frequent errors occur. Inconsistent use of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. 1 The response may be related to the topic, but may offer little or no focus. May be very brief May have a major drift Focus may be confusing The response has little or no organiztional structure. Few or no transitional devices are evident Frequent irrelevant details included. The response provides minimal support/evidence for the main idea that includes little or no use of sources, facts, and details. Use of evidence form sources is absent or irrelevant. The expression of ideas lacks clarity, or is confusing. Uses limited language or domain-specific vocabulary May have little sense of audience and purpose. 0 A response gets no credit if it provides no evidence of the ability to support the main idea with relevant evidence. The response demonstrates a lack of command of conventions. Errors are frequent and severe.