Download The student will explain the reasons for America`s involvement in

Sample Assessment Items
This is not meant to be printed off and given as a test…this document is to give you ideas
of how this standard might be assessed. Please use these as an example when you are
developing your own formative assessments. Remember formative assessment is to be
given throughout the teaching of a standard to help you guide your instruction based on
students needs. A good formative assessment should have a mix of multiple choice as
well as open ended.
SS5H6 The student will explain the reasons for America’s involvement in World War II.
a. Describe Germany’s aggression in Europe and Japanese aggression in Asia.
b. Describe major events in the war in both Europe and the Pacific; include Pearl
Harbor, Iwo Jima, D-Day, VE and VJ Days, and the Holocaust.
c. Discuss President Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki.
d. Identify Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchill, Hirohito, Truman, Mussolini, and Hitler.
e. Describe the effects of rationing and the changing role of women and AfricanAmericans; include “Rosie the Riveter” and the Tuskegee Airmen.
f. Explain the U.S. role in the formation of the United Nations.
Multiple Choice:
Why did the United States join the conflict of World War II?
a. The United States wanted to help Germany, Poland, and Japan.
b. The United States wanted control of China, Japan, and Vietnam.
c. The United States felt threatened after Germany attacked Poland.
d. The United States wanted to fight back after the Japanese attacked Pearl
Harbor.
Answer: d
“We turned back to look at Hiroshima. The city was hidden by that awful cloud.”
These words were spoken by an American airplane pilot on August 6, 1945. On that day
the ______________.
a. Germans surrendered
b. Allies staged the D-day invasion
c. Nazis began an extending bombing of London
d. U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan
Answer: d
“Our military thought that they couldn't get to Pearl Harbor, that it was too long a
journey from Japan to get there, and they proved us wrong.” -Jerry Bruckheimer
The quote below supports which fact about the attack on Pearl Harbor?
a. it was a surprise attack
b. Japan paid Germany to do it
c. our military was prepared for Pearl Harbor
d. our military could not respond to Pearl Harbor
Answer: a
What happened on D-Day?
a. U.S. Marines landed in Germany.
b. Admiral Nimitz won the Battle of Midway.
c. Allied soldiers invaded northern France.
d. The Allies attacked Axis soldiers in Sicily.
Answer: c
What was VJ Day?
a. the day Japan surrendered
b. the day Japan attacked China
c. the day Japan attacked the United States
d. the day the Soviets made the Allies leave Berlin
Answer: a
One of the most important world leaders during the twentieth century was Winston
Churchill. Who was Winston Churchill?
a. a general in the British army during World War II
b. a business leader who started the Standard Oil Company
c. the vice president of the United States under Roosevelt
d. the Prime Minister of Great Britain during World War II
Answer: d
The two major sides in World War II were the Allies and the Axis powers. Italy was one of
the Axis powers. Who was Italy's leader?
a. Adolph Hitler
b. Joseph Stalin
c. Benito Mussolini
d. Winston Churchill
Answer: c
There were a number of important leaders during World War II, such as Josef Stalin. Who
was Josef Stalin?
a. a British general during World War II
b. an Italian dictator during World War II
c. a military advisor to Hitler during World War II
d. a dictator of the Soviet Union during World War II
Answer: d
The leader of the Soviet Union during World War II was ________________.
a. Lenin
b. Stalin
c. Trotsky
d. Khrushchev
Answer: b
Who was the dictator of Germany during World War II?
a. Franz Josef
b. Adolf Hitler
c. Benito Mussolini
d. Otto von Bismarck
Answer: b
During World War II, many women in the United States assisted in the war effort. For most
women, this was the first time that they found work in ______________.
a. factories
b. hospitals
c. offices
d. schools
Answer: a
How did World War II begin in Europe?
a. Germany's invasion of Poland
b. the sinking of the Lusitania
c. the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
d. the assassination of an Austrian Archduke
Answer: a
Many women worked in factories during World War II. What effect did this have on
American society?
a. Women were able to join the military.
b. It became harder for men to find work.
c. People realized women were able to do factory work.
d. Women were finally able to vote and hold political office.
Answer: c
The United Nations was created after World War II. What opinion did the United States
government have about joining the United Nations?
a. The president felt it would probably not work.
b. Congress considered it dangerous to get involved.
c. The president supported it, but the Senate did not.
d. The president and the rest of the government supported it.
Answer: c
After World War II, the United States and its allies established a group to help maintain
international peace. What was the name of this organization?
a. the Warsaw Compact
b. the United Nations
c. the League of Nations
d. the Treaty of Versailles
Answer: b
What is the MAIN purpose of the United Nations?
a. to divide Germany in two
b. to assist the U.S. during the arms race
c. to maintain peace, protect human rights, and make sure nations obeyed
international law
d. to ensure that the United States and Great Britain maintained control of all
international policies and laws
Answer: c
Why did Japanese Emperor Hirohito authorize his military to bomb Pearl Harbor in late1941?
a. He was convinced to do so by Adolf Hitler.
b. He hoped to destroy most of the U.S. Navy there.
c. He wanted revenge for the U.S. bombing of Tokyo.
d. He knew it would end U.S. involvement in World War II.
Answer: b
What role did "Rosie the Riveter" play during World War II?
a. to persuade women to fight for equal pay
b. to persuade women to be as strong as men
c. to encourage women to enter the workforce
d. to encourage women to look after their families while husbands were away
Answer: c
Open ended:
What event caused the United States to enter World War II?
Why do you think President Roosevelt called December 7, 1941, "a day which will live in
infamy"?
Why was D-Day important? About how long after D-Day was VJ Day?
What was the Holocaust?
How did the rise of dictators help lead to World War II?
Why did President Harry Truman decide to use the atomic bombs on the cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945?