Students analyze photographs to build a visual timeline of the war in the Pacific.
Students are assigned a profile of an individual who played a role in the conflict, and they keep a journal from that person's perspective throughout the WWII unit.
Significant moments in WWII explored through primary source documents, with emphasis on MacArthur and the Pacific Theater.
Students examine the war from the perspective of a paratrooper landing behind enemy lines.
Students use primary and secondary sources to prepare a brief for General Eisenhower, advising him on how to proceed in planning the D-Day invasion. (See also Eisenhower and the Troops and Art of Deception: Selling a Story to the German Army)
Students analyze strategic scenarios from the war in the Pacific to understand decisions made during the war and the factors involved.
Students use historical documents and newsreels to examine the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.
Students examine the war experience of Japanese Americans held in internment camps.
Examining posters encouraging Americans to contribute to the war effort.
Examining the social tensions surrounding women entering the workforce in WWII. See also The Changing Face of Woman.
Aligned to Virginia's Standards of Learning for History and Social Science
Lesson Plans
Resources
Middle
School
SOL USII.7a: The student will apply social science skills to understand the major causes and effects of American involvement in World War II by explaining the causes and events that led to American involvement in the war, including the attack on Pearl Harbor.
SOL USII.7b: The student will apply social science skills to understand the major causes and effects of American involvement in World War II by locating and describing the major events and turning points of the war in Europe and the Pacific.
SOL USII.7c: The student will apply social science skills to understand the major causes and effects of American involvement in World War II by explaining and evaluating the impact of the war on the home front.
Date Which Will Live in Infamy
Interactive article on the attack on Pearl Harbor. See also Remembering Pearl Harbor (interactive map).
History, Art, & Archives from the United States House of Representatives
Videos from the U.S. House of Representatives relating to the declaration of war.
Short videos on D-Day, with emphasis on Eisenhower's role.
Archive of film footage related to the D-Day Invasion and the Liberation of France.
- Eisenhower's D-Day Statement to Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen
America on the Homefront Archives
Collection of archives illustrating aspects of life on the home front during WWII.
Primary source documents and activities paired with short video documentaries on WWII, beginning in the years before the U.S. was involved in the war. See documents and activities and playlist of short documentaries.
Students examine the a radar plot from Hawaii on December 7, 1941, showing evidence of the incoming attack.
Comparing FDR's final speech to Congress to an early draft.