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World War II
Students research World War II and discuss how conflicts in the war lead to change. In this World War II lesson plan, students read books, watch movies, complete activity sheets, and answer questions all researching the war.
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Letters from the Japanese American Internment
Learners explore the concept of Japanese internment. In this Japanese internment lesson, students examine primary sources that enable them to discover what internment camp life was like and its implications, Learners write their own...
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Meet Molly An American Girl
Students examine concepts of personal finance. In this personal finance lesson, students use Valerie Tripp's, Meet Molly, An American Girl, to learn about saving and spending after World War II. They compare financial decisions after...
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A Passport to WWII and the Holocaust
Students explore the Holocaust. In this interdisciplinary lesson, students research Hitler's rise to power, the terror of concentration camps, and World War II. Students read The Diary of Anne Frank , listen to a Holocaust survivor, and...
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The Diary of Anne Frank
Sixth graders explore journal writing. In this writing lesson, 6th graders use the published diaries of Anne Frank and discuss the entries in her journal. Students write in their own journal for a week and create a one page summary on...
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The failure of Diplomacy, September-December 1941
Learners investigate four main issues of concern between US and Japan prior to US involvement in World War II. In this role play lesson, students will take the role of US and Japanese negotiators trying to find a diplomatic solution to...
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Stars and Stripes Forever: Researching Veteran's Day and Historical Events
Sixth graders research Veteran's Day and wars that affected the United States. In this research lesson, 6th graders work in small groups to create an oral presentation based on Internet and conventional research. They complete...
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World War II on the Home Front: Civic Responsibility
Students explore World War II. In this World War II activity, students discover how volunteerism demonstrates civic responsibility. The activity uses World War II-era posters to appeal to the learners and help them to understand the...
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What was Rationing?
Students analyze primary source documents to learn about World War II. In this world history instructional activity, students use cheese and bread rationing coupons issued during the second World War to gather information about the...
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Italian Enemy Aliens During World War II: Evacuation from Prohibited Zones
Students read and discuss the Enemy Alien Evacuation Order. They perform research by reading newspaper articles from February 1942 as well as investigating available information on the Internet. Students work in groups to create a...
National First Ladies' Library
There's Only How Much? Rationing in World War II
Students discuss the idea of rationing as a restriction on the amount of something or the frequency with which something may be purchased or used in order to contribute to the greater good of the group which was what happened during...
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World War II: A Compartive Study through Literature
Students examine World War II through the use of literature. As a class, they brainstorm a list of words they relate to the war itself. In groups, they read various novels and view photographs showing the experiences of the Jews,...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Fly Girls: Women Aviators in World War II
Explore contributions of Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II with an engaging history lesson. Middle schoolers examine portrayals of women in World War II posters and newsreels, compare and contrast them with...
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Through the Eyes of Al McIntosh
Students examine World War II through the eyes of local journalists such as Al McIntosh. As a class, they discuss how stories about the war affects the public back at home. In groups, they compare and contrast how newspapers reported...
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Art and Propaganda
Young scholars examine the types of propaganda used throughout World War II. In groups, they view examples of different posters and artwork used to identify the human emotions the government was trying to appeal through. They develop...
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Deportation and Loss
Seventh graders discuss the issues of isolation and deportation as they are related to the Holocaust. After reading a brief passage about deportation and confinement in a concentration camp, 7th graders discuss the feelings involved in...
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Flying Against The Wind
Eighth graders discuss the various actions of non-Jewish Germans during World War II. Through various readings and activities, they explore the rejection of Nazi ideology and how many German citizens worked to help Jewish citizens during...
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Never To Forget
Tenth graders discuss the events leading up to antisemitic behavior in Europe during World War II. Through various activities, 10th graders acquaint themselves with the political ideology of Nazism and assess responsibility for the...
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The War: Japanese Americans and Internment
High schoolers examine the experiences of Japanese-Americans at the beginning of World War II in America. After watching an excerpt from "The War", they answer reflection questions about the Japanese being put into internment camps. In...
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The Battle of the Bulge
Learners research the events and results of the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. As a class, they discuss the role of the military in the entire European theater and write a paper describing the situations and conditions the...
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Chicago Tribune vs. US (1942): When Does Freedom of the Press Go Too Far?
Students define freedom of the press in peace and war time. As a class, they identify the need for the public to be informed, but discuss where the line should be drawn to protect national security. They develop their arguments and...
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The Declaration of War Against Japan and Just War Theory
Students examine the attack on Pearl Harbor and how it changed the history of the United States. After watching a video from "The War", they discuss the characteristics of a "just war" and identify the laws in international warfare. ...
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D-Day: June 6, 1944
Students examine the preparations for the invasion of France on June 6, 1944. After viewing a clip from "The War", they identify the demands and concerns of all military leaders for this invasion. They use maps to examine the...
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Introduction to the Holocaust
Students examine the events surrounding the Holocaust in World War II. After viewing a clip from "The War", they work together in groups to research the various responses from governments on the tradegy. To end the activity, they write...