US National Archives
WWII: The Pacific 1939-45 – Pearl Harbor
Though December 7th, 1941 was a day "which would live in infamy," World War II had provided many infamous days, events, battles, and atrocities in the years before. So why were American forces so surprised when Japan attacked Pearl...
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
Pearl Harbor Activity #1: Newspaper or Radio Account
After listening to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech, young historians research information about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, possible motives for the attack, and the consequences of the attack. Scholars...
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
Pearl Harbor Activity #7: Pop Up Video Activity
A pop-up video version of FDR's "Day of Infamy" speech engages scholars in depending their understanding of the attack on Pearl Harbor. After watching the video, class members select five new things that they learned and research how...
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
Pearl Harbor Activity #4: Who is the Audience?
Young historians use the prompts on a worksheet to analyze President Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech. They identify the intended audience for the speech, the devices FDR used to persuade his audience, the responses promoted, and the...
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
Pearl Harbor Activity #5: The Medium Matters
Young journalists learn that how we get our news and information matters in a collaborative social studies activity. The class is divided into three groups with the first analyzing a transcript of FDR's "Day of Infamy" speech, the second...
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Pearl Harbor
Students consider the impact of the attack on Pearl Harbor. In this World War II lesson, students research print and electronic sources about the attack on Pearl Harbor and then write news article about the attack from an American or...
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America Enters WWII
Students analyze the attack on Pearl Harbor. In this World History lesson, students research the events that led to the attack of Pearl Harbor then discuss the what happened after the attack. They finish the lesson with writing a...
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Japanese American Internment: Examining Racial Tensions
High schoolers discover how racial tension led to Japanese Internment. In this World War II lesson, students analyze political cartoons and posters related to the movement of Japanese-Americans to internment camps in the wake of the...
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Italian Enemy Aliens During World War II: Evacuation from Prohibited Zones
Students read and discuss the Enemy Alien Evacuation Order. They perform research by reading newspaper articles from February 1942 as well as investigating available information on the Internet. Students work in groups to create a...
American Battle Monuments Commission
Americans in Great Britain: 1942-1945
Watch the pivotal moments of America's presence in embattled Britain during World War II with an exceptional interactive tool. From personal stories about life on the front lines to a map that tracks every group and division throughout...
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Lesson III: Crisis, Pearl Harbor, Internment
The third in a series of lessons introduced by “A Fence Away From Freedom,” uses the Smithsonian website, “A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution” and focuses on the section of the presentation devoted to the...
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World War II - Memory Book
Eighth graders read about and reflect upon a variety of events that occurred during World War II. They conduct research on the Holocaust and Anne Frank's life, the attack on Pearl Harbor, American life during this time and the bombing of...
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Where in the World War? Mapping the Geography of D-Day
Students examine how to read maps for historical information. They listen to a lecture on the history of D-Day, analyze a historical map of the invasion of Normandy, and answer discussion questions.
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World War II: Internment in Hawaii
Learners examine world history by writing an essay in class. In this World War II lesson, students identify the attack on Pearl Harbor, the response from the U.S and the effect it had on Japanese-Americans. Learners define Japanese...
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Lesson Ideas to Enrich Student Inquiry into the Holocaust
Students inquire about the Holocaust. In this Holocaust lesson, students read books and discuss their thoughts. Students also collect current event articles from newspapers. Students investigate ghettos, Pearl Harbor and Navajo Code...
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The Internment of Japanese-Americans During World War II
Eleventh graders research the daily life of Japanese-Americans in internment camps during World War II and write radio documentaries using what they learn.
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Local Mobilization for War
Tenth graders analyze how government policies led to complete concentration in war effort, evaluate how patriotism was encouraged by many local and state groups, and discuss fate of Japanese Americans.
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Modern-Day America
Students remember the September 11 terrorist attacks. In this public memorials lesson, students research 20th century memorials. Students then design their own memorials for the victims at the World Trade Center site.
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Analyzing Japanese Imperialism
Learners engage in a lesson in order to compare and contrast the Imperialism of Japan to that of the United States and Europe. Students can complete a variety of activities that include research questions, reflection from lecture, and...
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The Day Before
Students explore the impact a major event has on people and on history as their team selects an event and publishes their own magazine to recreate the times in which such an event occurred.
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My Secret War: Lesson 5
Fifth graders determine how freedom comes with rights and responsibilities through literature and poetry about World War II. In this World War II lesson, 5th graders use the letters in the word "infamy" to write an acrostic poem. They...
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WWII German Submarine Warfare: U505
Young scholars research how the capture of a German submarine by the Allies affected the outcome of WWII. In this WWII lesson, students complete a KWL chart. Young scholars research primary source documents online and answer discussion...
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World War II
Students research World War II and discuss how conflicts in the war lead to change. In this World War II lesson plan, students read books, watch movies, complete activity sheets, and answer questions all researching the war.
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Imag(in)ing History Across Generations
Students find an image depicting events of September 11 or after and write a letter to their future grandchldren explaining the image and why those chose to preserve it for them.