World War II for Kids and Teachers

For Teachers

The War: Our Free Use Lesson Plans for World War II

The Home Front: Our Free Use Lesson Plans for World War II

The US Home Front in the US (mini unit)
Propaganda, Computer Lab Lesson Plan: Direct your students to review these propaganda posters from World War II. In the lab, discussion: What messages do you see? Which poster affected you the most, and why? Then, direct students explore the links at the bottom of this page. Give them some time. Same or next day, back in class: Discussion - What did we learn about the purpose of propaganda? Get some answers. Close lesson, Tell students: People sometimes use the term "reverse propaganda" as if some propaganda is negative and some is positive. But propaganda does not have anything to do with negative or positive. No matter what you call it, its purpose is unchanged. The purpose of propaganda is to persuade (in order to benefit the sponsor.) Propaganda is designed to influence our opinions, emotions, attitudes and behavior. Or, contrast with Nazi propaganda - the technique is the same, but is the message different?
Seeking Information, Computer Lab (working in small groups): Search Google for WW2 lesson plans - since there are so many good ones, one of our early lesson plans for WW2 was to ask our students to review lesson plans for teachers found on the web about WW2, and prepare a short report of what they learned including the link(s) to the lesson(s).
Segregation: Welcome Home (an original short story) - segregation, WW2

More Free Use Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities by many educators (Rise of the Nazi Party, the Holocaust, Japanese Internment, the Atom Bomb, Theatres of War, Names in the News, Debates, Simulations, and more)

W2 Lesson Plans, Photos, Videos, Classroom Activities by many educators - many selected for middle school, but can be adjusted for any grade; classroom simulation designed for high school

Free Use PowerPoints