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Timeline of World
War II Events from 1933 to 1945.
3
A
DAY IN THE LIFE IN ... WORLD WAR II
by Jacquelin Cangro
Meet George and his friend Donnie as they talk about victory
gardens at school, collect scrap for the war effort and respond
to an air raid warning.
4
THE
RISE OF ADOLPH HITLER AND NATIONAL SOCIALISM
Jim Cort
Follow the rise of Adolph Hitler and his Nazi movement
from the end of World War I and the Weimar Republic through
the
failed coup attempt in the Beer Hall Putsch and to his appointment
as chancellor by German President von Hindenburg.
6
SINGING
AT THE BORDER: THE KINDERTRANSPORT
Julie Falkner
Learn about the Kindertransport, which
operated from December1938 to September
1939, and rescued nearly ten thousand Jewish
children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia,
and Poland.
10
BLITZKRIEG!
GERMANY AND LIGHTNING WAR
Bob Nunnally
The German word
blitzkrieg means lightning war. The name was coined to
describe the fast speed of the German military attack.
It was a different
method of fighting or military tactic than what was used
in WWI – find out what new weapons and methods the Germans
blitzkrieg used.
14
BATTLE
OF BRITAIN: LIFE DURING THE BLITZ
Candace Lindemann
When the German Luftwaffe dropped its bombs on civilian targets
on September 7, 1940, the lives of London’s residents
changed forever. Prior to that September, the Nazis focused
on military targets in Britain, hoping to soften Britain up
for an attack. When the British Royal Air Force put up a stronger
resistance in the Battle of Britain than expected, Hitler’s
objective switched to forcing Britain out of the war. The goal
of the Blitz was to destroy morale so Britain would surrender –explore
how a group of London teens viewed the Blitz.
16
MAKE
DO AND MEND: A CAMPAIGN TO STOP WASTE
Anne Glynis Davies
During WWII, the British government needed to persuade its
citizens to “make do” and reuse everything they
already owned or to make things by hand. Waste of any kind
had to stop. Learn about the campaign the Ministry of Information
launched - the national “Make Do and Mend” campaign – aimed
at women who were left behind to take care of the home.
20
THE WHITE ROSE:
GERMANS AGAINST HITLER
Kip Wilson
Read about the three students from the University of Munich
who formed a resistance movement in Nazi Germany called the
White Rose. The White Rose published leaflets tha t challenged
the German people to use their minds, ears, and eyes to realize
what was happening in Hitler’s regime. They began with
a challenge in the first paragraph of the very first leaflet: “It
is certain that today every honest German is ashamed of his
government.”
23
PEARL
HARBOR: THE WAR REACHES AMERICA
Chris Glithero
On Sunday, December 7, 1941, the sun rose as normal over the
U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
Soldiers, sailors, and islanders went about their morning routines,
and many headed to the Sunday church service. By ten o’ clock
that morning thousands of American servicemen lay dead, smoke
and fire billowed from the wrecks of mighty battleships, and
the course of World War II
26
FRANKLIN
ROOSEVELT’S FIRESIDE CHATS
Mac Carey
In the 1940s, Americans listened to the radio not only for
news and updates about the war, but also for entertainment.
Children listened to radio programs like Little Orphan Annie
and The Shadow. But nothing was more important, or more listened
to, than when President Roosevelt gave a fireside chat. Though
the term fireside chat sounds comforting, unfortunately during
the war, the speeches were very serious. Find out more about
his speeches, especially a famous one on October 12, 1942.
30
DWIGHT
D. EISENHOWER: ORDINARY MAN, EXTRAORDINARY LEADER
Deborah Bryson
From a boy who loved football and grew vegetables, he grew
to be the supreme commander of Allied Forces during World War
II and president of the United States. Dwight D. Eisenhower
influenced soldiers and citizens from around the world. He
led the world’s largest military invasion on D-Day in
1944. How did one ordinary young boy become an international
leader? Let’s look at the life of the thirty-fourth president
of the United States to find the answers.
32
WE STAND ALONE: AMERICAN PARATROOPERS
IN WORLD WAR II
Valerie Hunter
Any soldier in combat faces danger, but what about soldiers
who have to jump out of a plane just to get to the battle?
When the U.S. military planned to create airborne units of
paratroopers, they knew there would be both enormous benefits
and great risks. Learn about the role of the paratroopers in
WWII.
36
THE OTHER D-DAY: THE INVASION OF SOUTHERN
FRANCE
Joseph Connaughton
Most people can tell you the date of D-Day (June 6, 1944),
and name one or more of the World War II Normandy D-Day invasion
beaches (Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha, and Utah). But do you know
when the invasion of southern France happened, or the names
of the invasion beaches where it occurred just two months later?
Find out about the invasion that took place August 15, 1944
in southern France.
39
A
FORECAST FOR VICTORY: FIGHTING THE ENEMY AND THE WEATHER
Jim Schmidt
For thousands of years, weather – good and bad – has
affected battles. Sometimes it has even altered the course
of history. The weather played an important part in several
major operations during World War II. Many times success depended
not on who had the best generals, but on who had the best weathermen!
Learn how weather affected some key battles in World War II.
44
SHE’S MAKING
HISTORY,WORKING FOR VICTORY!
Mac Carey
Rosie the Riveter was an imaginary character, created by American
artist Norman Rockwell in 1943. She appeared on posters and
the cover of the popular magazine The Saturday Evening Post.
Read how this image inspired thousands of women working to
support the war effort at home in the United States.
45
FREEDOM DENIED:
JAPANESE AMERICAN INTERNMENT Sara Francis Fujimura
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, life for Nikkei,
or people of Japanese ancestry, changed dramatically in the
United States. On March 2, 1942, Gen. John L. DeWitt, military
commander of the Western Defense Command, ordered anyone of
Japanese descent living in California or parts of Arizona,
Oregon, and Washington to report to their nearest detention
camp. Find out more about the Japanese-American experience
during the war, including those who fought as soldiers despite
the internment of their relatives.
50
THE ULTIMATE WEAPON: THE ULTIMATE PRICE
Abigail Mieko Vargus
Fat Man and Little Boy. The names sound comical – almost
like cartoon characters you might see together on Saturday
morning. But Fat Man and Little Boy were codenames for the
most powerful weapons ever used in war: the atom bombs dropped
on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Learn more about
why the decision was made to use atomic bombs and what impact
they had on Japan and the outcome of the war.
54
ARTS & CRAFTS
Page
WARTIME
RATION RECIPES by Christine Gable
48
LITERATURE STUDY GUIDES
Page
JACOB’S RESCUE (Ages 9-12) by Catherine Morin
58
ON A NOTE OF TRIUMPH (Ages 12+) by Jim Cort
60
EARLY LEARNING
Page
EARLY LEARNING UNIT by Renee Millis
Activities to explore WWII: an introduction and Germany and
the Holocaust
