World War II Fronts
Pacific Front, Home Front, European Front

Overview: World War I was billed as *the war to end wars* but twenty years later Europe exploded into another war more devastating than the first. Who were the men who led their countries into war? What were their reasons? How was war waged in the Pacific, European, and Home Fronts? What developments from World War II still impact us today? What were the far reaching results of the war?

Goals and objectives:

behavioral objectives

Students will work together cooperatively to collect and to assemble information, visuals, and sounds to demonstrate an understanding of the people, places, ideas, and concepts behind World War II in U.S. history.

performance objectives

Students will create résumés, newsletters, and slide shows to present their research findings for their peers.

process objectives

Students will use computers, CD-ROMs, scanners, digital cameras, the Internet, videos, audio tapes, music CD's, recordings, books, slides, and photographs to collect and to assemble their presentations.

Prerequisite skills/knowledge:

keyboarding skills, use of floppies and hard disks to save and move files, use of basic word processors, use of graphic programs, use of basic spread sheet and data base programs, and the ability to integrate programs in either Claris Works or HyperStudio.

 

Some features of the unit (the résumé) allow students with minimal skills to succeed while others (the newsletters and the slide shows) allow students to learn more complex levels of interaction.

 

Materials/equipment:

Hardware

four desktop computers with Claris Works 4

teacher created templates for class projects

CD-ROMs (Our Times, History of the World, Grolier's Encyclopedia, Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia, Microsoft Encarta, Time Almanac, etc.)

lap top computer with Internet access

two printers connected to two of the computers

one scanner connected to one of the computers

digital camera borrowed from the district

Software

Claris Works ( 4 and 5 are easily used) or HyperStudio for the Slide Shows.

Claris Works (4 or 5) or Microsoft Works 4 for the newsletters.

Word processor (ClarisWorks, Microsoft Works, Mac Write, Word) for résumés.

Printed Materials

Handout

Instructional activities/strategies:

Students will be organized into three research teams: European Theater, Pacific Theater, Home Front. Each group will

• be responsible for organizing to create a slide show overview of the most significant issues, events, individuals, and groups for their respective fronts.
• develop one or more thematic *newsletters* describing individuals, events, issues for a specific point in the war.
• develop résumé/biographies for important individuals.
• will make decisions regarding use of technology, style, and content of their projects. Teacher will assist with research, organization, and use of technology.

Each student will:

• select a specific project or responsibility
• conduct research using library, CD-ROMs, and Internet resources
• contribute to the development of a group presentation, e.g. historical newsletters, slide shows, biographical résumés
• participate in a class presentation of their research

Physical Situations:

Each group will be assigned use of one desk-top computer. A single desk-top computer will be available for general use (Neutrals) with a printer and scanner. The lap top computer will be available for Internet access. Students will group and regroup for specific projects.

Information Acquisition:  

Students conduct research using library, CD-ROMs, and Internet resources

Problem Solving:

Students contribute to the development of a group presentation, e.g. historical newsletters, slide shows, biographical résumés

Communication:

Students participate in a class presentation of their research.

Résumés were duplicated and shared with the whole class.

Newsletter's were posted on bulletin boards for use by the entire class.

The slide shows were created on the computers. The groups moved from computer to computer to see and asses the work of their fellow groups.

 

Assessment options:

Students will be given rubrics to evaluate progress on the project, working together in group processes, and developing computer skills. The assessments will be made at the end of each week. Teacher will keep up with progress as the students work each day. Formative weekly evaluation rubric

 

The products will serve for assessment although they might be in progress at end of the time frame. The projects were evaluated by the group who created them, the other groups, and the teacher. The students had a culminating test.

 

Teaching Suggestions/Extensions:

Teacher can use templates to give students ideas on the three areas.

Students can create their own suggestions to be shared with other groups.

Interdisciplinary suggestions

The U.S. Literature class was involved with poems and short stories about the war. The literature classes also helped with editing and checking grammar on the news stories and the captions.

The Art class can help with drawings and paintings for areas hard to find.

Alternative equipment

The résumés could be done on a typewriter. They could also be done by hand and presented orally or on cassette tapes. They could be presented as VCR interviews. The newsletters could be typed or lettered by hand and assembled old style with cut and paste. The slide shows could be done with cameras and regular slides with taped music and sound effects.

 

Contributors:

Harley Max Fisher

David Crockett High School  

Austin