WWII on the Home Front

From 1939 to 1941, the United States government tried to maintain neutrality while providing aid to Britain but was drawn into the war by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. As a teenager living in the United States during World War II you read the newspapers and hear the radio broadcasts, but it is hard to make sense of this war that involves so many countries and people. The United States fights this war on multiple fronts. At home, the economy has been converted to war production, and essential resources are rationed to ensure adequate supplies for military use. This webquest will take you back to the Home Front of the 1940's to learn what it was like to grow up during this hectic time.

The webquest will cover the following standards:

NYS: 8.5B-Students will investigate the impact of the war on the American economy and dayto-day life. Students will examine the decision to intern Japanese Americans in light of perceived national security concerns versus constitutional rights. Students will examine the decision and impact of Korematsu v. United States (1944).  Students will examine American involvement in World War II. 

NCSS Themes:  TCC, GOV, TECH, EXCH

NETS:  Identify trends and forecast possibilities, Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media, Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation, Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity, Understand and use technology systems.

Grade 8 US History:

•  Students will be able to identify the impact the war had on the American economy and day to-day life by providing examples on their discovery sheet.

•  Students will be able to decifer the decision to intern Japanese Americans.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How did the lives of ordinary Amercans change throughout WWII?

To answer this question, you will take on the role of a teenagre living in America during WWII. You write a journal entry identifying how your life has changed throughout the war and how the war has affected your family life. You may choose your desired gender, ethnicity, and social class while completeing this journal entry. (If choosing to role play a different gender, ethnicity or social class, make sure you complete your reseearch to provide adequate exapmles of what life was really like for you)

This webquest will take up two class periods.You will be divided up into four groups. In your own groups, you will decide which members will cover specific sub-topics within your given overall topic. The four groups will cover the following: Life, Women, Minorities and Propaganda. Each member should fill in their specific parts on the guide sheet. Group members should come together and share their information with each other. 

The discovery sheet should help you answer the essential question, which will be reflected in your journal entry

The groups will be focusing on the following:

1. Life (what was life like during WWII on the homefront? Music, movies, fashion, etc?) 2. Women (What role did women play on the homefront?)3. Minorities (What role did minorities play on the homefront?)4. Propaganda (What did propaganda encourage those on the homefront to do?)

Once you have completed the individual research, answer the essential question in your journal entry. 

The next class period, students will present their journal entries to the class and inform their peers on how their topic refelects the answers to the essential question. As students present, peers should be using the information to complete the other charts on the guided worksheet.

One Computer Classroom Adaptation- Students will complete the entire guided discovery sheet while following along with the teacher during the first class period. The teacher will navigate students through the webquest. This class period will be dedicated to comleting the discoverey sheet. The next class period should be dedicated to completeing the journal entry. Students may work with a partner in deciding what role they want to take on before they start completeing their journal. They may discuss important aspects from the four section. Students will be able to look back at the discovey sheet to use the information for their journal entry. The journal entry should be handed in at the end of the class period. 

Guided Discovery Sheet

Name: ___________________________                        Date: _____

WebQuest: Life on the Home Front

Directions for the WebQuest Guide: This worksheet lines up directly with the the WebQuest.  As you follow through the Process part of the WebQuest, use the guide to summarize information from the websites, typing your answers directly into the guide.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You must avoid plagiarism. Do NOT copy and paste the information from the websites into the worksheet. This is PLAGARISM – you will not be given credit for your work. You must also provide a MLA citation of where you received your information. Assume that you are NOT allowed to give word-for-word answers unless otherwise indicated.

The guide will be collected as you finish the journal assignment.  If you do not finish in class, you will be allowed to take it home and hand it in tomorrow at the beginning of class.

Part I: The Economy

1. The Great Depression
1. The depression lasted between the years: ________ -________
2. What year did the US enter WWII? _________
3. Explain what changed occurred to the economy upon entering the war:

Part II: Life at Home

1. Fill in the charts below in your own words. You may use google as a search engine but you may not use any information from Wikipedia. Make sure you address the questions within the chart. 

Citations:

Teacher Feedback:

Teacher Feedback:

Teacher Feedback:

Overall Grade:_______/ 40 points 

Reflection:You have now reached the end of your WebQuest guide and completed your journal entry.  Think back to the essential question: Imagine you are teen living in America in 1941.  Discuss with a peer who was not in your group, a conclusin to the the question.  

List of Materials Needed

Computer Lab:

• computer for each student
• physical copy of discovery sheet as well as online version
• internet explorer
• microsoft word

One Computer:

• physical copies of discovery sheet and rubric
• writing utensils
• search engine available