Unit+15+-+World+War+II+-+11-12

__Unit Overview__
toc The World War II era, 1939-1945__,__ was one of great turmoil both domestically and abroad. The US, just coming out of the worst economic depression in its history, was now thrown into the bloodiest conflict the world has ever seen. While the US took many measures to stay out of the war for as long as possible, it, nonetheless, was taking steps to go to war should it be necessary to do so. While this unit will not be focusing on the actual military achievements of the time period, we will be focusing on the impact of WWII on two different arenas: how the war changed life domestically and how it ushered in a new era of international relations as it catapulted the US to its new found stature of "superpower."

__Essential Questions__

 * Was the US truly trying to stay neutral when World War II broke out in 1939? Why or why not?
 * How did both the Axis and Allied Powers use propaganda during WWII? Who did so more effectively?
 * Which groups of people made the greatest gains domestically as a result of WWII? Why?
 * In terms of international relations, did WWII do more harm than good from a US perspective? Why or why not?

__Class #1 - The US Avoids War (Block B - Tuesday, March 6th, Block F - Wednesday, March 7th)__
In this class, we'll examine the measures that the US took to avoid going to war, yet aide the Allied cause during WWII at the same time. We'll also look at the role of propaganda in rallying support for the war effort both prior to and after the US officially got involved.

1. Review for your Unit 14 quiz 2. Read Chapter 34 in American Pageant
 * Prior to class, you should:**

1. Words of Wisdom Discussion 2. Unit 14 Quiz (Multiple Choice - 20 questions, 15 minutes to complete) 3. Discussion - Was the US truly "neutral" prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor? 4. Lecture: Propaganda and WWII
 * In-Class Activities:**

__Class #2 - The US Goes to War (Block B - Wednesday, March 7th, Block F - Thursday, March 8th)__
After more than two years of staying out of direct military conflict, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in the deadliest raid on American soil to this point. Now, directly involved in the war, the US engages in a variety of domestic efforts to help win the war. We'll look at the impact of those efforts on a variety of different groups of Americans to see how they impacted them both then and in the years that followed.

1. Read Chapter 35 in American Pageant
 * Prior to class, you should:**

1. Words of Wisdom Discussion 2. Reading Q&A (brief) 3. Discussion of the war effort at home and experiences of different groups of Americans during the war. - For this activity, you will be in a group of two-three people and asked to research one of the following groups of people to discover what their experiences during World War II were. I have provided you with some links which may be of help in conducting your research, however, feel free to use other outside sources as well. The groups are:
 * In-Class Activities:**

[|Japanese-Americans] [|Jewish-Americans] (Be sure to look at the works cited for more information here) [|African-Americans] [|The "Typical American" on the Home Front] [|American Women] - Mexican Americans and World War II

My expectation is that you create a Keynote presentation with your group which can be used to teach the class about your particular group. You will NOT be presenting these Keynotes to the class, however, the information on your presentation needs to be sufficient for a 5-10 minute "mini lecture" if you were asked to do so. You MUST incorporate at least one primary written source into your presentation. Have fun!

When you are done, please post your project to this link: Americans During WWII Keynotes

__Class #3 - The Aftermath of War (Block B - Monday, March 12th, Block F - Tuesday, March 13th)__
Now that the war was over, there was a sense that things would go back to "normal." However, with all of the social change that took place as a result of the war, "normal" had very different meanings for different groups of people. We'll look at how WWII ushered in the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and other significant changes that were to come in the second half of the twentieth century.

1. Read Chapter 16 in Zinn 2. Prepare for your Unit 15 Quiz. (While your timeline is not due until the next class, it is highly advised to have completed your timeline prior to this class to help you study for the quiz.)
 * Prior to class, you should:**

1. Words of Wisdom Discussion 2. Zinn Discussion 3. Unit 15 Reading Quiz (MCQ - 20 questions, 15 minutes to complete) 4. Writer's Workshop - tackling the FRQ
 * In-Class Activities:**

__Class #4 - Exam 5 (Block B - Wednesday, March 14th, Block F - Thursday, March 15th)__
Exam 5 Review

__Unit Resources__


Unit 15 Timeline Terms

World War II - Quiz #1 World War II - Quiz #2 World War II - Terminology Quiz