Year 3: Unit 1 – “Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat” – World War II and the Holocaust (1919 – 1945): Lessons

Central Question: How did a history of anti-Semitism in Europe make the Holocaust possible?

Historical Background

The word “anti-Semitism” means prejudice against or hatred of Jews. The Holocaust, the state-sponsored persecution and murder of European Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945, is history’s most extreme example of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism has a long history in Europe, dating all the way back to the medieval era and early Christian church. This deep, culturally entrenched hatred of Jews in Europe made the Nazi’s scapegoating and vilifying of Germany’s Jews much easier for many Germans and Europeans, in general, to accept and support.

For more background, read “Anti-Semitism” on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 1 Key Terms:

• Anti-Semitism
• Holocaust
• Propaganda

Scholars understand the history of European anti-Semitism and can explain how it enabled German scapegoating and attacks on Jewish Europeans, which made the Holocaust possible.

Preparation

• Display the Unit 1 Essential Question on the wall in your classroom for scholars to reference throughout the unit.
• Create a word wall in your classroom with the Unit 1 Key Terms for scholars to reference during class discussion. Hold scholars accountable for using these Key Terms throughout the unit.
• Post a timeline in your classroom or digitally to track key events from this unit.
• Prior to teaching Lesson 1, assign “An Introduction to the Holocaust” on pages 3–4 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook so scholars are prepared to effectively analyze the images in the Context portion of the lesson.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars complete the Unit 1 Lesson 1 Do Now in the Unit 1 Workbook.

Context — 15 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Introduce the Essential Question for Unit 1: Why did public opinion about the course and conduct of World War II change over time?
• Explain that, each day, scholars will gather more evidence to answer this question.
• Remind scholars that this unit builds upon past content and that they must constantly make connections to previous periods of history to help them answer this Essential Question.
• Then pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in launching their study of anti- Semitism and the Holocaust.

Examine (8 minutes)

• Examine the images “German Propaganda” on pages 5–7 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook.
• Scholars should examine and annotate the images, writing main ideas for each image next to the title.

Discuss (5 minutes)

• Scholars discuss the questions below in pairs. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the homework and the images.
  • What was the purpose of German propaganda?
  • What role did German propaganda serve in the Holocaust?

Watch and Discuss — 20 minutes

Watch (14 minutes)

• Watch the video “European Anti-Semitism” on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum website.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did attitudes toward Jewish Europeans change throughout European history?

Discuss (6 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the questions posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the video.
  • How have European nations promoted anti-Semitism over time?
  • How did anti-Semitism change under Nazi control?
  • Make a connection to the Big Ideas. Ask: Why did Europe’s history of anti-Semitism enable Nazi genocide?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • How did a history of anti-Semitism in Europe make the Holocaust possible? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

• Scholars read the articles “Weimar Germany 1918–1924” on BBC’s “Bitesize” website, “National Socialism and Hitler’s Nazi Party” on the Newsela website, and “Comparing Economic Systems” on Independence Hall’s USHistory.org website and examine the tables on pages 9–10 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook in preparation for the next lesson. Note that you may want to choose and adapt selected excerpts from the homework, to ensure scholars do not learn that the National Socialist Party is the Nazi Party in order for the simulation in Lesson 2 to be successful.

Central Question: Why did Germans vote for the Nazi Party?

Historical Background

Following the Treaty of Versailles, the German economy struggled; reparations and the cost of repairs within the country were a huge financial burden. Already flailing in the 1920s, the German economy completely collapsed following the Wall Street crash in 1929. Inflation rose exponentially, and unemployment rates skyrocketed. Yet while many Germans suffered, the Jewish community remained relatively prosperous. With anti-Semitism on the rise, many Germans looked to blame the Jews as the source of their economic problems. The National Socialist Party (the Nazi Party) was founded in 1920 on the principles of German nationalism, economic recovery, prejudice, and anti-Marxism. With a growing national climate of frustration and anger, the Nazi Party faced a perfect opportunity to gain political control. Whereas in 1928 they had only 12 seats in the Reichstag, after the 1932 election they had 230 seats, becoming the largest and most powerful political party.

For more background, read “The Treaty of Versailles” on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum website and “Germany: Years of Crisis, 1920–23” on the Encyclopedia Britannica website, and review “The Rise of the Nazi Party” timeline on the University of South Florida website.

Note: This simulation was adapted from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum lesson plan “Why Did Germans Vote for the Nazi Party?”

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 1 Key Terms:

• Adolf Hitler
• Nazi Party

Scholars understand the political, social, and economic conditions of Depression-era Germany and can explain how different political parties responded to these conditions in the 1932 election.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 5 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the homework by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the reading.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party.

Discuss (5 minutes)

• Scholars discuss the following questions in pairs. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework.
  • Compare the political platforms of the Democratic Socialist, Communist, and National Socialist political parties.
  • How did each party appeal to the interests of German voters in 1932?

Investigate — 15 minutes

• Divide scholars into six groups. Assign each group one of six case studies from Documents A through F on pages 11–13 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook.
• Each group should assume the role of their assigned voter and discuss the party that person would support. Remind scholars that this is during the Depression, it is a democratic system, and Hitler is not yet in power.
• Scholars must use the political party beliefs and platforms sections of the homework to help decide how the person in their assigned case study will vote.
• Each group should answer the following questions:
  • Who is this citizen (profession, class, etc.)?
  • Which party do you think got his or her vote?
  • What was the main attraction or motivation to vote for this party?
• Inform scholars that when their group casts its vote in the simulation, they need to be prepared to defend their choice of political party.

Simulation — 15 minutes

• Bring the class back together and have each group cast its vote.
• Ask each group to explain why it chose one party over the others and how the Treaty of Versailles, the Depression, and/or anti-Semitism may have affected the vote. Be sure to record the votes cast for each party.
• Inform scholars that the National Socialist Party is the Nazi Party, and there were actually three Nazi voters among the case studies.
• Identify the three Nazi voters (Munchen, Von Ronheim, and Schultz). Then scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the simulation.
  • How do the actual election results compare to our simulation?
  • Was there a typical Nazi voter? Why or why not?
  • How did the Nazi party appeal to voters?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • Why did Germans vote for the Nazi Party? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

• Scholars read “Nazi Aggression and European Appeasement” on pages 15–17 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook and the article “National Socialism and Hitler’s Nazi Party” on the Newsela Website, and scholars watch the video “Hitler’s Rise to Power” on the Facing History and Ourselves website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: Why did European leaders appease Nazi aggression?

Historical Background

Although the results of the July 1932 elections demonstrated substantial support for the Nazis, the Nazis still did not have universal support. Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party, had twice run for president— and lost both times. However, in 1932, with the Nazi Party receiving more votes than any other party, Hitler pressured the German president, Paul von Hindenburg, to appoint him as Chancellor and Head of the Reichstag. Less than two years later, with the support of 90 percent of the electorate, Hitler declared himself Führer and announced the beginning of Germany’s Third Reich. Once in control, Hitler used propaganda to promote German nationalism and to demonize the Nazi Party’s enemies, especially Jewish Germans. He also ushered in an era of totalitarianism and aggressive military conquest.

Germany’s aggressive military expansion violated the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which had broken apart Germany’s empire and forbade future attempts at empire building both as punishment for World War I and as an attempt to maintain peace. Yet as Hitler led German military conquests, the leaders of Western Europe, most famously Neville Chamberlain of Great Britain, did nothing in the hopes of avoiding war through a policy of appeasement.

For more background, read “German Prewar Expansion” on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum website and “Chamberlain and Appeasement” on the BBC website, and watch “Nazi Aggression and Appeasement” on the Khan Academy website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 1 Key Terms:

• Third Reich
• Appeasement
• Winston Churchill

Scholars understand the increasing power of Nazi Germany and can explain why European leaders appeased Nazi aggression.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 10 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party.

Watch (4 minutes)

• Watch the video “BBC: Was Appeasement a Cowardly Policy?” on YouTube.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did European leaders respond to German territorial aggression?

Discuss (4 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the question below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.
  • How did the events of World War I affect the attitudes of Europeans and their leaders?

Investigate — 20 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate Documents A through D on pages 18–21 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook. After reading each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • How did Nazi propaganda influence Europeans’ attitudes about German aggression?
  • According to Neville Chamberlain, why should the European powers appease German aggression?
  • Why does Winston Churchill disagree with Chamberlain?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: Why did Europeans’ opinions about the war change over the course of the 1930s?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • Why did European leaders appease German aggression? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

• Scholars read “The Outbreak of War” on pages 23–25 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: To what extent did Americans support entry into World War II?

Historical Background

When Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, it was the last straw for Western European appeasement. Great Britain and France declared war on Germany, launching World War II. Following the outbreak of war in Europe, many Americans believed that isolation, especially after the devastation of World War I, was the correct course, despite the injustices happening abroad.

For more background, read “The Debate Behind American Intervention in World War II” on the Atlantic website and “American Isolationism in the 1930s” on the U.S. State Department’s history website, and watch “Charles, Lindbergh, the Nazis, and American Isolationism” on the BBC website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 1 Key Terms:

• Franklin D. Roosevelt
• Isolationism

Scholars understand what isolationism is and can articulate arguments for and against American isolationist policy during World War II.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 10 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in beginning their study of American response and participation in World War II.

Examine (5 minutes)

• Examine the political cartoon by Dr. Seuss on page 26 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook.
• Scholars should examine and annotate the political cartoon, writing a main idea next to the title.

Discuss (3 minutes)

• Scholars discuss the questions below in pairs. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the political cartoon.
  • Why did the United States adopt an isolationist policy after World War I?
  • How does Dr. Seuss characterize American isolationism in his political cartoon?
  • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: To what extent were isolationism and appeasement similar policies?

Investigate — 15 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate Documents A and B on pages 27–28 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook. After reading each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 10 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • Why did some Americans support joining World War II?
  • Why did some Americans oppose joining World War II?
  • Make a connection to previous content and the Essential Question. Ask: To what extent were the arguments over appeasement in Europe similar to the arguments over isolationism in the United States?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • To what extent did Americans support entry into World War II? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, review scholars’ Exit Tickets and provide feedback on the quality of their work. Prioritize the most important change that scholars must make to improve both the strength of their argument in this Exit Ticket as well as their future writing. Use your study of scholars’ work to determine a common trend in scholars’ writing.

Central Question: To what extent did Americans support entry into World War II?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars revise their Exit Tickets based on individualized teacher feedback to make their essays stronger and clearer and to understand how to use their feedback to grow as writers.

Preparation

• To complete this Exit Ticket revision, before class you must:
  • Create a teacher model of the Exit Ticket.
  • Choose an exemplar and non-exemplar draft Exit Ticket from the previous lesson to use in the Launch and Mini-Lesson. If there is no exemplar piece, plan to use your own teacher model piece.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars read your feedback on their Exit Tickets and discuss with a partner how they will apply this feedback in their revisions today.

Launch — 10 minutes

• The launch is your opportunity to show scholars a model of excellence and explain the biggest issue that holds scholars back from achieving excellence. The launch should end with scholars describing how this piece of writing exemplifies the Habits of Great Writers.
  • Reread the Exit Ticket question with scholars: To what extent did Americans support entry into World War II?
  • Ask: What is this question asking us to do?
  • Have scholars interpret the question in pairs. Call on pairs to share out.
  • Then share an exemplar response to this question from the previous lesson. Have scholars discuss 1) what makes the scholar’s claim compelling and 2) why the evidence selected is effective in proving this claim.

Mini-Lesson — 10 minutes

• Choose an anonymous scholar’s draft Exit Ticket that demonstrates a whole-class trend from your study of scholars’ work from the previous lesson and show this scholar’s line-edited draft to the class.
• Have the scholar apply your individualized feedback to begin to revise his or her Exit Ticket in real time while the class watches. Then have the scholar articulate how he or she must apply this feedback to all writing moving forward.
• Set your expectations for how scholars will apply their individualized feedback to revise their work today.

Revise 1 — 10 minutes

• Scholars use their individualized feedback to revise their Exit Tickets.
• Set the expectation that scholars should use this entire time to revise their work based on the feedback you have given them. Explain that some scholars may need to start from scratch, and that is OK! Note that this time will only be productive if you have given every scholar individualized feedback.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have scholars explain the feedback that they have received, as well as their plan to apply it.
  • Coach scholars on how to apply your feedback.

Mid-Workshop Teach — 5 minutes

• Share an Exit Ticket that has greatly improved through revision. Have the scholar explain how he or she has applied his or her feedback to effectively revise.
  • If there is a clear whole-class misconception that must be addressed, share an anonymous example of that trend. Have the class discuss how the scholar needs to change his or her approach to revision in order to make more substantial changes.
• Ensure that scholars understand how this feedback is transferable to their own work.
• Scholars articulate to partners how they will revise their work based on the Mid-Workshop Teach.

Revise 2 — 10 minutes

• Scholars use the transferable takeaway from the Mid-Workshop Teach to continue revising their Exit Tickets.
• Set the expectation that scholars should use the entire time to continue revising their Exit Tickets.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Help scholars focus on what is most important: claims and supporting evidence.
  • Coach scholars on how to apply your feedback.

Homework

• Scholars read “U.S. Entry into World War II” on pages 30– 31 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook in preparation for the next lesson.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, give each scholar a final grade on their revised Exit Ticket, as well as one transferable next step that they must apply to their next piece.

Central Question: Why did the United States join World War II?

Historical Background

In 1936, Nazi Germany signed treaties with Italy and Japan, establishing initial military alliances. On September 27, 1940, the three nations came together to sign the Tripartite Pact, establishing the Axis Alliance. At first, the United States refused to join the war. Isolationism was stronger than ever, despite some Americans’ fears of the power of Nazi Germany. On December 7, 1941, Japanese fighter planes attacked an American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. More than 2,000 American soldiers and sailors died in the attack. The next day, Congress declared war on Japan, and the United States joined World War II. Until the war’s end in 1945, World War II was fought throughout Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.

For more background, read “World War II in Europe” on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum website and “Pearl Harbor: A Rude Awakening” on the BBC website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 1 Key Term:

• Pearl Harbor

Scholars understand the events of Pearl Harbor and can explain the factors that sparked the United States’ entry into World War II.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars complete the Unit 1 Lesson 6 Do Now in the Unit 1 Workbook.

Context — 10 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of American response and participation in World War II.

Watch (4 minutes)

• Watch the video “America Enters World War II” on the History Channel website.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did public opinion about American isolationism change over time?

Discuss (4 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from homework and the video.
  • Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?
  • How did alliances influence the evolution of World War II?

Investigate — 20 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate Documents A through C on pages 32–35 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook. After reading each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with strong ideas and compelling evidence that proves their ideas. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • Why did President Roosevelt support the United States’ entry into the war?
  • Why was the attack at Pearl Harbor significant?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: How did Pearl Harbor affect public opinion about isolationism in the United States?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • Why did the United States join World War II? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

1. Scholars read “Japanese Internment” on pages 37–38 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: Why were Japanese Americans interned during World War II?

Historical Background

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a shock in the United States, and many Americans feared that Japanese espionage within the country was behind the attack. On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, calling for the deportation and incarceration of all people of Japanese descent, forcing them to live in government internment camps. Many of those interned were American citizens whose families had been living in the United States for 100 years. More than 110,000 people lived in these camps until June 30, 1946, almost one year after the war ended.

For more background, browse the PBS Internment History website and read “The Tragedy of Japanese Internment” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required).

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 1 Key Terms:

• Executive Order 9066
• Korematsu v. United States

Scholars understand the justifications used for Japanese internment and can explain why the United States interned Japanese Americans during World War II.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 15 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of American response and participation in World War II.

Watch (9 minutes)

• Watch the video “Japanese Relocation, Office of War Information, 1943” by the U.S. Office of War Information on Archives.org.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • Why did the government intern Japanese Americans in the early 1940s?

Discuss (4 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.
  • According to the Office of War Information, why were the Japanese interned?
  • To what extent is this video a reliable source? What was its intended purpose?

Investigate — 15 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate Documents A through D on pages 38–40 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook. After reading each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • Compare the arguments presented by each document. How do explanations for Japanese internment differ?
  • How does each document confirm or refute the official explanation given by the video?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: How did the attack on Pearl Harbor affect public opinion toward Japanese Americans?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • Why were Japanese Americans interned during World War II? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

• Scholars read “The Battlefield” on pages 42–44 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: To what extent were the experiences of soldiers on each front of World War II similar?

Historical Background

When Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, it was the last straw for Western European appeasement. Great Britain and France declared war on Germany, launching World War II. Two years later, the United States joined the war following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Until the war’s end in 1945, World War II was fought all over the world: Throughout Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, many lives were touched both on and off the battlefield.

For more background, browse the World War II history section of the BBC website and “The Perilous Fight: America’s World War II in Color” on the PBS website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand the course of the war and can explain how soldiers’ experiences on each front were both similar and different.

Preparation

• To complete this jigsaw, before class you must:
  • Make a plan for how you are going to divide scholars into groups for the jigsaw.
  • Ensure that each scholar has the Lesson 8 Note-Taking Template in the Unit 1 Workbook accessible to ensure that notes are purposeful and scholars are clear on your expectations.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 10 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of the global impact of World War II.

Watch (3 minutes)

• Watch the video “World War II Soldiers Dig In” on the History Channel website.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • What was the significance of “the ground” in World War II?

Discuss (5 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.
  • Where were the major theaters of war?
  • Who were the most significant combatants involved?

Investigate — 15 minutes

• Remind scholars that the purpose of a jigsaw lesson is to become experts at one topic so they are able to teach their peers. Set the expectations that scholars must be prepared to clearly and concisely share about their assigned topic at the end of their group work time.
• Divide scholars into groups and assign each group one of the following four theaters of war: the Eastern Front (page 45 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook); the North African, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern Front (pages 46–49 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook); the South Pacific (pages 50–51 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook); the Western Front (pages 52–55 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook). Each group reads and annotates the documents for its assigned topic. After reading, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Teach — 10 minutes

• Remind scholars that they are responsible for learning from their classmates during this time and must take notes in their Lesson 8 Note-Taking Template in the Unit 1 Workbook during each presentation.
• Have scholars from each group present about their topic to the class in 2 minutes or less.
• As scholars share, chart the main takeaways from each group and display this chart in your classroom for reference throughout the unit.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• After each group presents, scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • Compare the impact of the war in these different regions.
  • How did the course of the war vary from place to place?
  • How did the United States’ entry affect the course of the war?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: How did public opinion about the war differ around the world? Why?

Exit Ticket — 5 minutes

• Scholars independently complete the Lesson 8 Exit Ticket in the Unit 1 Workbook.

Homework

• Scholars read “American Home Front” on pages 57–58 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: How did World War II affect American life on the home front?

Historical Background

After the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii, the United States was thrust into World War II, and everyday life across the country was dramatically altered. Food, gas, and clothing were rationed. Communities conducted scrap metal drives. To help build the armaments necessary to win the war, women found employment as electricians, welders, and riveters in defense plants. Japanese Americans had their rights as citizens stripped from them. People in the United States grew increasingly dependent on radio reports for news of the fighting overseas. And while popular entertainment served to demonize the nation’s enemies, it was also viewed as an escapist outlet that allowed Americans brief respite from war worries.

For more background, read “World War II Posters on the American Home Front,” “The World War II Home Front,” and “Black Soldiers in the Second World War” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required).

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 1 Key Term:

• American home front

Scholars explore the American home front during World War II and can explain how World War II affected American life on the home front.

Preparation

• To complete this gallery walk, before class you must:
  • Print all texts and images on card stock and distribute at each respective station.
  • Determine how you will present video or audio content, if necessary.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 10 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of the global impact of World War II.

Watch (3 minutes)

• Watch the video “The U.S. Homefront During WWII” by the History Channel on YouTube.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did World War II change the lives of Americans on the home front?

Discuss (5 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.

Investigate — 20 minutes

• Divide scholars into four groups. Assign each group one of four stations to begin the gallery walk: Bonds on the Home Front (pages 59–60 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook), Women on the Home Front (pages 61–62 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook), Rationing on the Home Front (pages 63–64 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook), and Racial Discrimination on the Home Front (pages 65–66 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook).
• Explain that each group will examine the images, videos, or texts at their assigned station for 5 minutes before switching to the next station.
• After examining the images, scholars should record their observations and inferences.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work and conference with groups of scholars as they rotate among stations.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • How did World War II change the American economy?
  • Why did the U.S. government use propaganda on the home front during World War II?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: How did propaganda influence American public opinion of the war?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • How did Americans on the home front experience World War II? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

• Scholars read “The Final Solution” on pages 68–71 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: How did the Holocaust devastate the lives of people across Europe?

Historical Background

The rise of anti-Semitism in Germany laid the groundwork for the Holocaust. Between 1939 and 1941 in Nazi-occupied countries, Jewish people, as well as many other marginalized groups, were rounded up into ghettos and eventually sent to concentration and death camps. During the Holocaust, 6 million Jews and another 6 million other people (Roma gypsies, disabled people, Communists, homosexuals, etc.) were killed in Nazi death camps as part of the Nazi’s “Final Solution.” The horrific life in ghettos and concentration camps devastated the Jewish communities of Europe and tore families and loved ones apart.

For more background, read the articles and guidelines on teaching about the Holocaust on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 1 Key Terms:

• Concentration camps
• Final Solution

Scholars understand the stories of victims of the Holocaust and can explain how the Holocaust affected the lives of people across Europe.

Preparation

• The Holocaust is challenging to discuss in a classroom, but it is crucially important to scholars’ awareness of the world and its social, moral, and political foundations. Therefore, this lesson demands authentic, purposeful conversation. As such, more time is dedicated to the Discuss portion of this lesson, and there is no Exit Ticket. In addition to reading the materials listed above, prepare to effectively facilitate this discussion by reviewing “Teaching Hard History.”

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 20 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of the global impact of World War II. Warn scholars that the content of the Holocaust viewed in today’s lesson will be difficult and graphic.

Watch (14 minutes)

• Watch the video “The Path to Genocide, Chapter 4: World War II and the Holocaust” on the
  U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum website.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did the Nazis implement the “Final Solution”?

Discuss (4 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.
  • How were individuals, families, and communities devastated by the Holocaust?
  • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: How did the anti-Semitism of the 1930s lay the groundwork for the “Final Solution”?

Investigate — 15 minutes

• As a class, read and annotate Documents A and B on pages 72–74 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook. After reading each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 10 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • How did the Nazis dehumanize the Jews?
  • Why did the Nazis dehumanize the Jews?
  • Why is it important, when we study the Holocaust, to restore dignity and humanity to these people?
  • How do these documents help us understand the emotions and experiences of the victims of the Holocaust?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: When the Allies discovered the death camps in 1944 and 1945, they were horrified by what they found. How might discovering these death camps sooner have affected public opinion about the war effort?

Homework

• Scholars read he article “American Response to the Holocaust” on the History Channel website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: How did the U.S. response to the Holocaust evolve over time?

Historical Background

People around the world responded in different ways to the horrors of the Holocaust. Many international communities claimed they did not know the extent of the Holocaust and thus did not intervene sooner. In some cases, individuals within and outside of the Jewish community around the world risked their lives to resist the Nazis and save Jews. In other cases, individuals and even nations turned a blind eye. For example, when the ship the St. Louis, carrying nearly 1,000 Jewish refugees, was turned away from Cuba, President Roosevelt refused to let these refugees into the United States, and their boat was forced to return to Europe. Americans had access to reliable information about the Nazi regime’s persecution of Jews as it happened, but most could not imagine that a mass murder campaign was possible. Although many Americans sympathized with the plight of European Jews, assisting refugees and rescuing the victims of Nazism never became a national priority.

For more background, read these articles on “Rescue and Resistance” and “The United States and the Holocaust” on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 1 Key Terms:

• St. Louis
• War Refugee Board

Scholars understand the U.S. response to the Holocaust and the impact of action — and inaction — on the victims of the Holocaust and can explain how the U.S. response evolved over the course of the war.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars complete the Unit 1 Lesson 11 Do Now in the Unit 1 Workbook.

Context — 10 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of the American response and participation in World War II.

Read (5 minutes)

• Read the essay “U.S. Response to the Holocaust” on page76 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook.
• Scholars should read and annotate the document, writing a main idea next to the title.

Discuss (3 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the text.
  • How did the United States respond to early evidence of the Holocaust? Why?

Watch and Discuss — 25 minutes

Watch (16 minutes)

• Watch the video “Confronting the Holocaust: American Responses” on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum website.
• Tell scholars to think about the following questions as they watch the video:
  • How did U.S. action, and inaction, affect European Jews over the course of the 1930s and 1940s?

Discuss (9 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the video.
  • Why did Americans oppose admitting Jewish refugees in the late 1930s and early 1940s?
  • Why did American public opinion about refugees and immigrants change in the mid-1940s?
  • Make a connection to the Big Ideas. Ask: To what extent is it the United States’ role to address genocide around the world?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • How did the U.S. response to the Holocaust evolve over time? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

• Scholars read “The Fall of the Nazis” on pages 78–80 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: How did the Allies defeat the Nazis?

Historical Background

In the summer of 1944, the Allies launched their D-Day invasion in Normandy, France. The invasion began on June 6, 1944, and was a resounding success, leading to an Allied victory. By August of that year, France was liberated from Nazi control, and the Nazi stronghold in Western Europe was beginning to crumble. In July, Soviet troops discovered and liberated the Majdanek Concentration Camp in Poland.

For more background, read “The Normandy Invasion” on the Encyclopedia Britannica website, “African American Heroism on the Beaches of Normandy” and “D-Day” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required), and “The Liberation of Nazi Camps” on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 1 Key Terms:

• D-Day/VE Day

Scholars understand the events at the end of World War II and can explain how the Allies were able to defeat the Nazis.

Preparation

• To complete this gallery walk, before class you must:
  • Print all texts and images on card stock and distribute at each respective station.
  • Determine how you will present video or audio content, if necessary.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 10 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of the global impact of World War II.

Listen (3 minutes)

• Watch the video “Germany’s Surrender in WWII” on the History Channel website.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch:
  • How does the announcer describe Nazi Germany and World War II?

Discuss (5 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the recording.
  • What does “unconditional surrender” mean? Why was this important?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: How did Hitler’s suicide likely affect Nazi attitudes toward the war?

Investigate — 20 minutes

• Divide scholars into five groups. Assign each group one of five stations to begin the gallery walk: The Invasion of Normandy (page 81 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook), The Liberation of France (page 82 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook), The Battle of the Bulge (page 83 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook), The Liberation of Concentration Camps (page 84 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook), and The Nazi Surrender (page 85 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook).
• Explain that each group will examine the images, videos, or texts at their assigned station for 4 minutes before switching to the next station.
• After examining the sources, scholars should record their observations and inferences.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work and conference with groups of scholars as they rotate among stations.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • Why was the Normandy invasion a turning point in the war?
  • How did the discovery and liberation of concentration camps affect the course of the war?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: By VE Day, a strong majority of Americans greatly supported the war effort. Why had public opinion changed by 1945?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • How did the Allies defeat the Nazis? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

• Scholars read “The Atomic Bomb” on page 87 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook and the article “Atomic Bomb” on the History Channel U.K. website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: Should the United States have dropped the atomic bomb on Japan?

Historical Background

By 1945, the war was going badly for the Axis Powers. On April 28, Benito Mussolini was assassinated; on April 29, German forces surrendered (effective on May 8); and on April 30, Adolf Hitler committed suicide. However, despite an aggressive campaign in the Pacific, the Japanese refused to surrender. On August 6 and 9, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 15, the Japanese surrendered. Initially, almost 250,000 Japanese were killed by the bombs, but the aftereffects of the radiation continued to harm survivors for years to come.

For more background, read “Atomic Bomb History” on the History Channel website and “The Manhattan Project and the Atomic Bomb” on the Khan Academy website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 1 Key Term:

• Atomic bomb

Scholars understand arguments for and against the United States’ use of the atomic bomb in World War II and can express one of these arguments in a class debate.

Preparation

• To complete this debate, before class you must:
  • Think through systems for scholar note-taking during debate time to ensure that notes are purposeful and scholars are clear on your expectations.
  • Divide your room into two sections. Label one side “Pro” and the other side “Con.”
  • As scholars enter the room, assign them to either “pro or con, and have them sit in the corresponding part of the room.
  • Ensure that scholars have the Debate Planning Guide in the Unit 1 Workbook accessible.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 5 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of the global impact of World War II.

Discuss (3 minutes)

• Scholars discuss the following questions in pairs. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the homework reading.
  • Why did the United States drop atomic bombs on Japan?
  • How did the atomic bombs affect Japanese citizens?

Investigate — 10 minutes

• Tell scholars that today, they will be engaging in a debate over the use of the atomic bomb: against the use of the atomic bomb (page 88 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook), and in favor of the use of the atomic bomb (page 89 of the Unit 1 Sourcebook). Explain that scholars will use their documents to prepare to debate whether or not the United States should have dropped the atomic bomb on Japan.
• Scholars should read and annotate their positions. After reading each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Planning — 10 minutes

• Once scholars have finished reading and annotating their sources, each group should come together to plan their side of the debate using the Debate Planning Guide in the Unit 1 Workbook.
• As scholars plan, they should:
  • Summarize their assigned position on the use of the atomic bomb.
  • Identify at least three major arguments that support their side of the debate.
  • Determine at least three counterarguments they anticipate the opposing side will argue, based on their knowledge from class and their homework, and how they plan to rebut those arguments.
• While scholars work, circulate to ensure that scholars are effectively planning their arguments for a debate and are keeping the ideas of their arguments front and center.

Debate — 15 minutes

• Have a scholar from one side present his or her argument at the front of the class.
• After this scholar presents his or her argument, have the other side respond directly to that scholar’s argument.
• Then have a scholar from the opposing side present his or her argument, next allowing the first group to respond.
• Hold scholars accountable for taking notes while scholars are presenting their arguments; they will use these notes to come up with a response to the other side’s argument.

Exit Ticket — 5 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • Should the United States have dropped the atomic bomb on Japan? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

• Scholars study Unit 1 Key Terms in preparation for the next lesson.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, review scholars’ Exit Tickets and provide feedback on the quality of their work. Prioritize the most important change that scholars must make to improve both the strength of their argument in this Exit Ticket as well as their future writing. Use your study of scholars’ work to determine a common trend in scholars’ writing.

Central Question: Should the United States have dropped the atomic bomb on Japan?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars revise their Exit Tickets based on individualized teacher feedback to make their essays stronger and clearer and to understand how to use their feedback to grow as writers.

Preparation

• To complete this Exit Ticket revision, before class you must:
  • Create a teacher model of the Exit Ticket.
  • Choose an exemplar and non-exemplar draft Exit Ticket from the previous lesson to use in the Launch and Mini-Lesson. If there is no exemplar piece, plan to use your own teacher model piece.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars read your feedback on their Exit Tickets and discuss with a partner how they will apply this feedback in their revisions today.

Launch — 10 minutes

• The launch is your opportunity to show scholars a model of excellence and explain the biggest issue that holds scholars back from achieving excellence. The launch should end with scholars describing how this piece of writing exemplifies the Habits of Great Writers.
  • Reread the Exit Ticket question with scholars: Should the United States have dropped the atomic bomb on Japan?
  • Ask: What is this question asking us to do?
  • Scholars interpret the question in pairs. Call on pairs to share out.
  • Then share an exemplar response to this question from the previous lesson. Have scholars discuss 1) what makes the scholar’s claim compelling and 2) why the evidence selected is effective in proving this claim.

Mini-Lesson — 10 minutes

• Choose an anonymous scholar’s draft Exit Ticket that demonstrates a whole-class trend from your study of scholars’ work from the previous lesson and show this scholar’s line-edited draft to the class.
• Have the scholar apply your individualized feedback to begin to revise his or her Exit Ticket in real time while the class watches. Then have the scholar articulate how he or she must apply this feedback to all writing moving forward.
• Set your expectations for how scholars will apply their individualized feedback to revise their work today.

Revise 1 — 10 minutes

• Scholars use their individualized feedback to revise their Exit Tickets.
• Set the expectation that scholars should use this entire time to revise their work based on the feedback you have given them. Explain that some scholars may need to start from scratch, and that is OK! Note that this time will only be productive if you have given every scholar individualized feedback.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have scholars explain the feedback that they have received, as well as their plan to apply it.
  • Coach scholars on how to apply your feedback.

Mid-Workshop Teach — 5 minutes

• Share an Exit Ticket that has greatly improved through revision. Have the scholar explain how he or she has applied his or her feedback to effectively revise.
  • If there is a clear whole-class misconception that must be addressed, share an anonymous example of that trend. Have the class discuss how the scholar needs to change his or her approach to revision in order to make more substantial changes.
• Ensure that scholars understand how this feedback is transferable to their own work.
• Scholars articulate to partners how they will revise their work based on the Mid-Workshop Teach.

Revise 2 — 10 minutes

• Scholars use the transferable takeaway from the Mid-Workshop Teach to continue revising their Exit Tickets.
• Set the expectation that scholars should use the entire time to continue revising their Exit Tickets.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Help scholars to focus on what is most important: claims and supporting evidence.
  • Coach scholars on how to apply your feedback.

Homework

• Scholars read the article “Rebuilding the World After the Second World War” by Margaret MacMillan on The Guardian website and “World War II: After the War” by Alan Taylor on The Atlantic website in preparation for Unit 2.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the end of the unit, give each scholar a final grade on their revised Exit Ticket, as well as one transferable next step that they must apply to their next piece.

• Scholars read the following Newsela articles*:
  • “The Perils of Indifference”
  • “Is It Possible That the United States Is Headed Toward a Totalitarian Government?”
  • “In Germany Town Allies Helped, New War Refugees Face Wrath of ‘Neo-Nazis’”
• Scholars write an essay of no more than 400 words based on all three of the articles above in response to the following prompt:
  • Why is it important for societies to remember the lessons of World War II and the Holocaust?

*To access all articles on the Newsela website, you must create a free Newsela account.

• Scholars read the following articles on Newsela*:
  • “World’s Many Refugees Need Help; the U.S. Must Do More”
  • “Political Asylum”
  • “Stopping Syrian Refugees from Coming to the U.S.”
• Scholars write an essay of no more than 400 words based on all three of the articles above in response to the following prompt:
  • To what extent is the American response to Syrian refugees different from its response to Jewish refugees during the Holocaust?

*To access all articles on the Newsela website, you must create a free account.

Prompts: Scholars may choose one of the following prompts about Big Ideas in American history.

• Was World War II inevitable?
• Why did the United States become a world power following its participation in World War II?
• Why didn’t the United States intervene in the Holocaust sooner?

Project Menu: Scholars may then choose to respond to the prompt chosen above with one of the formats outlined below.

• Thematic Essay: Scholars write a thematic essay that answers one of the extra credit prompts, drawing on evidence both from the unit and from their own independent research.
• Podcast: Scholars create an original podcast that answers one of the prompts above. The podcast should be 5–8 minutes long. Podcasts must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.
• “Docudrama”: Scholars create a “docudrama” that answers one of the prompts above. A docudrama is a dramatized video that tells the story of historic events. The docudrama should be 5–8 minutes long. Docudramas must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.
• Interview: Scholars record (video or podcast) an interview with a “historian” or a historical figure in order to answer one of the prompts above. The historian or historical figure must be the scholar. A parent, a classmate, or a teacher should be the interviewer. Interviews should be 5–8 minutes long. Interviews must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.
• Propose your own project: Scholars may propose to do their own project. These projects must still answer one of the extra credit prompts, and any project proposal must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.