World War II
Free Use Lesson Plans, Games, Powerpoints

For Teachers

Mr. Donn's Lessons for World War II - the war

Leaders in the News, lesson plan

World War II: Headlines in the News, lesson plan

World War II: Neutrality, lesson plan

World War II: What can a nation do to protect its interests?

World War II: Hiroshima

Mrs. Donn - The Homefront, World War II - the home front

The US Home Front in the US (mini unit, Donn) - rationing, victory gardens, junk rallies, patriotic symbols, ration stamp game, and original story: Walking Home

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. Contrast with Nazi propaganda - the technique is the same, but is the message different?

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). 

Welcome Home, an original short story by Lin's mom, written right after the war - segregation, WW2

WWII Lesson Plans and Activities by many educators

WW2

• Events Leading Up to World War II - Timeline

• Classroom WW2 Simulation Lesson Plan (with handouts and instructions) 11th grade

• World War II Unit (Henry Schools)
  

• Voices of WWII (Washington State)

• World War 2 - Teacher Guide (bbc)

• World War II photos and educational resources - from the National Archives

• World War II (Google Culture - 17 stories)

• World War II (BBC)

The Nazi Party:

• Read About: The Nazi Party

• Animated: Life in Nazi Germany - Animated History (comes with a viewers warning)

• What was the Nazi Party? Lesson plan for Middle School and High School

• Animated: The Last 24 hours of Hitler's Life - animated

The Holocaust:

•  The Holocaust (several lesson plans focusing on specific topics, can also be taught as a mini unit - designed for middle school. They also have a section designed for high school.)

• A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust

• 27 Activities to teach your middle school students about the Holocaust

• BBC Reel: The Austrian woman who saved 7,700 children during WW2 - the incredible courage of ordinary people

• Digital Lesson, Anne Frank

Japanese Internment:

• Japanese Internment, Educator Resource, Primary Source and Teaching Activity

• Behind the Wire (Library of Congress)

• Japanese American Internment: Fear Itself, lesson plan

• Japanese American Internment Camps during World War II, lesson plan

The Atom Bomb and Hiroshima:

• Hiroshima and Nagasaki Carousel lesson plan
  
• Debating the Bomb (must sign up and log in, but it's free from Stanford Ed)
  
• The Atom Bomb, Simulation, World War II lesson plan
  
• Barefoot Gen, freely posted online for educators, cartoon story about Life after the Bomb (for high schoolers, caution)
  
• Manhattan Project Online, lesson plans
  
• World War II: Hiroshima

PowerPoints

• Free Use PowerPoints about World War II

Interactive Games for Kids

• Online, interactive free educational games for kids about World War II

Free Clipart for World War II, for teachers and kids

• Phillip Martin World War II free clipart for kids and teachers, not free for commercial use