Overview: How did the United States respond to and address the atrocities of the Holocaust, and what were the implications of this involvement on American foreign policy and humanitarian efforts?

In this unit, students will explore the transformative events of World War II and the Holocaust, examining how they influenced the United States' approach to world affairs. The unit will delve into key concepts such as genocide and the Holocaust, discrimination and human rights, economic systems, military strategies, ideologies, and alliances. Students will critically analyze the transition from World War II to the Cold War, and the economic and political implications of these events on the future of the United States. Essential terms related to fascism, appeasement, antisemitism, death camps, genocide, internment camps, the Manhattan Project, communism, the Cold War, Red Scare, and propaganda will be studied to deepen students' understanding of this complex historical period.  Investigate the causes and consequences of World War II, including the rise of fascism, antisemitism, alliances, and military strategies.  Students will explore the violation of human rights during World War II, understanding the impact of discrimination and persecution on targeted groups.  They will investigate the experiences of individuals in internment (specifically, Amache in Colorado) and the concentration and death camps in Europe.  Students will then investigate the transition from World War II to the Cold War and the factors that contributed to the ideological divide between the United States and the Soviet Union.  Students will explore the significance of alliances during World War II and the Cold War and their role in shaping world affairs.  Additionally, they will analyze the use of propaganda during both periods to influence public opinion and support national objectives.  The unit will equip students with critical thinking skills and historical awareness to comprehend the complexities of this crucial period in history and its implications on the modern world.

The highlighted evidence outcomes are the priority for all students, serving as the essential concepts and skills. It is recommended that the remaining evidence outcomes listed be addressed as time allows, representing the full breadth of the curriculum.

Students Can (Evidence Outcomes):

• Formulate compelling and supporting questions after evaluating primary sources for point of view and historical context. (1.1.a)

• Gather and analyze historical information to address questions from a range of primary and secondary sources containing a variety of perspectives. For example: Perspectives of historically underrepresented groups. (1.1.b)

• Gather and analyze historical information from a range of qualitative and quantitative sources. For example: Demographic, economic, social, and political data. (1.1.c)

• Analyze continuity and change over the course of United States history. Including but not limited to: The expansion and limitations of rights, the balance between liberty and security, shifts in internationalist and isolationist policies, debates over the role of government, and the impacts of expansionist policies. (1.2.a)

• Investigate causes and effects of significant events throughout United States history. For example: World and national conflicts (e.g., Spanish American War, the continued conflict over Indigenous lands, and the Tulsa Massacre), urbanization and suburbanization (e.g., Great Migration and Levittown), economic cycles (e.g., The Great Depression and the 2008 Great Recession), and both popular and counterculture movements. (1.2.b)

• Analyze the complexity of events throughout United States history. For example: The Civil Rights Movement (e.g., Double V Campaign, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Stonewall Riots); migration, immigration, and displacement (e.g., immigration and citizenship legislation, Japanese American incarceration, and debates over tribal sovereignty); landmark court cases (e.g., Keyes v. School District #1 Denver, Brown v. Board of Education, and Obergefell v. Hodges), and the war on terror (e.g., 9/11, Afghanistan and Iraq wars, Middle Eastern discrimination, and the evolution of U.S. counterterrorism efforts). (1.2.c)

• Investigate the historical development and impact of major scientific and technological innovations in the Industrial Age, the Space Age, and the Digital Age. For example: Scientific innovations by diverse individuals, creation of mass production/assembly line process, creation of the atomic bomb, NASA, and the introduction of mass media and the Internet. (1.2.e)

• Analyze how opposing perspectives, compromise, and cooperation have shaped national unity and diversity. For example: The rights and contributions of diverse groups and individuals, including African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQ individuals, women, immigrants, individuals with disabilities, and ethnic and religious minorities, and the role of organizations and government in advancing these rights (e.g., NAACP, American Indian Movement, and United Farm Workers). (1.2.g)

• Analyze and evaluate ideas critical to the understanding of American history. Including but not limited to: populism, progressivism, isolationism, imperialism, capitalism, racism, extremism, nationalism, patriotism, anti-communism, environmentalism, liberalism, fundamentalism, and conservatism. (1.2.h)

• Examine and evaluate how the United States was involved in and responded to international events over the course of history. Including but not limited to: the World Wars, the Holocaust, the Nuremberg trials, Cold War policies, Berlin Airlift, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the genocides in Bosnia and Darfur (addressed in 9th grade). (1.2.j)

• Evaluate continuity and change over the course of world history. For example: Social and political movements related to nationality, ethnicity, and gender; revolutions; the World Wars; the Cold War; independence movements/decolonization and 19th, 20th and 21st century genocides such as the Armenian Genocide (addressed in 9th grade); the Holocaust perpetrated by the fascist German Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers Party) and its collaborators. (1.3.a)