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Lesson Plans
Out of Many: A History of the American People ©2000
by Faragher, Buhle, Czitrom, and Armitage
Focus Lesson 22
Chapter 25: "World War II, 1941–1945"
AP* Course Description
- Diplomacy in the 1930s
- Disarmament
- Isolationism: neutrality legislation
- Aggressors: Japan, Italy, and Germany
- Appeasement
- Rearmament; Blitzkrieg; Lend-Lease
- Atlantic Charter
- Pearl Harbor
- The Second World War
- Organizing for war
- The war in Europe, Africa, and the Mediterrean; D-Day
- The war in the Pacific: Hiroshima, Nagasaki
- Diplomacy
- War-time conferences: Teheran, Yalta, Potsdam
- Postwar atmosphere; the United Nations
Key Components
- Instructor's Manual: pp. 140–145
- Study Guide, Vol. II: pp. 80–88
- Documents Set, Vol. II: pp. 360–378
- Test Item File: pp. 230–237
Key Web Sites
Given the changing nature of the Internet, you may wish to preview these sites. Always check PHSchool.com for updated links to U.S. history sites.
- World War II: An American Scrapbook
- Dr. Seuss Went to War: A Catalog of Political Cartoons
- World War II Electronic Archives
Key Words and Terms
- isolationism
- Lend-Lease
- Pearl Harbor
- home front
- Korematsu v. United States
- zoot suit
- Allied offensive
- Pacific war
- Holocaust
- atomic bomb
Suggested Pacing
Allow three sessions on a block schedule of 90-minute periods or six 45-minute classes on a traditional bell schedule.
Test Strategy
In answering multiple-choice questions, students should be using words and context clues within the question stems and answer choices when there is no obvious answer on first reading. Part of developing critical thinking is learning how to look for clues and assess them.
Key Concepts
- The influence of World War I
By the 1930s, many Americans had concluded that the nation's participation in World War I had been a mistake. Congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts limiting the sale of munitions to warring countries. These actions were in part taken as a result of the findings of the Nye Committee, which laid much of the blame for World War I on international bankers and arms makers. Some Americans started a campaign known as "America First" and attempted to turn the country toward a policy of isolationism. It was against this background that Roosevelt attempted to help the nation's allies. - African Americans
"Double V" became the rallying cry of African American activists who sought victory overseas and civil rights at home. Threatened with a giant march on Washington by A. Philip Randolph and other African American leaders, Roosevelt signed an executive order ending racial discrimination in defense industries. To aid in the war effort, more than one million African Americans migrated to the North to work in defense plants. - Conflicting expectations
At the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union held conflicting views of who had won the war and what would be the outcome of the war. The Soviet Union believed it had defeated Germany with little help from its Allies. On the other hand, the United States considered that its might and resources had defeated Germany with little help from its Allies. The two nations had different views of what peace would bring. The Soviet Union wanted a buffer against Europe and the United States wanted to fulfill its goal of establishing democracies.
Summing Up Student Understanding
Have students engage in a debate about whether the United States should have dropped the atomic bomb to end World War II. Six students should participate in the debate—three on either side of the question. Then designate a moderator and a timekeeper and research assistants for each team who will do research to help the debaters and coach them on their presentations. The rest of the class will be the audience and must prepare three questions to ask the debaters. The questions must be based on research. Collect these questions and grade the "audience" on their individual efforts.
Additional Resources
You might also find these additional readings useful in developing students' background knowledge or for DBQ activities:
- American Issues: Vol. II Since 1865, edited by Unger and Tomes—Chapter 10
- The Power of Words: Vol. II From 1865, edited by Breen—Chapter 9
- Constructing the American Past, Vol. II, edited by Gorn, Roberts, and Bilhartz—Chapter 10
- American Experiences: Volume II From 1877, edited by Roberts and Olson (secondary source readings)—Part Five