Asa Sherry

TTE 536

World War II Unit Plan

Unit Title: World War II: History Through Film
Time Frame: 11/3/14 11/14/14
Course: Social Studies
Grade Level: 8
CURRICULUM/STANDARDS

2,4,5,6,7
2,5,6,8
2,3,4
8
1,2
(Arizona Department of Education Social Studies Standards, Grade 8)
KEY THEMES/QUESTIONS
Unit Theme: Governmental policies during the World War II era changed the relationship between the
U.S. and its citizens and the world.
Key

S1C8
S2C1
S2C8
S3C3
S5C5

PO
PO
PO
PO
PO

Questions:
What were the major causes of WWII?
What events led to the Allied victory?
What were the United States and Arizonas roles in WWII?
(cited from TUSD Social Studies Topic Map: Eighth Grade)
ASSESSMENT
Unit pre-test (administered 10/31)
Unit summary test (administered 11/17, subject to schedule changes)
Student journal (this unit-long project will be checked, by the instructor, several times for
student progress AND acts as a continual war correspondent simulation)
RESOURCES/MATERIALS
Resources:

The American Journey (textbook, Glencoe) Chapter 26

Civics Today (textbook, Glencoe) Chapters 24 & 27
WWII era posters and artwork (accessed via internet)
Films (DVD), from personal collection(s):
- Tora! Tora! Tora! (Richard Fleischer et al, 1970)
- Empire of the Sun (Steven Spielberg, 1987)
- Enemy at the Gates (Jean-Jacques Annaud, 2001)
- Memphis Belle (Michael Caton Jones, 1990)
- The Tuskegee Airmen (Robert Markowitz, 1995)
Books, from personal collection:
- Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad (William Craig, 1973 nonfiction)
Assorted music files from 1942-1945 (MP3 format)
Assorted video files (MP4 format accessed via internet)

Materials:
Blank map of South Pacific, ca. 1942 (approximately 65 photocopies)
Blank map of Europe, ca. 1939 (approximately 65 photocopies)
Pencils
Blank paper
Glue sticks/tape
Promethean board
Classroom overhead projector
Assorted colored pencils, crayons, markers
Student war correspondent journals (previously created by students)

Unit Calendar
MONDAY
11/3
Topic: Japanese
Control of the South
Pacific (1942)
Activities: Given
blank maps, students
will label countries of
the South Pacific
(1942) and color code
Japanese controlled
territories, adding
maps to their war
correspondent
journals
Standards:
S2C8PO2

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY
11/4
11/5
Topic: Japanese
Topic: Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor occupation of China
(1941)
Activities: Students
will watch excerpts
Activities: Students
from Tora! Tora!
will watch excerpts
Tora!, and respond
from Empire of the
(5Ws) in their war
Sun, and respond
correspondent
(5Ws) in their war
journals
correspondent
journals

Standards:
S1C8PO2,4

Standards:
S2C1PO2,8

THURSDAY
11/6
Topic: History vs.
Hollywood
Activities: In a
graphic organizer
(Venn diagram),
students will compare
and contrast
segments from the
novel and film of
Enemy at the Gates

Standards: S2C1
PO6

FRIDAY
11/7
Topic: WWII
iconography

Activities: Students
will create a title and
artwork for their war
correspondent
journals, selecting
from the primary
source artwork
displayed in class,
found in personal
research, or
personally-created
designs

S2C1PO2

11/10
Topic: Island
Hopping and
Guadalcanal

S3C3PO8
11/11
VETERANS DAY
NO CLASSES

11/12
Topic: Allied bombing
campaigns of
German-occupied
Europe

11/13
Topic: History vs.
Hollywood

Standards:
S2C1PO5
11/14
Topic: Discrimination
during WWII

Activities: In a

Activities: Students

Activities: Using
textbooks, students
will individually
research Island
Hopping and the
battle of Guadalcanal,
recording responses
to assigned questions
in their war
correspondent
journals, with
accompanying
identification of key
locations on their
South Pacific maps

Standards:
S1C8PO5,6,7
S2C8PO3,4

Activities: After class

discussion on
strategic bombings,
students will watch
excerpts from
Memphis Belle, and
respond (5Ws) in
their war
correspondent
journals. Students will
also individually
research the Air War
Over Germany, using
their textbooks,
answering assigned
focus questions.
*NOTE* Given the
shorter classes on
Wednesdays, this
lesson may take 2
days
Standards:
S5C5PO2

graphic organizer
(Venn diagram),
students will compare
and contrast
segments from
Memphis Belle with
personal research
from the textbook

Standards: S2C1
PO6

will record and

discuss the
definition/concept of
discrimination in their
war correspondent
journals. Afterward,
students will watch
excerpts from The
Tuskegee Airmen,
and respond (5Ws) in
their war
correspondent
journals.