Stage 1- Desired Results
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
Students understand that...
The participation of the United States in World War II was a transformative event for the nation and its role in the world.
Why did the US go from a policy of isolationism to war?
How did the war effect life in the US?
How were different groups effected during the war?
How did the Allies win the war?
Why id the US drop the atomic bomb?
What were the immediate effect of the war on the global landscape?
Common Core Standards and Performance Indicators:
Unifying Themes:
GEO, SOC, GOV, ECO
Social Studies Content Area Standards:
World History
Geography
Economics
Civics, Citizenship, and Government
Social Studies Practices (begin on page 3)
Common Core Learning Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science,and Technical Subjects (begins on page 76)
Knowledge
Students know that...
Skills
Students will be able to...
Students will examine reasons for the passage of the Neutrality Acts (1935–1937) and consider the national debate as a shift to pro-Allied policies, including “cash and carry”and Lend-Lease.
Students will trace ongoing negotiations with Japan and United States efforts to stop Japanese aggression without resorting to war and without appeasing Japanese demands.
Students will examine the impact of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Students will examine President Roosevelt’s leadership during World War II, including his role as commander in chief and his diplomatic efforts to maintain the Grand Alliance.
Students will examine how technological advancements altered the nature of war and the extent of its devastation, including the use of air power over civilian targets and President Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Students will examine United States mobilization efforts and wartime production and their effects on unemployment rates.
Students will examine the reasons for President Roosevelt’s executive order for Japanese removal, the impact of removal on Japanese people living in the United States, and the Supreme Court’s decision in Korematsu v. United States (1944).
Students will examine the contributions of women, African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Mexican workers, and Mexican Americans to the war effort, as well as the discrimination that they experienced in the military and workforce.
Students will investigate American officials' knowledge of the Holocaust, evaluating the degree to which intervention may have been possible.
Students will examine the contributions of Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson and his arguments made as Chief Prosecutor for the United States at the Nuremberg War Crimes trials.
Students will investigate the role of Eleanor Roosevelt in creating the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
11.8a As situations overseas deteriorated, President Roosevelt’s leadership helped to move the nation from a policy of neutrality to a pro-Allied position and, ultimately, direct involvement in the war
11.8b United States entry into World War II had a significant impact on American society.
11.8c In response to World War II and the Holocaust, the United States played a major role in efforts to prevent such human suffering in the future.
Key Terms
Neutrality Acts
Lend Lease Act
Destroyers for Bases
Atlantic Charter
Pearl Harbor
Korematsu v. US
D-Day
Island Hopping
WPB, OPA, rationing
Manhattan Project
Nuremberg Trials
United Nations
Stage 2- Assessment Evidence
Summative Tasks
Formative Tasks
Beyond the Bubble- "Japanese Internment" examining the accuracy of a Japanese American's account
Beyond the Bubble- Connects the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Gentleman's agreement to Japanese internment.
I Think "The US and WWII- pages 27-28. Asks students to read a news article about the meeting between Churchill and Roosevelt and write quotes as if you were a series of political figures, expressing how you might react to the events discussed in the news article.
WWII Through Contemporary Eyes pgs. 8-10. Neutrality or War primary source activity.
A Soldier's Reason for Enlisting- Gilder Lehrman. Asks students to view a letter from the perspective of its writer.
Government Wartime Agencies- (Pages 7 - 8) Wartime government agencies chart and a project to help encourage Americans to support the war effort.
WWII Kahoot-Multiple choice game review of warDBQ Life on the Homefront: During World War II, life changed for Americans on the home front. In what ways did life change, what motivated the changes, and what methods were used to reinforce these changes?
Synthesis WWII from New Visions: Categorize effects of WWII on the US. Followed by a writing assignment: How did World War II shape or influence modern American society?Multiple Choice New Visions: 35 multiple choice questions on WWII
Stage 3- Related Lessons
Lesson Plans and Content
Videos, Documents, and Resources
Inquiry Based "Did the Attack on Pearl Harbor Unify Americans?" Looks at the war from the perspective of everyday Americans using primary sourcesSHEG-"How should we remember the dropping of the atomic bomb?" Analyze different perspectives of bomb dropping to make a recommendation on a UN memorial for the eventHistoric Presidential Visit to Hiroshima- Examine Obama's visit to Hiroshima for a modern US perspectiveInquiry Unit: Should freedom be sacrificed in the name of national security? on the Japanese American internmentPropaganda Posters- Smithsonian. Images of posters of WWII On the homefront. Lessons include filling out KWL chart, main idea and details Department Created Inquiry: Do nuclear weapons create peace?
50 Core American Documents- page 394 "1944 State of The Union Address" List of good Questions to analyze the speech given in introduction to the document, including about the relationship between people and their governmentDocs Teach- Fair Employment During the War from the Records of the Committee on Fair Employment Practice
Suggestions for Diverse Learners:
WWII packet for entire war: heavy focus on graphic organizers and hands on activities
Worksheets on various topics, printable focus on vocabulary and organizers
I Think (page 7) Put the steps leading to war in chronological order
(page 19) Asks students to put themselves in the position of an American facing wartime shortages.