World War II in the Pacific and at Home
Todd Searing
Summer 2004
Essential Questions:
1. What chain of events led up the United States using nuclear weapons to end the war with Japan?
2. What was it like for families in Champaign-Urbana to have family members involved in the
war?
3. In what ways was communication possible between those at home and those overseas in the
service?
Setting the Purpose
Students use World War II images to activate their background knowledge. They use a variety of
materials to construct timelines of events overseas and in the U.S. from 1941 to 1945.
Analysis of Local Primary Sources
Students work in groups to analyze primary sources and write a summary about what they have
learned from these local artifacts.
Ties to National Primary Sources
Students choose from three national primary sources and create two possible points of view of the
document.
Resources
Assessment:
Each student would have a portfolio for the duration of this unit. When complete, a portfolio should
include the student’s original Think-Pair-Share list, including all items they or their partner listed.
The three-category organizer (either the Web included in this packet or a three circle Venn diagram)
should be included. The original can be copied for each partner. The Comparative Timeline should
be in the portfolio along with a bibliography of resources consulted. A copy of two 50 Word
Finding papers, one for artifacts related to overseas events and one about the homefront and
communication with those at war should be in each portfolio. Finally each student includes a Point
of View paper on the national primary source of his or her choice, along with a reflection on the
presentation of the points of view and any collaboration with other students on that presentation.
Teacher evaluation of the portfolio items as well as notes on the participation in each activity would
generate the grade.
World War II in the Pacific and at Home
Todd Searing
Setting the Purpose
To engage students’ prior knowledge, display several of the images from the
Life magazine (nuclear bomb mushroom cloud) and reproduced Time
magazine covers (Pearl Harbor attack) as well as the “seven day leave”
telegram, and the local images of homecoming and victory celebrations.
Students organize the information they recollect about WWII into three
categories. Any events, items, facts, etc. that each student produces should
first be shared with another student in a Think-Pair-Share model. As a pair,
all items on their combined list should be separated into those related to the
“homefront” (anywhere in the United States), the “front lines” (Pacific or
European theatres) and “communication” (any means of connection between
the war and home).
Using history textbooks and other appropriate resources, students use the
Comparative Timeline paper to create concurrent timelines of events in the
Pacific and events in the United States during 1941 through 1945.
Depending on the three category papers groups have completed, a list of
events that must be included could be provided to students if necessary.
This could also work for comparing Pacific events with European events
during the war. The Sequence Chain paper is a possible intermediate step
bridging the three category notes and the timeline paper.
World War II in the Pacific and at Home
Todd Searing
Analysis of Local Primary Sources
Stage 1:
Small groups of three students look at local artifacts related to war overseas,
specifically in the Pacific. Each student has artifacts or pieces of
information that the other two do not have. After a short time to review his
or her information, the three students meet together and share each piece of
the “puzzle” without showing their material to the other members.
The group of three then collaborates to complete a “50 Word Findings”
paper. On this paper, as the name suggests, they may use no more than 50
words to summarize what they have learned about WWII in the Pacific.
Note: All groups can have the same three sections of information or
artifacts, or each group of three can be unique if there are enough pertinent
items. If the groups are unique, it is essential that the group of three share
their 50 words in some way. If all groups are the same, sharing the 50 words
with the class is still an option.
Stage 2:
Small groups of three again work on 50 word summaries. One way to create
the small groups is to mark the packets of artifacts or information with letter
A, B, or C and then pass them out at random. Each group then must consist
of one A, one B, and one C. In this stage each group member has their own
batch of local artifacts related to the war years on the homefront and
communication between those away at war and those in the United States.
World War II in the Pacific and at Home
Todd Searing
Ties to National Primary Sources
The last piece of this unit has students access their knowledge of the
sequence of events and their awareness of local connections. Using this
background, individual students choose from three national primary sources.
Each student must create two possible points of view regarding the
document they choose. One way to begin is to imagine the position in favor
of the author of the document and a position against or contrary to the
author.
Three possible national primary sources included in this packet are the 1941
Lend Lease Act, a plea by Charles Lindbergh for isolationist policy to keep
America out of WWII, and President Franklin Roosevelt’s “A date which
will live in infamy” declaration from December 8, 1941.
Each student completes a Point of View paper and presents the opposing
points of view either visually or verbally to the class. Alternatively, those
choosing the same document can compile their materials after completing
the Point of View paper and create one collaborative presentation on the
document.
World War II in the Pacific and at Home
Todd Searing
Resources
Our Nation’s Archive: The History of the United States in Documents
E. Bruun and J. Crosby Eds. (1999)
From Foxholes and Flight Decks: Letters Home from World War II
R. Gragg (2002)
My Folks and World War II
M. Sullivan and S. Adams Eds. (1994)
Reader’s Digest Illustrated Story of World War II
Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. (1969)
Personal journals of Mrs. A.D. Mulliken including personal correspondence
News-Gazette articles connected to the life of the Mulliken family during the war
Life Magazine “Special Collector’s Edition: Life Celebrates 1945”
June 5, 1995
Standards-Based Language Arts Graphic Organizers, Rubrics, and Writing Prompts
for Middle Grade Students
I. Forte and S. Schurr (2001)