Summary
In this lesson, students will examine the events leading up to America’s involvement in World War Two as well as how Americans contributed to the war. By analyzing a timeline, political cartoon, the Day Which Will Live in Infamy speech, and participating in a historical mingle activity, students will understand how the war impacted Americans.
Essential Question(s)
How did World War Two impact Americans?
Snapshot
Engage
Students summarize what they already know about how World War Two impacted Americans by using the Tip of the Iceberg strategy.
Explore
Students analyze a political cartoon and a timeline to understand what was happening in the war before America entered.
Explain
Students analyze the Day Which Will Live in Infamy speech and view a short video about the mobilization for war.
Extend
Students participate in a historical mingle activity and assume the role of an American that helped during the war.
Evaluate
Students add their new knowledge using the Tip of the Iceberg strategy.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
Tip of the Iceberg handout (one per student; attached)
From Isolation to Involvement handout (one per student; attached)
3-2-1 handout (one per student; attached)
Day Which Will Live in Infamy Speech (one per student; attached)
Historical Mingle Cards (one card per student; attached)
Engage
5 Minute(s)
Use the attached Lesson Slides to guide the lesson. Pass out the attached Tip of the Iceberg handout and display slide 3. Explain the Tip of the Iceberg strategy to students. Tell students to list everything they know about the answer to the question, “How did World War Two affect Americans?” above the water line on the handout. If students have information they suspect is true about the question, they can write it at the water line. After providing time for students to answer the question, have students compare what they have written down with another student. Ask for a few volunteers to share what they already know about how America was affected by World War Two. Move through slides 4 and 5 to review the Essential Question and the Lesson Objective with students.
Have students keep the Tip of the Iceberg handout to use at the end of the lesson.
Explore
25 Minute(s)
Move to slide 6 and display the political cartoon for students. On the back of the Tip of the Iceberg handout, ask students to summarize the cartoon using the T.A.C.O.S. strategy. Slide 6 has the T.A.C.O.S. acronym displayed for student reference. Ask students to discuss the cartoon with a partner as they analyze it. Ask for volunteers to share what they have written down for each part of T.A.C.O.S. Have a brief class discussion about the cartoon. Some questions to consider include:
What do the illnesses represent?
Why is Uncle Sam sleeping peacefully?
What message is Dr. Seuss sending with the political cartoon?
Tell students they are going to analyze the events that led up to the United States’ entrance into World War Two. Move to slide 7 and pass out the attached From Isolation to Involvement handout as well as the 3-2-1 handout to each student. Have students use an Elbow Partner to analyze the timeline events and complete the 3-2-1 handout. Have a class discussion about events that led up to the US entering World War Two.
Explain
20 Minute(s)
Display slide 8 and tell students they are going to view a short video clip about the US entry into the war.
Display slide 9 and provide time for students to talk to their Elbow Partner about the video. Questions on slide 9 are provided for discussion:
Why did Americans remain neutral for so long during the war?
Should the US have joined sooner?
How did Americans react to the attack on Pearl Harbor?
Next pass out the attached Day of Infamy Speech handout to each student. Move to slide 10 and introduce students to the CUS and Discuss strategy. Explain to students that they are going to listen to the speech that President Roosevelt gave to Congress after the attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor. As they listen, they should circle words they are unfamiliar with, star the main ideas, and underline details that support the main ideas of the speech. Play the audio of the speech for students.
After the speech, have students discuss what they starred and underlined with their Elbow Partners. Ask for volunteers to share words they circled and explain those words to students. Have a class discussion about the tone of the speech and what President Roosevelt’s purpose was for giving the speech.
Extend
20 Minute(s)
Pass out a Historical Mingle card to each student. Display slide 12 and introduce students to the Historical Mingle strategy. Ask students to read the card they have been given. Each card provides information about a person that supported the war effort. Provide a few minutes for students to read their description and develop their character. The cards also have sentence stems to support conversation if students feel “stuck.” Students should assume the role described on their card and talk to each other about how they supported the war.
Have students get up and move around the classroom to “mingle.” Start the timer on slide 13 and when time is up, have students talk to a new student. Repeat this process until students have had a chance to mingle for ten to fifteen minutes.
Have students return to their seats and ask for volunteers to share some ways in which Americans contributed to the war effort. Have a brief class discussion about how all Americans were impacted by World War Two.
Evaluate
5 Minute(s)
Move to slide 14 and have students return to their Tip of the Iceberg handout. Ask students to add their new knowledge from the lesson about how the war impacted Americans below the water line on the handout.
Collect students' Tip of the Iceberg handouts to assess understanding of the lesson.
Resources
CFR (2012, March 13). Lessons Learned: Hitler’s Rearmament of Germany. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/video/lessons-learned-hitlers-rearmament-germany
FDR Library. (2016, October 27). Franklin D. Roosevelt's address to Congress, December 8, 1941. (Video). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbRYqLtg6LU&t=1s
FDR Library & Museum (n.d.). FDR and the Four Freedoms Speech. https://www.fdrlibrary.org/four-freedoms
History.com Editors. (2019, November 9). Lend-Lease Act. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-signs-neutrality-act
History Channel. (2014, May 19). WWII in HD: America enters World War II | history. (Video). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yQyCTTPGuQ
K20 Center. (n.d.). CUS and Discuss. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/162
K20 Center. (n.d.). Elbow Partners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/116
K20 Center. (n.d.). Historical Mingle. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/184
K20 Center. (n.d.). T.A.C.O.S. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/1196
K20 Center.(n.d.). Tip of the Iceberg. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/67
PBS. (n.d.). World War II Major Events Timeline. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/specialfeatures/world-war-ii-major-events-timeline/#
USHMM. (n.d.). Timeline of Events. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. https://www.ushmm.org/learn/timeline-of-events/1933-1938
World War II Foundation. (n.d.). Timeline of World War II. World War II Foundation. https://wwiifoundation.org/timeline-of-wwii/