Instructional Resources
Course Title: America and WW II
The History on the Net Group. (2/01/2011).
Grade Level: Fourth Grade World War Two- Causes. Retrieved March 30,
2011, from History on the Net:
Unit: America and WW II http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW2/cause
s.htm
By: Brian Wesson, Bret Miller, and Evan Pryor
U.S. Army Center for Military History. (2003).
The Outbreak of War. Retrieved March 30,
2011, from World War History:
Abstract http://www.worldwariihistory.info/WWII/war
.html
This unit centers around the bombings
at Pearl Harbor. The unit starts with an (2011). What Happened?. Retrieved March 30,
explanation of why the war started. It then 2011, from Pearl Harbor. org:
moves to explain why the Americans are http://www.pearlharbor.org/history-of-pearl-
neutral and how we are attacked leading us to harbor.asp
change that viewpoint. The unit ends with a
lesson describing how Americans enter the war Rosenberg, J. (2011). Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
and some of the results because of it. This entire Retrieved March 30, 2011, from About.com:
unit focuses on making choice. Sometimes http://history1900s.about.com/od/worldwarii
choices are hard, but eventually they have to be /a/hiroshima.htm
made. Zebrowski, C. (2005). Busy with the Blitz-
Proofing. Retrieved March 30, 2011, from
America in WWII:
Focus Questions http://www.americainwwii.com/stories/busy
withtheblitzproofing.html
1. What would you have liked to happen
in WWII? (2011). ‘Victory Garden’ Movement Grows.
2. Do you agree with WWII? Retrieved March 30, 2011, from Indiana Daily
3. What did America do during WWII? Student:
http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=
54756&search=mill§ion=search
Castle Films. (2005) Bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Retrieved March 30, 2011, from Ball State
University Digital Media Repository:
http://libx.bsu.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CIS
OROOT=/WWIIHistFilm&CISOPTR=113&CISOB
OX=1&REC=17
Indiana Bell Telephone Company. (2005) Ready
on the Home Front. Retrieved March 30, 2011,
from Ball State University Digital Media
Repository:
http://dvisweb1.bsu.edu/media/wwii/VHS-
SP_3870_-_ready_on_the_homefront.asx
Benchmarks Assessment Tasks Key Concepts
4.1.10 Students will:
Growth and Development: 1900 1. Create a news report WWII
to 1950. Describe the video Communication
participation of Indiana citizens 2. Create a public service Safety
in World War I and World War announcement
II.
4.1.11
Growth and Development: 1900
to 1950. Identify and describe
important events and
movements that changed life in
Indiana in the early twentieth
century.
Catalogue of Lessons: join in any other world wars. The
army was made for defense only and
laws were passed to prevent America
from attacking. Over seas the
Lesson 1: Axis and Allies
Americas Allies from the first World
WW II started for several War were fighting the Germans.
reasons. Explain to the students, that Sadly, they Allies start falling, so
after WWI the Germans were American preparations for defense
punished with the Treaty of Versailles. rise. The goal of the German leader,
In that treaty, they were ordered to Hitler, was to create a larger space for
pay more than they could afford. The the Germans. Write a letter to
Germans tried to appeal the President Roosevelt explaining if you
reparations, but were denied. To agree or disagree with his decision to
connect this to the students ask them remain neutral.
to listen to the following scenario.
Lesson 3: Pearl Harbor
There is a bully at school. He knocks
you down and even hits you. After the America had not entered the
event, he is punished badly; in fact, he war and prepared their defensive
is told that he has to pay you 100 stance. Unfortunately that was not
dollars. The bully doesn’t have 100 enough to prevent an attack from the
dollars so he asks you to change the axis powers. A base in Hawaii, Pearl
penalty. What would you do? Have the Harbor, was bombed by Japan. The
students write an answer to the Japanese people bombed Pearl Harbor
question. for over 2 hours destroying aircrafts,
Lesson 2: America remains Neutral battleships, and taking lives. After the
students watch the video they will
After WWI, the Americans make their own. The class will be
decided that it would not be wise to
given a video camera and will make a example. After the students have
news report of the bombing. become familiar with the effects the
war on Indiana, the students will write
Lesson 4: The bombing of Hiroshima a public service announcement.
The teacher will explain that
after America had been attacked, it
was time to retaliate. Americans had
access to atomic bombs, and dropped
2 of them on Japan. This wiped out
two of their cities. Explain how
Japanese-Americans were treated in
America and how the bomb itself was
viewed because of the hostility
created from the Pear Harbor attack.
Once the students understand how
America reacted, ask them to create a
poster that they would have waved
outside of the White House. This
poster could agree with or disagree
with the decision to bomb.
Lesson 5: Indiana enters the war
Now that America has entered
the war, the people from our area
were involved as well. Hoosiers did
many different things for the war.
Some Hoosier planted small “victory”
gardens from which to eat. This
helped by allowing America to use the
food supply overseas, while the
Americans at home were able to eat
form their gardens. The citizens of
Indiana also practiced air raid drills.
These were similar to fire drills and
people hid in cellars in case they were
bombed. Indiana sent troops and had
a major manufacturing boom,
especially in the area of steel. This
raw steel was used to help make
wartime products such as guns,
ammo, and vehicle parts. Also explain
how women started to take the jobs of
men. Many men went to war, and
women filled in for them at factories.
Introduce Rosie the Riveter as an
Assessment: Pearl Harbor
Grade: Fourth
Unit: World War II
Assessment
Assessment
Abstract
Students will use new and previous acquired knowledge of Pearl Harbor to
create a persuasive video newscast. The students will use resources such as the
Internet and the Ball State digital archives collection to find information regarding
the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Students will cover what happened at the naval base
and who ordered the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The students will take the role of a
news reporter to cover the attacks and get an in depth look of how this attack effects
America to this day. The focus of this assessment is to have the students realize how
the attack on Pearl Harbor effects our daily lives to this day. After the students have
finished their newscast the teacher will hold a discussion to how the attack of Pearl
Harbor affected individuals in that time compared to how the attacks of modern day
affect individual life.
Prompt
Ball State Digital Archives Collection
http://libx.bsu.edu/
Internet Website
http://www.pearlharbor.org/
Directions
Over the past few days you have gained more insight and knowledge about
the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Today we are going to take the role of a news
reporter during the bombing and create our own newscast covering the event. This
artifact will be created using your role-playing, writing, and verbal skills. Students
will be paired into groups of two and will be given a video camera to create their
newscast covering the Pearl Harbor attack. While creating your newscast let the
following questions guide your video:
What is the attack on Pearl Harbor?
Where is Pearl Harbor located?
Who caused this attack?
Are there any casualties or injuries?
What might have caused this attack?
How does this attack affect America? Will it change life for anybody?
Should America retaliate or not? Take your opinion?
You may notice when watching a newscast that the reporters cover different events
in a specific way. It is your job to keep your audience in mind and create a newscast
that fits the event that you are covering. When you have finished your newscast we
will transfer the newscast from the camera to a separate DVD. When the newscast is
transferred to the DVD we will go as a class on a field trip to the public library
present the DVDs to the archives collection so the community can view the DVDs.
Hold a discussion with the students about how the attack of Pearl Harbor compares
to the attacks of modern day.
Procedure
Give each pair of students a sheet with the guide questions and a video camera to
record their newscast. Inform the students that they will be working in pairs and
each member should contribute equally to the project. Inform the students that they
will be taking the role of a news reporter during the 1940’s and cover the story of
the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Explain the scoring rubric to the students and answer
any questions that they have concerning the activity or the rubric.
Scoring Rubric
Benchmark Score
4 3 2 1
4.1.11 Students include Students include Students include Students include
and answer all of and answer four and answer two and answer one
Growth and the guide to five of the to three of the of the guide
Development: 1900 questions in guide questions guide questions in questions in
to 1950. Identify their newscast. in their their article. The their newscast.
and describe The newscast is newscast. The newscast is set for The article is set
important events set for the newscast is set the appropriate for the
and movements appropriate for the audience. appropriate
that changed life in audience. appropriate audience.
Indiana in the early audience.
twentieth century.
Assessment: Preparation at the home front
Grade: Fourth
Unit: World War II
Abstract
This task is designed to assess student’s understanding of the importance of home front
preparation during World War II. After viewing the film, Ready on the Home Front,
students will write a public service announcement in the perspective of the local air raid
warden during the time period of World War II. In the public service announcement,
students will create a list of precautions that members of the community should follow
in preparation for an air raid. The class will organize their public service announcement
to create one document that can be archived at the local library.
Prompt
The film, Ready on the Home Front found in the Ball State archives collection
Notes taken from the, Read on the Home Front
An example of what a public service announcement looks like
Directions to Students
“During World War II, American contribution was not just on the battle front. Here in
our local communities, people just like you were preparing for a war. Air raids were a
fear in the eyes of many Americans; today we are going to watch a film on how people
in Indiana prepared for air raids. During the film, take notes on the different
precautions people took in case of an air raid. Once we have watched the film, you will
pretend that you are the air raid warden for your local community and you will write a
public service announcement to the community about what precautions they should
take in case of an air raid. Also, you should state why being prepared for an air raid
would be important and what might happen to the community if you are not prepared if
a bomb does strike. “
Your newsletter should include:
Five precautions people should take
o A reason why people should take each precaution
Reasoning for why it is important to have a preparation plan
What might happen if you are not prepared for an air raid?
Procedure
Prepare a sample public service announcement for students to follow as an example. Be
sure students have watched the film before writing a public service announcement. All
the parts of the public service announcement should be written on the board.
Scoring Rubric
Benchmark Score
4 3 2 1
4.1.10 Student creates 5 Student creates 4 Student creates 3 Student creates
Growth and precautions with precautions with 4 precautions with 3 less than 3
Development: 1900 to 5 reasons for their reasons for their reasons for their precautions with
1950. Describe the precautions. precautions. precautions. less than 3
participation of Student gives a Student gives a Student gives a reasons for their
Indiana citizens in reason for the reason for the reason for the precautions.
World War I and importance of a importance of a importance of a Student gives a
World War II. (Core
preparation plan preparation plan preparation plan reason for the
Standard)
and an and an explanation but does not importance of an
explanation of of what might provide an preparation plan,
what might happen if you are explanation of what but does not
happen if you are not prepared for might happen if you provide an
not prepared for an air raid. are not prepared for explanation of
an air raid. an air raid. what might
happen if you are
not prepared for
an air raid.