This unit will begin by analyzing how the rise of dictators and the failure of appeasement led to the second
Word War. Though the allies, led by Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union eventually prevail, the physical, emotional, and political effects of the war will shape the remainder of the 20th century, leading the Unit States and the Soviet Union further into a conflict of their own. The second half of the unit will analyze the Cold War and how various conflicts can arise when states develop and when empires expand dominating other people groups. As teachers, we will be able to make connections for the students between the conflicts seen in the modern world and the foundations of those conflicts that began following WWII. The unit as a whole focuses on the historical need for power and the subjugation of the masses to whatever is necessary to gain, and keep, said power (whether by a dictator, empire, or country).
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]

Globalization: Spheres of Influence, Containment,
Propaganda, Arms Race
Politics: Appeasement, Holocaust, NATO, Warsaw
Pact
War: WWII, Pearl Harbor, Battle of Britain, Atomic
Bombs, Korean War, Vietnam War
th
Concept Lens(es)
Globalization
Politics
War
-

Societies make good and bad decisions in a time of war. a.
Does appeasement always (sometimes or never) make an aggressor more aggressive? b.
How does a man like Hitler (or Mussolini/Stalin) come to power, and to what extent did the rest of the world let it happen? c.
Why is Genocide even possible? How did the Nazi’s make it so?
Economic development and growth may be stunted as a result of political, military, or social conflict. a.
How did the role of world economy evolve during World War I and World War II?
In crisis, people may change their values to resolve conflict. a.
Do people have a responsibility to respond to injustice? b.
To what extent should or can a nation limit civil liberties in times of war?
Wars affect social, political, economic, and cultural institutions. a.
How did containment and Soviet expansion cause tension during the Cold War? b.
What were the reasons for the Soviet Union and the United States becoming enemies instead of allies? c.
What were the different goals of the Soviet Union and the United States after WWII?
Conflict can shape the political and economic climate of a society. a.
How were the Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine similar? Different? b.
What was the reason for the creation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact? c.
How did global trade change during the post-World War II era?
The process of development does not solve all social problems in a country. a.
What role did technology play in World War II? b.
How can the space race be related to the arms race during the Cold War?
c.
What impact did technological innovations have in the development of culture during the Cold War?
Geography may impact the outcome of war a.
b.
What are the differences and similarities between Democratic and Communist countries? Market and command economies?
How did the geographical differences between the USSR and the United States lead to the collapse of the Soviet Union?

HISTORY
WH.H.1.1
WH.H.1.2
WH.H.1.3
WH.H.1.4
GEOGRAPHY &
ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY
WH.H.7.2
WH.H.7.3
WH.H.8.4
WH.H.8.5
CIVICS AND
GOVERNMENT
WH.H.8.1
WH.H.8.2
WH.H.8.6
ECONOMICS &
FINANCIAL LITERACY
WH.H.7.5
WH.H.7.6
CULTURE
WH.H.7.4
WH.H.8.3
WH.H.8.4
WH.H.8.7
Tier 1
War
Airplane
Bomb
Defeat
Leader
Argue
Expand
Rule
Goals
Contain
Policy
Victory
Win
Violation
Progress
Independent
Unite
Country
Protestors
Occupied
Economy
Tier 2
Propaganda
Armistice
Hostility
Overseas
Violate
Appeasement
Nonaggression Pact
Anti-Semitism
Kamikaze
Communism
Russia
Europe
Democracy
Cuba
United States
Command Economy
Traditional Economy
Occupation
Surrender
Foreign
Conflict
Guerilla Warfare
Communists
Vietnam
Korea
Nationalists
Tier 3
D-Day
Isolationism
Potsdam Conference
Blitzkrieg
Truman Doctrine
Marshall Plan
Iron Curtain
NATO
Warsaw Pact
Cuban Missile Crisis
Containment
Cold War
United Nations
Berlin Airlift
Space Race
Nuclear War
Brinkmanship
Superpowers
Soviet Union
Domino Theory
Khmer Rouge
Vietcong
38 th Parallel
Demilitarized Zone
Cultural Revolution
Red Guards
Great Leap Forward

Winston Churchill
Hideki Tojo
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Joseph Stalin
Adolf Hitler
Harry Truman
Dwight Eisenhower
Douglas MacArthur
Benito Mussolini
Ronald Regan
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mohandas Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Pervez Musharraf
Ho Chi Minh
Pol Pot
Deng Xiaoping
Ferdinand Marcos
Kim Il Sung
Kim Jong Il
Gang of Four
Mao Zedong
Kwame Nkrumah
Jomo Kenyatta
Mau Mau
Nelson Mandela
F.W. de Klerk
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
Che Guevara
Manuel Noriega
Hugo Chave

I can … describe how war impacts a country’s government and society

I can … evaluate the cause and effect of entangling political alliances

I can … explain the freedoms that individual citizens gave up in Nazi Germany and why.
 I can … identify the major participants in WWII and the alliances that were created

I can … analyze the political and economic effects of WWII on a global scale

I can … Explain the Holocaust and how it affected the global community.
 I can … explain the impact of the first half of the 20 th century on all aspects of life across the globe

I can … explain how the United States emerged from WWII as the world’s leading superpower and provide evidence of how it stepped up to that leadership expectation

I can … describe the failures of the League of Nations and contrast its successes with that of the United Nations.

I can … list briefly the major human rights violations of the early 20 th century and explain how the UN’s UDHR will prevent future violations

I can … compare and contrast the world’s political geography between 1900 and 1945

I can … explain what an “iron curtain” is and how it relates to political confrontation for this time period

I can … cite all of the locations where conflicts occurred during the Cold War and briefly describe each situation

I can … explain how the competition between the world’s two superpowers was used by Third World dictators to gain support from both nations for their regimes

I can … identify the causes and effects of the Vietnam War

I can … identify why the Israelis and Palestinians came into conflict
 I can … identify conflicts and policies of Asian countries during the Cold War

I can … describe historical points of conflict and competition between the Soviet Union and the United States

I can … explain how the Cold War ended

World History Timelines – using their classroom notes/internet resources, students will create a timeline of historical events during the Cold War. For standard students
WWII Maps and Timelines –
Students will be given a series of
3 maps to study and color-code.
The three maps would include
Europe in 1935, 1942, and 1946.
Students will label Allied and Axis land holdings as well as the countries that are created/dissolved.
Top ten list – Using chart paper/poster boards hanging around the room, in small groups students will create Top Ten lists of the most important events from WWII – the Cold War. Each small group will undoubtedly come up with a different top ten list which you can eventually combine into one giant list as full class activity.
Compare time periods – Have students compare the technology and use of media in WWI with other wars throughout history, such as WWI, the Spanish
American War, the French
Revolution, and the American
Revolution.
Pearl Harbor Museum Reading
– Students will read an article on the overhaul and expansion of the Pearl Harbor museum in
Hawaii to include the history of
Japan prior to and during
WWII.
Butter Battle Book – Have students view the animated video based on the Dr. Seuss book. (the video is easily accessible on the internet)
After viewing the video, have students answer questions based on the allegorical nature of the video and how it directly relates to the Cold War.
After teaching about Pearl
Harbor, have students create a political cartoon to be published in the New York
Times that would convince people to support a war with
Japan (and subsequently
Germany).
FakeBook Page – Students will create a fake social media page for one of the dictators of
WWII: Hitler, Stalin, and
Mussolini. The FakeBook must include basic biographical information, a profile picture, a list of friends, and “wall posts”.
Comparing the Koreas – Students will be presented with primary source readings and a series of 10 images from North and South Korea. Students will use the information that they learned to explain the effects that the
Korean war had on the peninsula.
Historical resume - S tudents will create a resume of an important world leader from the Cold War. The resume needs to include all relevant information that a modern resume would include, such as basic skills, references, employment history, and past education.
Gallery Walk – Have students answer short questions based off of WWII documents that you have hung around the room. Documents that you could use include: Winston Churchill Speech,
French/German Armistice Agreement, quote from Rudolf Hoss speaking on
Auschwitz, and an opposition speech given by Robert Taft.
Cartoon Analysis – Use a PowerPoint presentation to show students a series of WWII propaganda cartoons from the US, England, Germany, and Japan.
Have students write out the differences between the cartoons and how those cartoons would have influenced their countries differently.
Cold War Teaching – Divide the class into groups of 4 students. Two students should educate the group in favor of
American economic and foreign policy during the Cold War and the other two should do the same for Soviet policies.
Kashmir Debate – Students will be randomly assigned a viewpoint on the topic (Pro-India or Pro-Pakistan) and they must use their own research to defend the side they have been given. Students will prepare individual research and then the class will be divided into two groups for a large debate.
Tweets from War – Have students imagine that soldiers fighting during the
D-Day invasion had modern technology such as the internet and smartphones.
On small slips of paper that you can hang around the room, have them create
Tweets that they would have posted during and after the invasion. Their tweets must be historically accurate and must include at least 2 pieces of historical evidence (whether it be text or image)
Students will use their textbooks, class notes, and internet research to answer the question “Did the United States lose the Vietnam War?” Students must justify their answer with at least 3 pieces of evidence from their research. Students can focus on Guerilla Warfare, American
Support for the War, and the Causality
Rate.

Remember
Understand
Apply
Analyze
Evaluate
Create
When was the Great Leap forward in China?
How can you explain the long length of American involvement in the Vietnam War?
Why do you think the name “Cold
War” was given to the time period containing the years after
WWII all the way through the fall of the Berlin Wall?
What is the relationship between
American involvement in World conflicts and the overall length of said conflicts
What is main cause of contention between the
Israelis and the Palestinians?
Explain Nelson Mandela’s rise to political power in South
Africa
How would you use Truman
Doctrine and the Marshall Plan to explain US economic and foreign policy after WWII?
Compare and contrast the lasting effects that
Communism had on the following countries: Russia,
China, Vietnam, and Korea
How would you explain the difference between NATO and the Warsaw Pact?
How would you justify America’s involvement in the Cuban Missile Crisis to someone who was born and raised in Cuba
In your opinion, were the Blitzkrieg tactics used by Germany in their conquest of Europe the sole reason that the Axis powers gained so much territory so quickly?
Though Gandhi became famous for non-violent resistance, India remained a very divided and turbulent society during his lifetime. What barriers had to be overcome in India before
Gandhi’s message could be followed?
Justify the signing of the Non-
Aggression pact between Hitler and
Stalin. What did either side have to gain by signing?
Justify the military and economic timeline followed by the United
States leading up to the country’s entrance into WWII.
Imagine a timeline where the countries in Southeast Asia continued to fall to communism after the Vietnam War. Predict the order of events that would follow and explain if the US would be involved and where/when the spread of
Communism would stop.
What are the pros and cons of
American foreign policy through the second half of the
20 th century? How does it compare to the US foreign policy during WWI and WWII?
Could you devise a plan that would bring peace to the
Middle East? Take into account the division between the
Israelis and Palestinians, plus the anti-Western sentiments found in places such as Iran.
Create a formal document that would have ended the Cold War between the
United States and the Soviet Union.
You must have at least 3 resolutions and evidence to back up their effectiveness.
Show evidence to support the validity of the MAD theory
How did Winston Churchill’s defensive stand against the Nazis and the subsequent Battle of Britain lead to a turning point in the European Theater?
Using what you know about the escalated tensions at the DMZ, what would North and South Korea’s relationship be like today if no such demilitarized border existed?
What comparisons can you draw between the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day to other American-led invasions during
WWII and the Cold War?
Which was more detrimental to the people of China: They Great Leap Forward or the Cultural Revolution? Explain your answer using evidence and taking into account the long-term effects of both plans.
Through individual research, can you create an alternative ending for WWII in the Pacific where the United States does
NOT drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Generalizations:
 War changes a society both economically and socially.
 Societies make good and bad decisions in a time of war.
 Technological advances may lead to devastation and victory on the battlefield.
 Geography may influence the method that a war is fought.
 In crisis, people may change their values to resolve conflict within the society
 Fascism was a threat to democratic governments.
Why: To analyze primary and secondary sources in order to evaluate the interconnectedness of historical events that led up to and during World War II.
How: Create a museum exhibit using a tri ‐ board or digital presentation that encompasses a timeline of events and their interconnectedness
What: Analyze and evaluate the characteristics the interconnectedness of historical events.
Performance Task Summary:
The student will understand that when there is conflict between or within societies and that change is the result of this conflict.
[You are a museum curator who is creating an exhibit about World War II for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. You will create a tri ‐ board display, poster, interactive website, or PowerPoint presentation that displays the road to defeat of one of the Axis powers of World War II from the perspective of the United States.
In creating your museum exhibit you will need to focus your attention on one of the following countries:
‐ Italy
‐ Japan
‐ Germany
Performance Task Criteria:
This display will include the following:
 A written description of the development of aggressive fascist ideology that emerged in Germany, Italy or Japan during the 1930’s
 A timeline showing the steps of aggressive expansion by that nation an annotated map that shows the major events during World War II that led to the defeat of that nation
 A written description of the penalties imposed on the defeated nation and of its reconciliation with the victors
 A letter from an imagined citizen describing the changes in that nation by 1960 (minimum one page, with at least 10 pieces of historical evidence)
 A speech (minimum two paragraphs) that you will deliver at the grand opening of your exhibit that explains how conflict between or within societies can result in change for the societies involved. (Students will read this to their peers as the “museum exhibits” or being presented.
Performance Task Rubric:

 As an individual or a group, assign different axis powers and begin to research the reasons as to why the nation came to power and evaluate the reasons for its decline and defeat.
 Student individuals or groups should use primary sources and historical thinking to create a timeline of the rise and fall of the assigned axis nation. A bibliography should be required as part of the final submission.
 Students will present their exhibits in a classroom “museum” activity where they share their research either through a gallery walk scenario with other class members or potentially students from other social studies classes.
Topic
Physical
Exhibit
(60 points)
Presentation
(5 points)
Connection
(10 points)
Reflection
(10 points)
Excellent
 Product goes beyond the minimum length requirements
 Product demonstrates research and insight into the topic

Product shows careful attention to visual or stylistic details

Presentation was within the time requirements

Presentation kept the audience’s interest

Presenter was able to speak extemporaneously
Presenter demonstrated insightful connections between their country, the defeat of the Axis Powers at the end of
WWII, and the lasting effects of war on their country
Presenter was able to meaningfully demonstrate an ability to apply the knowledge gained from this project to the way he or she understands the world
Adequate
 Product meets the minimum length
 requirements
Product demonstrates research and learning of

 the topic
Product is neat and without major mistakes

Presentation was within the time requirements
Presentation mostly kept the audience’s attention
 Presenter mostly read and summarized from the products
Presenter made simple connections between their country, the defeat of the Axis Powers at the end of WWII, and the lasting effects of war on their country
Presenter showed some ability to apply the knowledge gained from this project to the way he or she sees the world
Needs Improvement
 Product does not reach the minimum length
 requirements
Product does not demonstrate research or

 insight into the topic
Product is messy or has many errors

Presentation was either too long or too short
Presentation did not keep the audience’s interest
 Presenter only read from the products
Presenter made only obvious or no connections between their country, the defeat of the Axis
Powers at the end of WWII, and the lasting effects of war on their country
Presenter was unable to demonstrate an impact this project had on the way he or she sees or understands the world
Peer Evaluation
Name: ____________________
Peer Evaluation
Name: ____________________
Peer Evaluation
Name: ____________________
Country: _________________
Exhibit Display: _______________
Presentation: _______________
Connection: _______________
Comments :
Country: _________________
Exhibit Display: _______________
Presentation: _______________
Connection: _______________
Comments :
Country: _________________
Exhibit Display: _______________
Presentation: _______________
Connection: _______________
Comments :

Unit Number - 7
WWII and the Cold War
Resource Title
“Powers of Persuasion” –
Propaganda posters and WWII
Original audio file of FDR’s
“Infamy” speech
Oprah Visits Concentration
Camp with Holocaust survivor
WWII Propaganda Poster collection from the
Northwestern University Library
National Geographic Timeline of important events of WWII
Collection of images published in Life Magazine during WWII
Cold War Articles (from past and present)
Historical Overview of the
1900’s
Crash Course World History:
The Cold War
Crash Course World History:
History of 20 th Century China
Location http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/powers_of_persuasion/powers_of_p ersuasion_intro.html
http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/infamy_audio.mp3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEbLJv3uSPY http://www.library.northwestern.edu/libraries-collections/evanstoncampus/government-information/world-war-ii-poster-collection http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/history/wwii_timelin e.html?source=newstravel_history http://time.com/3638649/world-war-ii-photos-we-remember/ http://cloudworth.com/coldwar/berlin-wall.php
http://history1900s.about.com/od/famouscrimesscandals/u/events.ht
m https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9HjvHZfCUI&list=PLBDA2E52FB1
EF80C9&index=39 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUCEeC4f6ts&index=37&list=PLB
DA2E52FB1EF80C9
Summary
This site, which is linked through the national archives, contains several different propaganda posters from WWII. The posters provide a range from the early “home-front” images, to the later posters that detail the horrors of war
This link contains the original recording of the speech that FDR made to the nation the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
This video is from an Oprah TV special where she tours a concentration camp with Holocaust survivor, Eli Wessel.
This online catalog contains over 300 WWII propaganda posters from several different countries. The site is easily accessed and posters can be searched for by topic/date/country of origin.
This timeline from 1939-1945 not only highlights the important events of WWII, but it divides the events into two categories:
War in Europe and War in the Pacific
These 22 images (most published) showcase the horrors of war as seen through the lens of an American photojournalist’s camera.
This website contains numerous magazine/newspaper/internet articles about the Cold War in a searchable database.
This website sorts out the most important events of the 20 th century into easy-to-navigate categories such as Wars,
Disasters, Timelines, Photographs, Important People, etc…
John Green discusses the Cold War interactions between the
USA and the USSR (through a World History perspective)
John Green discusses the history of China throughout the 20 th century, focusing mostly on political revolution.