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United States Entry into World War II_LP1


John Martin


United States Entry Into WWII_Martin


This lesson utilizes two articles from the Library of America and a video from the Open Video Project to give students a perspective of what was going on during and just after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Robert Hagy article gives details about an America First (This group was anti-Roosevelt.) rally that was held on December 7, 1941.  Even with early reports of the attack on Pearl Harbor the meeting went on as planned with several references to FDR being a warmonger.

The Max Hill article recounts the experiences and feelings that news reporters had in Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Hill tells how they were treated by the authorities, isolated, and even detained.

The events that led up to the December 7, 1941, attack are explained in the linked Introductory Essay.


Copies of excerpts of the following articles:

Hagy, Robert, “ America First Rally,”  Reporting World War II, Part One, New York: Library of America, 1995, pp. 236-240. 

Hill, Max, “This is For Keeps,"Reporting World War II, Part One, New York: Library of America, 1995, pp. 243-351. 

Copies of the Document Analysis Form and Video Analysis Form--See linked files

Website for the Video:  www.open-video.org/project_info.php

Website for graphic organizer:  http://www.graphic.org/venbas.html

 


One ninety-minute block


1


How did early involvement  in World War II affect the United States ?


Ask students to write a paragraph describing where they were when they heard about the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.  Ask them to also include their personal feelings concerning the attack.  


As students discuss their memories of September 11, the teacher should relate these feelings to the feelings of servicemen and civilians in Hawaii during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.


In small groups, ask students to complete a "5 Ws and How" (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How) for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.  Students may use prior knowledge and their textbooks.

Students will now read two primary sources concerning the attack on Pearl Harbor.  The teacher may choose from the two options listed below:

  1. Have the entire class read the two articles (Hagy and Hill) and then discuss what the main ideas from each article.  Analysis forms for video and written excerpts are provided to evaluate the primary sources. (See linked files for copies of articles.)

Or:

      2.   Break into groups of four.  Each group will analyze each article and have a spokesperson to share their findings to the class.  Students should use the analysis forms provided.

Allow students to view the video clip of Pearl Harbor (Open Video Project) and discuss the devastation as presented in this newsreel.

Ask students to use a graphic organizer such as a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast these two events.  See link http://www.graphic.org/venbas.html.   Students may want to include how people in both areas were affected by the attacks.

   


Conduct a class discussion to summarize information:  

1. Give examples of Americans desiring to remain neutral prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.                         

2. What comparisons can be drawn between the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the terrorists' attack on the Twin Towers on 9/11?                

3. What information did both presidents (Roosevelt and Bush) have prior to the attacks?    

4.  How do you think the feelings of a New Yorker viewing the World Trade Center during the terrorist attacks compare to the feelings of servicemen at Pearl Harbor on 12/7?  

   


Other:

 

Suggestions for Further Reading

 

 

Armstrong, David, “ Pearl Harbor !  An Eyewitness Account,” American History Illustrated, August, 1974, Volume IX, Number 5, Gettysburg, PA , National History Society, Pages 4-11, 41-48.

 

Beach, Edward L., “The Biggest Theater,” Battles and Leaders 1995, Forbes, Inc., Pages 44-53.

 

 

Gunston, Bill, The Illustrated Directory of Fighting Aircraft of World War II, London, Salamander Books Limited, 2001.

 

 

Kennedy, David, Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945, New York, Oxford University Press, 1999.

 

 

Lukcas, John, “The Transatlantic Duel: Hitler vs. Roosevelt ,” Battles and Leaders 1995, Forbes, Inc., Pages 38-43.

 

 

Pearson/Prentice Hall, Honoring The American Past: The Stories of America’s World War II Veterans, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Pearson Education.

 

 

Sommer, Anthony, “Billy Mitchell: Aviation’s Prophet,” American History Illustrated, December, 1974, Volume IX, Number 8, Gettysburg, PA, National History Society, Pages 32-43.

 

 

Tanaka, Shelley, Attack On Pearl Harbor, New York , Hyperion Books For Children, 2001.

 

 

Time-Life Books, An Illustrated History of World War II, Alexandria , Virginia , Time-Life Books, 2001.

 

 

Wheeler, Keith, The Road to Tokyo, Alexandria, Virginia , Time-Life Books, 1979.

 

 

                                                        WEB RESOURCES

 

Students can sharpen their research skills by formulating questions about World War II, which they then answer by seeking and compiling statistical data. Teachers can, for example, direct students to gather information from the following World Wide Web sites, which are a sampling of the many that include statistical data on World War II. 

 

HYPERWAR: HYPERTEXT HISTORY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR. This site includes data about all aspects of World War II, including military campaigns, personnel, and command structures of the armed forces, in all theaters of operations in World War II. www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/index.html

 

THE HISTORY PLACE: STATISTICS OF WORLD WAR II. This section of The History Place Web site provides a variety of data about military forces and operations of World War II, such as total deaths for the war in Europe and the Pacific. It also includes information on African Americans and other minorities in the armed forces. www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/statistics.htm 

 

NATIONAL D-DAY MUSEUM . This site provides statistical data and related information about the D-Day invasion of Europe by Allied forces on June 6, 1944. www.ddaymuseum.org

 

HISTORY CHANNEL ON WORLD WAR II. This Web site, which is associated with the History Channel cable television network, provides data on all aspects of World War II. www.historychannel.com/wwii/ 

 

WORLD WAR II CASUALTIES. This page, part of the Navy Historical Center Web site maintained by the Department of the Navy, provides comprehensive statistical information on U.S. Navy and Marine Corps casualties in World War II. www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq11 1.html

 

ARMY WOMEN'S MUSEUM WAAC/WAC WORLD WAR II STATISTICS. This site features various statistics on both the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) and the Women's Army Corps (WAC), which replaced the WAAC in 1943. www.awm.lee.army.mil 

 

WORLD WAR II: INFORMATION AND STATISTICS ON THE GERMAN ARMED FORCES. Statistics and other information about the German armed forces and comparative data about the armed forces, war costs, and military losses of all countries in the war are available here. www.violentpeace.com/.

 


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Robert Hagy Article_LP 1 Martin
Motion_Picture_Analysis_Worksheet_LP1 Martin
Max Hill Article_LP1 Martin
Handouts with Explanations _LP 1&3 Martin

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