Subject Areas |
History and Social Studies
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U.S. History - World War II |
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Time Required |
| Time required will vary depending on how much time
is spent designing quilt squares.
Lesson 1:
one class period.
Lesson 2:two or three
class periods.
Lesson 3: time will vary
according to the class' decision on the availability of subjects for interview
and the class periods. |
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Skills |
| brainstorming
interviewing
primary document analysis
presentation skills
collaboration |
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Date Posted |
| 2/4/2002 |
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Special Features |
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Ken Burn's "The War"
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On the Home Front
Introduction
On October 12, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared, in one of
his fireside chats to the American people, "This whole nation of 130 million men,
women and children is becoming one great fighting force." The President made a
point of including children and non-combatant women as part of the "fighting force."
How did children and other non-combatants contribute to the war effort?
On November 8, 2001, President George W. Bush called on ordinary Americans "To
serve by bettering our communities and, thereby, defy and defeat the terrorists."
In the same speech, and at other times, the President suggested ways the children
of the United States could contribute to the war effort. Can the events
of September 11, 2001, inspire us to get involved in, as President Bush said,
"Renewing and reclaiming our strong American values?" What can we learn from the
home front mobilization of World War II about how ordinary citizens can contribute?
How can children participate?
Learning Objectives After completing the lessons in this unit, students
will be able to - List specific actions taken on the home front by non-combatants
during World War II
- Discuss ways in which children have been and can be
involved in a home front war effort
- Explain the connections between home
front efforts and efforts on the battlefield
- Describe how posters were
used to encourage home front efforts during World War II
Guiding Question: During World War II, how did non-combatants contribute
to the war effort? How can young people make a significant contribution to the
solution of our national problems?
Preparing to Teach this Lesson
- Review each lesson and select archival materials
you'd like to use in class. Bookmark these materials, along with other useful
websites, if possible; download and print out selected documents and duplicate
copies as necessary for student viewing.
- Studying the effect
of World War II on your home state and the nation is probably part of your curriculum;
use "On the Home Front" in conjunction with that study. Since September 11, 2001,
this subject has taken on a new significance. The intention of these lessons is
that students can learn about the home front effort in World War II while thinking
about the contributions young people can make to our nation today.
- The archival documents recommended in this unit have been carefully selected
for use by intermediate grade students; however, any discussion of the values
represented by the documents needs to be handled with great sensitivity. Part
of the home front effort in World War II was the promotion of certain values;
values promotion is also important to the home front effort today. A poster such
as "This
Is America ... Keep It Free" illustrated the World War II poster maker's notions
of the ideal family. The American family has changed greatly since that time;
perhaps some of our values have undergone changes as well. Without endorsing any
particular values, this unit discusses how (through poster campaigns, for example)
and why (to encourage habits that would save materials for use on the war front,
for example) values are promoted; however, students are given the opportunity
to clarify their own values.
In their own research, students may come
across posters with racial or other stereotypes; this topic is only addressed
specifically in some of the lesson extensions. Stereotyping in propaganda posters
is also an issue that needs to be dealt with sensitively.
Suggested Activities
Lesson 1: Bettering
Ourselves and Our Communities? Lesson
2: Many Ways to Help Lesson
3: Lessons of Liberty: Sacrifice and Citizenship Lesson
4: The Art of Persuasion: Posters on the Home Front Extending
the Lesson
Lesson 1 Bettering Ourselves and
Our Communities?
Background for the
Teacher: During World War II and in the present fight against terrorism,
promoting values (in addition to promoting certain behaviors) was considered to
be an important part of the war effort. President George W. Bush has stated that,
"Through this tragedy, we are renewing and reclaiming our strong American values."
First Lady Laura Bush has asked children "to become better people by thinking
about others." Throughout this unit, help your students think about the
values promoted by government and other institutions as past of a national war
effort. Then students can reflect on the values they believe are important and
the behaviors which represent those values. Activities:
- Share with your students the following poster from the Smithsonian Institution:
"This
Is America ... Keep It Free," a link from the EDSITEment resource Center
for the Liberal Arts.
Begin by asking the students to describe the
poster. Then, tell them it was distributed during World War II in an attempt to
bolster the war effort. What message is it supposed to convey? How might that
help the war effort? What did the poster maker believe was important? Do you think
s/he would feel the same way today?
- Share with your students
the selected portion of the third paragraph (or the entire letter, if desired)
of this letter
to elementary-school-age Americans, available through a link from the EDSITEment
resource The American
President. The letter was written by First Lady Laura Bush shortly after the
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Within the tragedy, Mrs. Bush saw an
opportunity for young people "to become better people."
September
12, 2001 Dear Children: Many Americans were injured or lost
their lives in the recent national tragedy. All their friends and loved ones are
feeling very sad, and you may be feeling sad, frightened, or confused, too.
I want to reassure you that many people — including your family, your
teachers, and your school counselor — love and care about you and are looking
out for your safety. You can talk with them and ask them questions. You can also
write down your thoughts or draw a picture that shows how you are feeling and
share that with the adults in your life. When sad or frightening things
happen, all of us have an opportunity to become better
people by thinking about others. We can show them we care about them by saying
so and by doing nice things for them. Helping others will make you feel better,
too. I want you to know how much I care about all of you. Be kind
to each other, take care of each other, and show your love for each other.
With best wishes, Laura Bush On September 12, 2001, Mrs.
Bush encouraged young Americans (in the face of the terrorist attacks) "to become
better people by thinking about others ... by doing nice things." What kinds of
"nice things"? Compile a list of student suggestions. Why did Mrs. Bush believe
such behaviors were important at that time?
- In an announcement
entitled "Homeland Security — Every American Can Help" and released November
8, 2001, President George W. Bush declared, "I call on all
Americans to serve by bettering our communities and, thereby, defy and
defeat the terrorists." What kinds of things do the students believe President
Bush was asking all Americans to do? In which of those tasks could a young person
get involved? Add them to the student list. (Note: The text of the Homeland
Security announcement is available through the White
House website, a link from the EDSITEment resource The
American President.)
Lesson 2 Many Ways to Help
Background for the Teacher: According
to the Smithsonian exhibit "Posters
on the American Home Front (1941-45)," a link from the EDSITEment resource
Center
for the Liberal Arts, "World War II posters helped to mobilize a nation. Inexpensive,
accessible, and ever-present, the poster was an ideal agent for making war aims
the personal mission of every citizen. Government agencies, businesses, and private
organizations issued an array of poster images linking the military front with
the home front...." In this lesson, students will use posters as a source
of information about home front efforts during WWII. They will also analyze their
design. If desired, students will be given the opportunity to create their own
posters. Many posters are listed below to enable flexibility in using them. Choose
those best suited for your class. If you wish, this lesson presents an
opportunity to introduce students to the term "propaganda." Propaganda is information
provided to promote a specific cause. The information can be completely true;
it can be a fabrication, wholly or in part. In any case, creators of propaganda
tend to select information carefully, avoiding anything that does not promote
their cause. Students should understand that, in wartime, all sides disseminate
propaganda. Activity: Share with the
class the WWII poster "When
You Ride Alone, You Ride with Hitler," available from The
National Archives, a link from the EDSITEment resource Digital
Classroom. Encourage students to describe the poster. What did the poster
maker mean by the caption? How do the poster's contents and design support that
message? Next, have students work in small groups to analyze a poster
from the list below. As they work, the students should fill out the Poster
Analysis Worksheet available from the EDSITEment resource Digital
Classroom. (NOTE: The poster analysis sheets, helpful here in analyzing the
poster, will be shared/discussed in Lesson
4.) When the groups finish their analysis, each group should share its poster
with the rest of the class and answer the following questions: - What behavior(s)/values
is the poster maker trying to promote? How did that behavior contribute to the
war effort?
- What, if anything, is unusual in the poster's design or content?
- In
what ways is the poster effective or ineffective in communicating its message?
Posters
from The National Archives exhibit "Powers
of Persuasion," available through a link from the EDSITEment resource Digital
Classroom: Posters from The Smithsonian Institution exhibit "Posters
on the American Home Front (1941-45)," a link from the EDSITEment resource
Center
for the Liberal Arts: From the EDSITEment-reviewed American
Memory exhibit "World
War II Posters from the WPA": Posters from the EDSITEment resource At
Home in the Heartland Online, exhibit on World
War II Posters: After the groups have made their presentations, review
the messages of the various posters. Encourage discussion. Which behaviors promoted
in the posters might have meant people would have to make great changes in what
they did or believed? Which behaviors were already listed by the students in Lesson
1? Which behaviors would students recommend to people (especially young people)
on the home front in a conflict today? Add to the student compiled list as necessary.
Lesson 3 Lessons of Liberty: Sacrifice
and Citizenship
Background for the Teacher:
The following activity, taking a suggestion from President George W. Bush, challenges
students to locate and interview eyewitnesses to the events of World War II. Students
should have input into how the activity will proceed (depending on factors such
as availability of subjects). Links to models and skill lessons are provided here.
You can find eyewitnesses
to World War II within your community. Through the site Celebrating
America's Freedoms, a link from the EDSITEment resource Internet
Public Library, students can access the Veteran's Administration and its list
of Veteran's Service
Organizations, some of which may be in your community. On October
30, 2001, President George W. Bush, speaking at Thomas Wootton High School in
Maryland, made the following request: "In these difficult days here in America,
I ask all of us, children and adults, to remember the valor and sacrifice of our
veterans." As part of the war effort, the President called on schools "across
America to invite veterans to speak about their experiences in serving the country;
the significance of Veterans Day; and the importance of supporting the ideals
of liberty, democracy and freedom.... American veterans show us the meaning of
sacrifice and citizenship, and we should learn from them." As an introduction
to this activity, share the President's remarks with the class. (If desired, you
can watch and/or listen to the President's remarks at The
White House website, a link from the EDSITEment resource The
American President.) Activity: Challenge
your students to locate and interview World War II veterans, as well as people
who were on the home front during that time period. If desired, before
your students start, share with them World
War II: An American Scrapbook — Memories Passed Down to Grandchildren and
Great Grandchildren, a link from the EDSITEment resource The
Internet Public Library. This website, created by fifth graders at McRoberts
Elementary in Katy Texas, includes some suggested
questions for an interviewer to use. Another useful website, written
by high school students, is What
Did You Do In the War, Grandma?, also available through a link from The
Internet Public Library. Work together as a class to generate questions
students will ask in their interviews. Students should learn how sacrifices and
citizenship were important to the subjects' experiences. Make sure the students
also ask for suggestions about what young people can do today to contribute to
homeland security and to better their own communities. Decide how you will use
any information the students uncover — whether groups make presentations,
or the class creates a website, or individuals write accounts based on what has
been learned.
Lesson 4 The Art of Persuasion:
Posters on the Home Front
Note to the
Teacher: If you have not already done so, this lesson presents an opportunity
to introduce students to the term "propaganda." Propaganda is information provided
to promote a specific cause. The information can be completely true; it can be
a fabrication, wholly or in part. In any case, creators of propaganda tend to
select information carefully, avoiding anything that does not promote their cause.
Students should understand that, in wartime, all sides disseminate propaganda.
Display the following graphics side by side: Save
Waste Fats for Explosives, available through a link from the EDSITEment resource
Digital
Classroom, and "A soldier of the home front saves
all waste fats and greases so that they can be processed into ammunition for America's
soldiers of the battlefronts" (locate this poster by searching for the
keywords "fats and greases" using the NAIL
Digital Copies Search). Both graphics have the same message. How are they
different? Which one do students find to be more effective? Why? Discuss
and/or share the Poster Analysis Worksheets the groups filled out in Lesson
2. What qualities do the posters have in common? The discussion might include
characteristics such as - a limited number of words
- a few large
images
- a single color (in most cases) used for words that go together
- even
lettering printed in straight lines
- a limited number of colors
- use
of symbols.
After discussing students' poster analysis, review the behaviors
students previously listed as important to a home front war effort. Then, assign
students, working individually or in small groups, to design and create a poster
to promote one selected behavior. You might find it useful to present
the students with a rubric to help them understand your expectations for their
posters. Using a rubric designed with your students' skill level, class curriculum,
and goals for this assignment in mind will help your students understand what
is expected and how they will be evaluated. The following sample rubric does not
represent a universal standard of what makes a good poster; it shows what one
teacher might do. You may wish to use this model to design your own rubric. Review
your standards in class before students begin working on their posters. Click
here to download the rubric in rich-text format.
Name: _________ | Exemplary | Very
Good | Satisfactory |
Date: __________ |
Design
Does the poster feature: | | Uses
words to great effect. | Effort
has been made to say the most with the fewest words. | Number
of words is satisfactory. | - thoughtful
use of images?
| One
or very few images work with the words to communicate the message. | Effort
has been made in selection, creation and placement of images. | Use
of images is satisfactory. | - a
limited number of colors?
| Color
choice helps to communicate the message. | Selection
of colors reflects an effort to create an effective overall design. | Number
of colors is satisfactory. | | Use
of color complements the overall design. | Use
of color reflects an effort to create an effective overall design. | Use
of color does not distract the viewer. | | Overall
design is visually attractive and helps emphasize the message. | Overall
design is effective. | Effort
has been made in overall design. | Content
Does the poster feature: | | The
message is particularly effective in tandem with the symbol. | Message
is effective. | Message
is clear. | - connect
the symbol with the poster's message?
| The
symbol works well with the overall design to communicate the message. | Choice
of symbol is especially appropriate to the message. | Connection
between the symbol and the message is clear. | Appearance
Does the poster feature: | - even
lettering in straight lines?
| Lettering
contributes to overall effectiveness of poster. | Letters
are generally even in size and placed in straight lines. | Effort
has been made to make even letters in straight lines. | - paper
kept in good condition?
| Poster
is pristine. | Condition
of the paper is excellent. | Condition
of the paper does not detract from the poster. | - lettering
that is effectively sized?
| Choice
of letter size reflects thought put into overall design. | Letter
size allows a good balance between words and image. | Lettering
can be easily read, yet does not distract from the image. |
Overall Rating:
| Comments: |
Extending the Lesson
- Letter Writing and the
War Effort: Share with the class the poster "Be with Him at Every Mail
Call" from the National Archives and Records Administration, available through
a link from the EDSITEment resource Digital
Classroom (locate the poster using the NAIL
Digital Copies Search and the keywords "every mail call"). During World War
II, writing to a member of the armed forces was considered important to the war
effort. Do students think letter-writing could be part of the war effort today?
Students can write to members of today's armed forces. The
Veteran's Administration website, available through a link from the EDSITEment
resource Internet Public Library,
provides links to a Web-based program for the public to send messages to service
members. The program can be reached through the Navy
LIFELines Services Network or through ArmyLINK.
The site was designed for those who want to send a message of support or holiday
greeting to troops overseas. The "Any Servicemember" program allows users to select
from one or all branches of the military.
- Students with a special
interest in the World War II home front should explore in detail the site What
Did You Do In the War, Grandma?, a link from the EDSITEment resource Internet
Public Library.
- Have students look at the poster "The
More Women at Work, the Sooner We Win," available through the EDSITEment resource
American Memory Project (Library
of Congress). One of the changes taking place in our society during World
War II involved women performing "men's jobs" for the first time. By 1945, women
composed 36% of the workforce. The National Archives and Records Administration's
"Powers
of Persuasion" exhibit features a page about women. Access many graphics and
other information about American women workers in the Library of Congress' exhibit,
"Rosie
Pictures: Select Images Relating to American Women Workers During World War II,"
also available through American
Memory Project.
- Race relations are discussed in the National
Archives and Records Administration's "Powers
of Persuasion" exhibit. Government-sanctioned poster campaigns portrayed "an
idealized view of race relations in America"; one example is "United
We Win," from the "Powers of Persuasion" exhibit.
- Poster
such as "WARNING!
Our Homes Are in Danger Now!," also from the "Powers
of Persuasion" exhibit, reflected and contributed to prejudice against American
citizens of Japanese and German descent. One home front action during World War
II was the internment of Japanese-Americans. A book such as Baseball Saved Us,
by Ken Mochizuki (Illustrated by Don Lee) can help you introduce the topic to
your students.
- The EDSITEment lesson "Where
I Come From" helps students practice and extend their skills in gathering
and using information from primary sources while learning more about their family
history.
- The National Archives and Records Administration website
has an extensive collection of graphics
and images from World War II, including many photographs which can supplement
student research and reporting.
- The Prentice Hall textbook The
American Nation (Teachers Edition, 2002), cites a Nazi leader who "once
scoffed that 'Americans can't build planes, only electric iceboxes and razor blades'...
In 1942 alone, American workers produced more than 60,000 planes...." That statistic
illustrates the enormity of the collective American effort during WWII. The following
examples show America's staggering production effort supplying the war effort
from the home front:
| U.S.
tank production: | 1940 | 309 |
| 1943 | 29,500 | German tank production: | 1939-1945 | 24,050 |
U.S. aircraft production: | 1939 | 5,865 ($280 million) |
| 1943 | 96,379 ($17 billion) | Students
can complete research to unearth statistics such as these that reflect the tremendous
effort being made by citizens on the home front during World War II.
- The introduction to this unit began with a quote from one of FDR's Fireside
Chats. FDR is often said to be one of the first presidents who used the mass media
effectively. Today, effective use of radio, TV, and other media is an essential
part of being a successful leader. And presidents still make radio addresses to
the public once a week.
According to MSNBC,
a link from the EDSITEment resource Internet
Public Library:
The first president to use the radio
to regularly address the American people, FDR created the Fireside Chat, a periodic
radio program in which he personally rallied the country by defining its challenges.
The Fireside Chats were the vital center of Roosevelt's sphere of public influence.
Containing some of the best examples of his unique speaking style, they demonstrate
FDR's ability to connect intimately with a generation of Americans during their
most trying times. Students can hear audio clips from Fireside Chats
at MSNBC's
website. On Oct. 25, 2001, President George W. Bush announced —
at Thurgood Marshall Extended Elementary School in Washington, D.C. — the
launching of an education partnership with Muslim nations. Following is an excerpt
of those remarks (a complete transcript plus audio and video are available through
the White
House website):
... I'm here to announce a new initiative,
called Friendship Through Education. And we're going to ask schools all across
the country to join with schools in other countries to spread the message that
we care for each other, that we want to understand each other better.
I think the best way ... to handle the attacks of September the 11th is to fight
fear with friendship; is to fight fear with hope; is to remind people all around
the world we have much more in common than people might think; that we share basic
values — the importance of family, and the importance of faith, and the importance
of friendship. And, do you know something? Boys and girls all across
America can do that job pretty darn well. And so I'm asking schools all across
the country to join up. ... The students here and students all across
our country witnessed a terrible tragedy. It is a terrible moment in our country,
and it's got to have affected a lot of our students in a way where they ask the
question, why would this have happened to America? Why would somebody do this
to our country? And I want to assure the boys and girls, these attacks didn't
come from a nation or a religion. These attacks are from some people who just
are so evil it's hard for me to describe why. It's hard for us to comprehend why
somebody would think the way they think, and devalue life they way they devalue,
and to harm innocent people the way they harmed innocent people. It's just hard
for all of us adults to explain. But what we can do is we can find common
ground with others who wonder about America. We can prove them wrong by acting
in a way that's good. We can show the world what a great, compassionate and decent
nation America is. I can do that through diplomacy. I can do that through our
actions, through the alliances we form. But children all across America can do
it, as well — can do it through letters and e-mails and pictures and drawings,
and reaching out to boys and girls. Interested students can find
out more about the Friendship
Through Education Initiative at its official website, available through a
link from the EDSITEment resource The
American President. Many opportunities for student action are available on
the site's Interact
page.
Selected EDSITEment Websites
OTHER RESOURCES
Films About World War II: From
The
New Deal Network:
The National Audiovisual Center, Washington, D.C. 20409
offers the Why We Fight series, seven 16 mm.
films including:
- War Comes to America
(67 minutes)
- The Why We Fight series,
directed by John Huston, may also be available for rental at some video stores.
RECOMMENDED
READING:
- Fictional Accounts of Life on the Home Front from BookHive,
a link from the EDSITEment resource The
Internet Public Library
- Baseball Saved
Us, by Ken Mochizuki
Illustrated by Don Lee Lee & Low Books/1993
Number of pages: under 40 Book Audience: Primary (k-3rd grade), Intermediate
(4th-6th grade)
- But No Candy, by Gloria
Houston
Illustrated by Lloyd Bloom Philomel/1992 Number of pages:
under 40 Book Audience: Primary (k-3rd grade), Intermediate (4th-6th grade)
- Keep Smiling Through, by Ann Rinaldi
Harcourt Brace/1996 Number of pages: 160-200 Book Audience: Intermediate
(4th-6th grade)
Standards Alignment
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