Download Matthew Bower

Matthew Bower
U.S. History (grade 11)
World War II
Essential Questions:
What was the overall strategy of America and its allies in World War II?
How did America’s strategy during World War II reflect available resources and the
geographical scope of the conflict?
Why were some battles of World War II considered turning points of the war?
General Objectives:
NCSS: Theme II – Time, Continuity, and Change
Virginia SOL’s: VUS.10: The student will demonstrate knowledge of World War II by
b) describing the major battles and turning points of the war in North Africa, Europe,
and the Pacific, including Midway, Stalingrad, the Normandy landing (D-Day),
and Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb to force the surrender of Japan.
Learning Outcomes:
 SWBAT describe the important battles of WWII by filling out a graphic organizer
corresponding to the lecture
 SWBAT identify the important role that technology played during the war
through a discussion about the use of atomic weapons
 SWBAT reinforce the information they have learned in today’s lesson by filling
in a K-W-L
Content Outline:
Key Terms for Today’s Lesson:
Allies – Great Britain, France, United States
Axis - Italy, Germany & Japan
Dictator - All Powerful Ruler
Nazi - Political Party in Germany
Adolph Hitler- leader of Germany in World War II
Blitzkrieg – “lightning war,” an initial bombardment followed by employment of mobile
forces attacking with speed and surprise to prevent an enemy from implementing a
coherent defense.
Joseph Stalin – leader of Soviet Union in WWII
Winston Churchill – leader of Great Britain in WWII
Franklin D. Roosevelt – leader of US in WWII
Manhattan Project – codename for the secret project by the United States to build an
atomic bomb
Guiding Questions During Lecture
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What brought the United States into WWII?
Why did the Soviet Union change sides during the war?
What was Hitler’s biggest error in his strategy?
How did the United States fight Japan?
What battle was the turning point in the Western, Eastern, North African, and
Pacific theatres?
What caused the Japanese to finally surrender?
Important Battles
a) Hitler’s Invasion of the Soviet Union, while initially successful, caused
Hitler to now be fighting a war on two fronts.
b) The Russian victory at Stalingrad proved to be a major turning point on
the Eastern front, grinding the German blitzkrieg to a halt and preventing
Hitler from seizing oil fields in the Soviet Union.
c) The Allied victory at El Alamein was important because it showed that
Rommel, the “desert fox,” was not unbeatable and it cut Hitler off from
the oil in the Middle East.
d) The “Miracle at Midway” was crucial to the United States’ victory against
Japan because it turned the momentum towards the Allies, as well as
helping prevent another Japanese invasion of Hawaii.
e) D-Day (Landings at Normandy) was the ultimate turning point on the
Western front; because of the immense sacrifice of American soldiers, the
liberation of Europe had begun.
End of WWII
a) Germany surrendered on May 2, 1945 after the Battle of Berlin, where the
Soviets overtook the city. This leaves Japan as the only Axis power
remaining in the war.
b) Japan surrendered Aug 14, 1945 after an atomic bomb was dropped first
on Hiroshima, and then on Nagasaki three days later. The attacks killed
hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians, but prevented a mainland
invasion of Japan which would have killed millions of Americans and
Japanese.
Guiding Questions during Atomic Weapons Discussion
a) What was Truman’s rationale for using atomic weapons against Japan?
Was this justified?
b) After looking at these pictures, what do you think about the idea of using
these kinds of weapons against another country today?
c) What countries are the United States worried about acquiring nuclear
weapons (today)?
d) For the countries that the United States does not “allow” to develop these
weapons, what do you think their argument against us is?
Student and Teacher Activities
Teacher
Student
K-W-L (10 minutes)
The teacher will ask the students to get out
a sheet of paper and create a K-W-L chart.
The teacher will complete the “Know” and
“Want to Know” on the chalkboard with
the class. This helps the teacher determine
what the students know about WWII, as
well as determining what new questions
need to be answered.
Students will create a K-W-L chart, and fill
in the first two columns together as a class.
Students will volunteer information that
falls in each category.
Key Terms (10 minutes)
Students will provide their ideas of what
Using the board, ensure that the class
they think the terms mean.
understands the definitions of the key terms
for today’s lesson. After everyone is on the
same page, pass to each student a handout
that has the key terms and definitions to
use for reference throughout the lesson.
Lecture (25 minutes)
Distribute the Important Battles of WWII
graphic organizer to each student. Inform
the students that this is what they will be
using to take notes as the teacher lectures.
The PowerPoint will coincide with the
content of the graphic organizer.
Students will fill in their graphic organizer
as they view the PowerPoint and listen to
the lecture. Students will offer any
questions they may have about the material
at anytime.
Atomic Bomb Discussion (20 minutes)
After explaining how WWII ended, the
teacher will display a number of powerful
images of the aftermath of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki (located at the end of the PPT
presentation). The teacher will then lead a
class discussion about atomic (or nuclear)
weapons, both during WWII and the
present day. (See content outline for
discussion questions)
The students will be able to see the
complete and utter destruction that follows
a nuclear attack, as well as the horrific
aftermath of radiation poisoning. Students
will actively participate in a discussion on
the ethics of using atomic or nuclear
weapons.
Exit Pass (10 minutes)
The teacher will ask the students to pull out
their K-W-L charts they created at the
beginning of class. The students will be
instructed to complete the “what I’ve
learned” column of the K-W-L as an exit
pass.
Materials
Students will finish filling in the last
column of their K-W-L chart. They will
hand it in to the teacher on their way out of
the classroom.
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World War II Important Battles PowerPoint
World War II Important Battles Graphic Organizer
Assessment:
Student performance will be assessed throughout the lesson by their participation in the
discussions. The teacher will call upon students that are not actively participating to
ensure they are getting the material. The teacher will also be able to assess student
learning during the discussion concerning atomic/nuclear weapons. Finally, a traditional
assessment will be utilized in the form of a K-W-L chart at the beginning and at the end
of class to ensure they have comprehended the days material. The exit pass (K-W-L) will
show the teacher what they knew before the lesson, and what they learned at the
conclusion of the lesson.
Differentiation:
Student
Frank Jones
Special Need
ADHD
Kelsey Smith
Tired Students
Accomodations
Allow the use of notes for
the assessment at the end of
class. Allow for breaks as
needed if focus is being
lost.
Keep enthusiasm at a high
level. Call on these students
individually from time to
time to make sure they are
on task.
Subject Matter Integration:
This lesson is part of a large unit on World War II. It discusses the most notable battles
of the Second World War, wartime strategies of the warring powers, as well as the use of
technology in the war. By acquiring this knowledge, students will have a firm grasp on
the key turning points of the war, and the effect that nuclear weapons continue to have on
society today. The preceding lesson involved the causes of World War II, and future
lessons would discuss the post-war aftermath.
Reflection
I think this is a very teachable lesson because I taught a similar lesson last year for my
practicum. I took a World War II class last spring as well, so I have a very firm grasp of
the content. One thing I changed when I rewrote this lesson was how much time I spent
lecturing. This is probably the biggest part of my teaching that has improved/changed
over the last couple of years. Activities need to be varied in order to make a lesson
engaging for students. The first time I taught this lesson, I lectured for 45 minutes, and
its effect on the students was obvious (too much!). It was a bad habit I picked up from
my college professors, as well as many of my high school teachers. I am eager to teach
this again and see how it works out.