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World War II:
Lesson Plans & Activities

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Thinkfinity:  Internet Content For the Classroom  is a comprehensive educational site from Verizon dedicated to providing the highest quality Internet content and professional development to teachers and students.  http://www.thinkfinity.org/
  • Seven content Web sites (soon to be eight)  with lesson plans, student interactive content, downloadable worksheets, links to panel-reviewed Web sites and additional resources created by the nation’s leading education organizations.

The sites specifically related to the study of United States History include:

  • EconEdLink
    National Council on Economic Education   Developed by the National Council on Economic Education, EconEdLink provides teachers and students with lessons and classroom learning activities based on economics topics in the news and real-time economics data. EconEdLink content is designed to help integrate economic concepts across the curriculum as outlined in the Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics.

  • EDSITEment
    National Endowment for the Humanities  Presented by the National Endowment for the Humanities, EDSITEment features lesson plans and additional classroom resources in art and culture, literature and language arts, foreign language, and history and social studies. It also serves as a gateway to the best humanities sites on the Web, and it features a monthly theme-based teaching resource calendar.

  • Xpeditions
    National Geographic Society   Developed by the National Geographic Society, Xpeditions brings rich, standards-based geography content to teachers and students. This site includes materials for K-12 teachers and students and their families, including an interactive atlas with over 1,600 printable maps and Xpedition Hall, a virtual learning museum with exhibits aligned to the U.S. National Geography Standards.

  • Smithsonian
    National Museum of American History   The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Documenting the American experience from Colonial times to the present, the museum looks at growth and change in the United States. This Partner site is currently under development.

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    PBS:  Teacher Source
    Over 4000 lesson plans and activities for all grade levels. Most a directly related to the hundreds of PBS video presentations (most available through BOCES)  
    http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/

            PBS:  Social Studies Home Page  Highly recommended--please visit.

    ThinkfinityNY
    http://www.nyiteez.org/MarcoPoloNY/

    ThinkfinityNY, a Web-based resource that offers 2,500-plus lessons for teachers, each lesson aligned with the New York State Standards. This program, available to all N.Y. State educators at no cost, was developed jointly with the New York State Education Department (NYSED), New York State Teacher Centers, New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), Thinkfinity and MCI. ~

    The lessons are organized and can be accessed according to the state’s Learning Standards, key ideas, performance indicators, grade levels and content areas. A simple click of the mouse navigates the user through the lessons.

    You may  visit the program at http://www.nyiteez.org/MarcoPoloNY/ or at Virtual Learning System http://eservices.nysed.gov/vls .

     
    ProTeacher Home Page for all US History Lessons
    Links to hundreds of lesson plans related to United States History from a variety of sources. Search functions allow for internal and external links to topical lesson plans.
    http://www.proteacher.com/090019.shtml

    Pro Teacher Lesson Plans World War II

    Pro Teacher Lesson Plans The Holocaust

    Pro Teacher Lesson Plans The Atomic Bomb

    National History Education Clearinghouse
    Welcome to the National History Education Clearinghouse, the central online location for accessing high-quality resources in K-12 U.S. history education. This site began in 2008 and is rapidly becoming one of the best sources for United State History Educators including access to History Content, Teaching Materials, Best Practices, Issues and Research, Professional Development, and TAH Grants.
    http://teachinghistory.org/

     

     

    SELECTED LESSON PLANS

    These lesson plans have been reviewed and designated as exceptional by educators participating in our Teach American History Program.

     
    Dust  Bowl Days to Victory Days; 1930's-1945

    From the Marco Polo Group--various activities, lessons and links related to this topic.

    Historical Time Period:     World War II

    Title of the Lesson Plan:  Japanese American History

    Grade Level:                        High School (Grade 11)

    General Description:         This lesson includes a reading on the history of the Japanese American experience, followed by limited activities based on comprehension and critical thinking.

    URL:                                      www.goforbroke.org/learning/
    learning_teachers_lesson_japanese.asp                            

    Historical Time Period:     World War II

    Title of the Lesson Plan:  “When they came for me, there was no one left to speak up.”—Exploring Personal and Collective Responsibility in WWII

    Grade Level:                        Middle or High School

    General Description:         This lesson includes very comprehensive directions and pre-formatted teaching materials in .pdf format.  It explores responsibility for WW2 atrocities based on Niemoller’s famous quote.  Students will also gain a sense of their own responsibility for current local and world events.  This could be used in any history class, including World History.

    URL:                                      www.ddaymuseum.org/pdf/edu_lp_Personal Responsibility Lesson Plan.pdf

    Historical Time Period:     World War II

    Title of the Lesson Plan:  Working Women of WW2

    Grade Level:                        Middle or High School

    General Description:         This lesson is well-developed and includes excellent directions and .pdf format worksheets that are ready to use.  It explores the important role that women played in WW2 and the social changes that resulted.  The lesson uses editorial cartoon analysis as a main activity.

    URL:                                      www.ddaymuseum.org/pdf/edu_lp_Cartoons.pdf

    Historical Time Period:     World War II

    Title of the Lesson Plan:  A Day of Infamy:  Analyzing FDR’s Pearl Harbor Speech

    Grade Level:                        High School (Grade 11)

    General Description:         This lesson was designed to commemorate the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but can be used anytime.  Students analyze FDR’s speech and facts about Pearl Harbor, then compare it to George W. Bush’s 9/11 speech and 9/11 facts.

    URL:                                      www.ddaymuseum.org/pdf/edu_lp_Pearl Harbor.pdf

    Historical Time Period:     Women’s Rights (WW2 Era)

    Title of the Lesson Plan:  The Changing Face of Women:  Propaganda and Popular Opinion From WW2

    Grade Level:                        Middle or High School

    General Description:         This brief lesson focuses on the familiar “Rosie the Riveter” character in two different propaganda posters.  Students analyze the posters (included) and answer four discussion questions.

    URL:                                      www.ddaymuseum.org/pdf/edu_lp_women.pdf       

    Historical Time Period:     Civil Rights (WW2 Era)

    Title of the Lesson Plan:  Creative Voices:  WW2 Poetry of African Americans

    Grade Level:                        Middle or High School

    General Description:         This lesson evaluates poetry of two African American women as primary source evidence of the discrimination during the WW2 era.  It includes an excellent student worksheet and formatted copies of the two poems.

    URL:                                      www.ddaymuseum.org/pdf/edu_lp_poetry.pdf

    Historical Time Period:     Civil Rights (WW2 Era)

    Title of the Lesson Plan:  Executive Orders:  The President and African Americans

    Grade Level:                        Middle or High School

    General Description:         This lesson evaluates executive orders (formatted text included) of Roosevelt and Truman addressing discrimination and civil rights.

    URL:                                      www.ddaymuseum.org/pdf/edu_lp_exec.pdf

    Historical Time Period:     World War II

    Title of the Lesson Plan:  Powers of Persuasion:  Poster Art of WW2

    Grade Level:                        Middle or High School

    General Description:         This brief lesson allows students to view and analyze over 30 posters from WW2.  This would make an excellent introductory or concluding lesson for a WW2 unit.

    URL:http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/powers_of_persuasion/powers_of_persuasion.html

    Historical Time Period:     World War II

    Title of the Lesson Plan:  Documents and Photographs Related to Japanese Relocation During WW2

    Grade Level:                        High School (Grade 11)

    General Description:         This lesson uses an incredible collection of documents related to Japanese relocation, including several photographs, an exclusion order poster, Executive Order 9066, and Defense Dept. documents.  While the main activity is document analysis, extension activities include dramatic presentations and research opportunities.

    URL:http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/japanese_relocation_wwii/japanese_relocation.html

    Historical Time Period:     World War II

    Title of the Lesson Plan:  The Perilous Fight: WWII—Up Close and Personal

    Grade Level:                        Grades 10-12

    General Description:         This lesson combines several activities to give students a better understanding of the Second World War.  Students view “The Perilous Fight,” read diaries, letters, and personal histories (all included) of WW2, and can even go on a class field trip (if feasible).  The lesson is very well-structured and can be used in part or in whole.  The author has also included an excellent list of links to other primary source material.

    URL:        www.thinkbright.wned.org/search/viewResource.asp?contentid=3549              

    Historical Time Period:     World War II

    Title of the Lesson Plan:  Nickles from Heaven—WW2 and Present-Day Discrimination

    Grade Level:                        Middle or High School

    General Description:         This lesson explores discrimination in the US Armed Forces through the web site on the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion known as “The Triple Nickles.”  The lesson activity looks further at discrimination of women and other minorities through propaganda articles.  The lesson concludes with the creation of propaganda posters.

    URL:                     www.thinkbright.wned.org/search/viewResource.asp?contentid=3656

     

     

    Activities and Projects From Local Educators

    Activity #1  Japanese-American Internment During World War II:  A comprehensive lesson plan including historical background, objectives, correlation to standards, activities and primary source materials. Submitted by John Twinam of the Jamestown Public Schools.  Full PDF

     

     

     
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