Download Unit 4- WWII

11th Grade Semester Two
Unit Four: World War II
Stage 1: Desired Outcomes
Topic / Unit Title: WWII
 Did World War II change America for better or worse?
NYS Content Standards
Standard 2, key idea 2
Standard 2, key idea 3
Standard 2, key idea 4
Understandings:
 The causes for WW2
 The arguments for and against neutrality in the
1930’s
 The Neutrality Acts, Cash and Carry and Lend
Lease Act
 The events and timeline of American and
Japanese relations
 The Japanese decision attack Pearl Harbor
 The effects of World War II on women (increased
employment opportunities), African Americans
(decreased rational tension and increased
opportunities), the economy (end of the Great
Depression), individual consumers (rationing and
war bonds)
 The effects of WW2 on Japanese Americans and
the internment camps
 The decision of Korematsu v. U.S.
 The contributions of America in helping to defeat
the Axis Powers
 The difficulty of fighting on multiple fronts
 Significance of important turning points: D-Day,
Midway, Iwo Jima
 The arguments for and against dropping the atomic
bombs on Japan
 Americas role in the liberation of the concentration
camps and the Nuremberg Trials
 America’s role in the creation of the United Nations
 The significance of the Yalta and Potsdam
conference in setting up the Cold War
 How the end of WW2 set up the Cold War
Common Core Skills
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RH 1, 3, 6, 7, 8
W 3, 4, 5
SL 1, 4, 6
L 1, 2, 4
Essential Questions:
 What were the ideals and actions of leaders in Europe and
Japan that began WW2?
 Should America remain neutral during the 1930’s and start
of WW2?
 Was America behaving like a neutral nation during the start
of WW2?
 Was war with America and Japan inevitable?
 Did America respond appropriately to Japanese
aggression in Asia?
 Did the war change America at home for better or worse?
 How did the war impact women?
 How did the war impact African Americans?
 Was American internment of Japanese Americans
justified?
 How did the Supreme Court justify the decision in
Korematsu v. U.S.?
 Why were rationing and war bonds important for financing
the war?
 How did WW2 contribute to ending the Great Depression
 How did the American army help defeat the Axis Powers?
 Why did America have to fight on multiple fronts?
 How did America manage to fight on multiple fronts around
the world?
 How did battles such as D-Day, Midway, Iwo-Jima change
the war?
 Why was there a new culture of consumerism?
 Was the dropping of the Atomic Bomb justified?
 How did the Nuremberg Trials set a precedent for war
crimes?
 How did the United Nations try to fix the problems of the
League of Nations?
 How did the Yalta and Potsdam conference lead to the
Cold War?
 Was Russia or America’s end and post-war actions most
responsible for setting up the Cold War?
Stage 2: Assessments and Tasks
Common Core Literacy Task
 Analyze and answer questions about primary and secondary source
documents.
 Exit ticket: Should the United States have remained neutral during
the 1930s? Using at least 3 specifics from the lesson
 Write a one-two paragraph persuasive speech (5-7 sentences with
at least 3 details from the lesson) on why Congress should approve
war against Japan.
 Exit ticket: Is war good or bad for a country’s homefront? Use at
least 3 specifics from the lesson
 Exit Ticket: How did America contribute to victory in World War II?
(one paragraph (5-7 sentences), using at least 3 specific examples
from the lesson)
 Exit Ticket: Was the United States justified in dropping the atomic
bomb on Japan? (one-two paragraphs (5-7 sentences), using at least
4-5 specific examples from the lesson)
Performance Task(s) – Other Evidence
 Document Analysis
 Scenario analysis
 Writing Assignments
 Persuasive Speech Writing
 Exit ticket summary activities
 Document creation (political cartoons)
 Multiple Choice Exam
 Create a political cartoon with 2-3
sentence explanation 2-3 details from
the lesson which either supports or
protests the decision of Korematsu v.
United States and FDR’s actions.
 Multiple Choice Exam
Content
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Modify primary source texts (variety, complexity, length)
Incorporate alternative materials (visual, video, audio, internet)
Provide supplementary resources for supports
Group with a purpose
Process
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Model skills, task and/or product
Utilize graphic organizers / note taking template
Provide individual or group intervention and support
Re-enforce vocabulary / concept development
Provide choice / variety of activities or tasks
Group with a purpose
Product
Accommodations: Scaffolds and Differentiation
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Assign specific, purposeful assessments to individuals or groups
Allow students to choose from a variety of assessments
Provide scaffolds / supports (outlines, templates, models)
Provide extension activities to expand thinking or understanding
Group with a purpose
How will students reflect upon and self-assess their learning?
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Exit Tickets
Writing Assignments
Document Creation
Scaffolding Questions based on primary and secondary sources
Graphic Organizers
Multiple Choice
Stage 3: Learning Plan
AIM: Should the United States have remained neutral during the 1930s?
 The “seeds” of World War II were sown earlier in the century from the results of World War I.
 A stronger stand by the United States and the other Western democracies against fascist aggression might have
prevented World War II.
 The neutrality legislation of the 1930s was really designed to keep the United States out of war. Timed as it was, this
legislation tended to accelerate World War II by giving encouragement to the fascist nations. United States neutrality,
together with British and French appeasement, convinced the Axis Powers that they had nothing to fear from the
“decadent democracies.”
 After the outbreak of World War II in Europe, the American people were divided whether to become involved in the war.
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Basically, three different view were held by Americans: 1) the United States should eventually fight on the side of the
Allies; 2) the United States should give all aid short of war to the Allies; 3) the United States should follow a strict neutrality
towards the war.
President Roosevelt and those who wished to aid the Allied cause believed that the security of the United States would be
imperiled by an Axis victory.
America’s progression from the neutrality acts to the Lend Lease Act to volunteers in England.
- List and describe the acts of fascist aggression during the 1930s.
- Describe and evaluate the responses (neutrality legislations) of the United States and the Western democracies to the
acts of fascist aggression during the 1930s.
- Locate on a map of the world the aggressor nations of the 1930s and those areas which fell victim to aggression.
- List and explain the steps taken by President Roosevelt to lend material and moral aid to the Allies between 1939 and
1941.
- Explain and evaluate the views of those who supported and those who opposed greater American involvement in
World War II.
- Take a position on whether or not the United States should have aided the Allies against the Axis Powers.
ACTIVITY: Exit Ticket: Answer the aim in one paragraph 5-7 sentences using at least 3 specific facts from the lesson.
AIM: Was war between the United States and Japan inevitable?
 During the 1930s and early 1940s a series of events increased tension and led to eventual conflict between the United
States and Japan. These events included: (1) the United States discriminatory restrictions toward Japanese Americans;
(2) Japan’s ambition and attempts to conquer and dominate China which conflicted with the United States Open Door
Policy; (3) the Stimson Doctrine; (4) the unwillingness of Allied nations to support a United States proposal to impose
economic sanctions against Japan; (5) the “Panay” Incident; (6) Japan’s alliance with Germany and Italy; (7) Japan’s
annexation of French Indo-China; (8) United States’ extension of loans to China to buy war materials, the embargo on the
sale of aviation gasoline and scrap iron to Japan, and the freezing of Japanese assets in the United States; (9) Japan’s
attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.
 United States’ foreign policy between the two wars was influenced by the experiences of World War I, the nation’s
domestic needs and problems, and the aggressive actions of dictators both in Europe and Asia during the 1930s and
1940s.
 American public opinion lagged behind the evolving viewpoint of President Roosevelt and some Congressional leaders
that neutrality was a mistake, since, like appeasement, it had actually encouraged the aggressor nations of Europe and
Asia.
- List, explain, and describe Japan’s acts of aggression during the 1930s and early 1940s.
- Describe and evaluate the responses of the United States and the other Allied Powers to these acts of Japanese
aggression.
- Assess whether or not the increased tension and conflict between the United States and Japan made war between
these two nations inevitable.
- Assess the impact of the attack on Pearl Harbor
ACTIVITY: You are President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The attack on Pearl Harbor has just taken place and you must ask
Congress for a Declaration of War. Write a one-two paragraph speech (5-7 sentences with at least 3 details from the
lesson) on why Congress should approve war against Japan.
AIM: How did World War II affect the American home front?
 With the outbreak of World War II, women in the United States assumed numerous roles to assist in the war effort.
 Women assumed new roles in the military, in industry, and various roles in the household to support the war effort.
 Increased cooperation and reduction of racial tension
 Increased economic mobility
 Impact of war bonds, rationing and saving on the economy
 Post war baby boom
- Identify the new opportunities for women and African Americans
- Describe the various roles that women played in World War II.
- Evaluate whether women played a significant role in World War II.
- Evaluate the impact of World War II on the American Economy
ACTIVITY: Answer in one paragraph 5-7 sentences: Is war good or bad for a country’s home front? Use at least 3
specifics from the lesson.
AIM: Was the treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II a setback for democracy?
 Racial and ethnic prejudices and deprivation of human rights tend to be reactivated during times of perceived national
danger.
- Describe the antagonism and opposition to Japanese-Americans prior to 1941.
- Describe the circumstances leading to the relocation of Japanese-Americans during World War II.
- Describe the impact of the relocation camp experience on the lives of Japanese-Americans.
- Analyze the issues in the case of Korematsu v United States.
- Discuss the Japanese-American campaign to gain redress and reparation for their treatment in the United States
during World War II.
ACTIVITY: Create a political cartoon with a 2-3 sentence explanation that includes details from the lesson which either
supports or protests the decision of Korematsu v. United States and FDR’s actions.
AIM: How did America contribute to victory in World War II?
 America had to fight the war on several fronts
 Key turning points helped to slowly defeat the Axis
 America decided to concentrate on winning the war against Germany
 The war time conferences between the “Big Three” helped to both settle issues yet also lead to post war tensions.
 The importance of the Nuremberg Trials in holding war criminals accountable for their actions
- Explain the contributions of the American military to WWII victory
- Analyze how issues in WWII helped to set up the Cold War
- Analyze if the United Nations will solve the problems of the League of Nations.
- Identify the importance of the Nuremberg Trials.
- Assess whether the Harlem Renaissance was a celebration or a revolt
ACTIVITY: EXIT TICKET: Answer the aim in one paragraph (5-7 sentences), using at least 3 specific examples from the
lesson.
Aim #6: Was the United States justified in dropping the atomic bomb on Japan?
 The atom bomb was dropped to force Japanese leaders to agree to a quick surrender, save hundreds of thousands of
American lives that would surely die in any conventional invasion of Japan, and to end the Pacific war before the Soviet
Union could intervene effectively and thus claim a role in the peacemaking negotiations.
 The atom bomb would “put us in a position to dictate our own terms at the end of the war and make Russia more
manageable in Europe.” (Secretary of State James F. Byrne)
 By striking a major city the atom bomb would bring death to tens of thousands of Japanese civilians, far more Japanese
people (and American soldiers) would have perished if Japan had been invaded.
 Generals Eisenhower and MacArthur as well as several scientists who developed the atom bomb had reservations about
the need to use this weapon. The dropping of the second bomb was far less defensible morally, but it had the desired
result---Japan surrendered.
- Explain and analyze the arguments used to defend and attack the use of the atom bomb.
- Describe the effect of the atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
- Evaluate whether or not the United States was justified in dropping the atomic bomb.
Activity: Answer the Aim in 1-2 paragraphs (5-7 sentences each) with 4-5 details from the lesson.
Culminating Activity: Multiple Choice Test
Questions will include political cartoons, cause and effect, poster-analysis, quotes and key vocabulary terms and their significance.
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Teacher Reflection for Future Planning
Evaluate student work and response to questions during discussion
Will explore test results and essay writing skills on class exams to shape future writing lessons
Regents Essays
January 2007
Theme: Influence of Geographic Factors on Governmental Actions
Actions taken by the United States government have often been influenced by geographic factors. Some of these factors
include location, climate, natural resources and physical features.
Task: Identify two actions taken by the United States government that have been influenced by geographic factors and for
each
 State one reason the United States took the action
 Describe how a geographic factor influenced the action
 Discuss the impact of the action on the United States
You may use any action taken by the United States government that was influenced by a geographic factor. Some
suggestions you might wish to consider include the Lewis and Clark expedition (1804-1806), issuance of the Monroe
Doctrine (1823), Mexican War (1846-1848), Commodore Perry’s opening of Japan (1853), passage of the Homestead Act
(1862), purchase of Alaska (1867), construction of the Panama Canal (1904-1914), entry into World War II (1941), passage
of the Interstate Highway Act (1956), and involvement in the Persian Gulf War (1991)
January 2008
Theme: Change—War
United States participation in wars has resulted in political, social and economic changes for various groups of Americans.
These changes have had varying impacts on American society both during and after each war.
Task: Identify two different groups of Americans that were affected by United States participation in a war and for each
 Describe a social, political, or economic change the group experienced because of the war
 Discuss the extent to which that change affected American society
You may use any appropriate group from your study of United States history. Some suggestions you might wish to consider
include enslaved persons during the Civil War, Native American Indian during the Indian Wars, women during World War I,
or World War II, Japanese Americans during World War II, and American college students or army draftees during the
Vietnam War.
Multiple Choice
1 The relocation of Japanese Americans from the West Coast during World War II occurred because
(1) most of them were not citizens of the United States
(2) they refused to serve in the United States military
(3) they were needed to work at inland defense industries
(4) military authorities considered them a threat to national security
2 Which trend in United States foreign policy is shown by the passage of the Neutrality Act of 1939, the destroyers for bases deal of
1940, and the Lend-Lease Act of 1941?
(1) withdrawal from overseas colonies
(2) expansion of trade with the Axis powers
(3) increase in support for the Allied powers
(4) reduction in war preparedness
Base your answers to questions 3 and 4 on the poster below and on your knowledge of social studies.
3 The poster indicates that rationing during World War II was a
(1) way of assuring that only the wealthy could buy certain products
(2) necessity caused by farm failures during the Great Depression
(3) program that was to be applied equally to all Americans
(4) policy to encourage small business owners
4 What was a major reason for wartime rationing?
(1) restricting lower-priced food imports
(2) ensuring that troops were adequately supplied
(3) providing jobs for the unemployed
(4) preventing currency deflation
Base your answers to questions 5 and 6 on the passage below and on your knowledge of social studies.
...We have agreed on common policies and plans for enforcing the unconditional surrender terms which we shall impose
together on Nazi Germany after German armed resistance has been finally crushed. These terms will not be made known until
the final defeat of Germany has been accomplished. Under the agreed plan, the forces of the three powers will each occupy a
separate zone of Germany. Coordinated administration and control has been provided for under the plan through a central
control commission consisting of the Supreme Commanders of the three powers with headquarters in Berlin. It has been
agreed that France should be invited by the three powers, if she should so desire, to take over a zone of occupation, and to
participate as a fourth member of the control commission. The limits of the French zone will be agreed by the four
Governments concerned through their representatives on the European Advisory Commission. ...
— Joint Statement of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Marshal Joseph Stalin at
Yalta, February 11, 1945
5 Based on this passage, a major purpose of the Yalta Conference was to
(1) prepare for control of Germany after World War II
(2) offer Germany generous terms of surrender to shorten the war
(3) rebuild German industries following the war
(4) prevent Germany’s membership in the United Nations
6 The plan described in this passage contributed to the
(1) complete removal of United States troops from Germany
(2) authorization for Germany to join the Axis powers
(3) long-term division of Germany into two nations
(4) domination of Germany by France
7 The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II was initially authorized by
(1) a constitutional amendment
(2) an executive order of the president
(3) a proclamation by the governor of California
(4) a decision of the Supreme Court
Base your answers to questions 7 and 8 on the map below and on your knowledge of social studies.
8 What is the most accurate title for this map?
(1) American Imperialism in the 20th Century
(2) World War II in the Pacific
(3) Causes of World War II
(4) Creation of Wartime Alliances
9 The map shows that the Allied forces
(1) made slow but steady progress in defeating Japan
(2) conducted most of the battles north of the Hawaiian Islands
(3) maintained control of the Philippines from the beginning of the war
(4) had military support from the Soviet Union throughout the war
10 One reason the United States supported the creation of the United Nations was to
(1) determine blame for the start of World War II
(2) improve efforts to collect war debts
(3) maintain international peace
(4) promote the development of nuclear weapons
Base your answer to question 10 on the illustrations below and on your knowledge of social studies.
11 These illustrations were used during World War II to encourage women to
(1) raise revenue by buying war bonds
(2) conserve household products to support the war effort
(3) donate food to help feed the Allied forces
(4) support the war effort by working in defense industries
12 After World War II, the legal basis for the criminal trials of German and Japanese wartime officials by the Allies was that these
officials had
(1) overthrown monarchies by force
(2) violated nonaggression pacts
(3) committed crimes against humanity
(4) established communist police states
13 The Supreme Court in Korematsu v. United States (1944) upheld Executive Order 9066, which had authorized the
(1) placement of women in combat roles
(2) exclusion of Japanese Americans from the West Coast
(3) limiting of freedom of speech during wartime
(4) adoption of the military draft
14 The Manhattan Project led by Robert Oppenheimer was part of the World War II effort to
(1) develop the atomic bomb
(2) supply the Allies with more fighter planes
(3) ban the use of chemical and biological warfare
(4) coordinate troop movements between New York and Europe
15 In Korematsu v. United States (1944), the Supreme Court upheld the military order excluding Japanese Americans from the West
Coast on the basis that the action was considered
(1) a matter of national security
(2) a necessity for the economy
(3) an attempt to limit immigration from Japan
(4) a way to protect Japanese Americans from anti-Japanese hysteria
16 What was the major purpose of the Lend-Lease Act (1941)?
(1) sending United States troops to defend France
(2) keeping the Soviet Union from invading China
(3) helping Great Britain without going to war
(4) profiting from Germany’s demand for steel and oil from the United States
Base your answer to question 17 on the posters below and on your knowledge of social studies.
17 These posters were trying to convince Americans that winning World War II required
(1) wage and price freezes
(2) the sale of additional war bonds
(3) higher levels of taxation and spending
(4) the conservation of scarce resources
Base your answer to question 18 on the poem below and on your knowledge of social studies.
How About It, Dixie
The President’s Four Freedoms
Appeal to me.
I would like to see those Freedoms
Come to be.
If you believe
In the Four Freedoms, too,
Then share ’em with me—
Don’t keep ’em all for you....
Looks like by now
Folks ought to know
It’s hard to beat Hitler
Protecting Jim Crow.
Freedom’s not just
To be won Over There.
It means Freedom at home, too—
Now—
right here!
—Langston Hughes, 1942
18 In this poem, what is Langston Hughes’s criticism about United States foreign policy during World War II?
(1) The Four Freedoms cannot help African Americans.
(2) Claims of fighting for democracy abroad are inconsistent with segregation at home.
(3) Involvement in World War II is not in the best interest of the United States.
(4) The democratic principles of the United States are best kept at home.
19 The “cash and carry” policy and the Lend-Lease Act were used by the United States to
(1) help fund League of Nations efforts to maintain peace
(2) encourage British appeasement of Germany
(3) fulfill treaty obligations with Great Britain and France
(4) provide support for the Allies in World War II without entering the war
Base your answer to question 20 on the poster below and on your knowledge of social studies.
20 What was one purpose of this World War II poster?
(1) discouraging discrimination in employment
(2) supporting the internment of Japanese Americans
(3) requiring all citizens to take a loyalty oath
(4) promoting a more diversified economy
21 During World War II, the federal government urged Americans to support the war effort by
(1) manufacturing more consumer goods
(2) increasing spending to stimulate the economy
(3) reducing consumption of resources needed for the military
(4) investing their savings in the stock market
22 This cartoon was published in response to federal actions that followed which event?
(1) passage of the Espionage Act (1917) and the Sedition Act (1918)
(2) Supreme Court decision in Korematsu v. United States (1944)
(3) civil rights march on Washington, D.C. (1963)
(4) attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (2001)
Base your answer to question 23 on the cartoon below and on your knowledge of social studies.
23 Which statement most accurately expresses the main idea of this 1942 cartoon?
(1) Allied goals in World War II will affect every nation.
(2) The Atlantic Charter will help only Europe and Asia.
(3) The United States intends to rule the entire world.
(4) American strategy will be to win the war in the Pacific first.
Base your answer to question 24 on the poster below and on your knowledge of social studies.
24 A key purpose of this World War II poster was to
(1) encourage protests against the war
(2) gain support for the war effort
(3) influence the Axis powers to end the war
(4) illustrate the nature of modern warfare