World War II / Holocaust Project
GOAL: learn NEW, IN DEPTH information about a chosen topic on World War II or the
Holocaust using books and Internet sources. Practice citing sources. Please note: if you have
not shown understanding of new and in depth information, then you have not met
expectations which means you will earn no better than a D.
World War II
Choose one of the following options or find another to explore:
 Timeline
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/ww2time.htm focuses on European conflict
http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/timelines-index.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dday/timeline/index.html
Summarize, in your own words, and comment for at least the years 1939-1945. Show me that you
understand what happened.
 Biographies
Choose a person to research.
 Battles
Choose a battle to research.
 Casualties Stats
http://www.worldwar-2.net/casualties/world-war-2-casualties-index.htm
Review the countries involved and compare the stats on casualties.
 D-Day
 Famous Quotes
http://www.worldwar-2.net/famous-quotes/famous-quotes-index.htm
Choose a few quotes give background and commentary.
 Blitzkrieg
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/blitzkrieg_01.shtml
 Code Talkers
 Kamikazes
 Pearl Harbor
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/pearl_harbour_01.shtml there are certainly plenty of sites to
choose from.
 Valuable Sites with Lots of Interesting Ideas
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/
Choose a medium for your project – should include a combination of
 written and
 visual components:
a. Essay with pictures/tables/graphs
b. Essay/PowerPoint
c. Essay/poster/collage
d. Essay/diorama
e. Video/collage
Length:
a. introduction/conclusion
b. three body paragraphs for each student or the equivalent through a table etc. – the point? I
want to see that you understand what you are learning. You have to show a transfer of
knowledge (understanding). If I don’t see that, you are not meeting expectations.
Partner: You may work with one other person on any of the projects above. You may work alone. The
total amount of writing required is two pages or about five solid paragraphs with in-text citations
and a Works Cited.
Citations: In-text citations and a Works Cited are expected. Some projects have an addendum which allows
you to provide a notes sheet with citation information because a creative approach is allowed.
For any narrative writing etc, I will still need to see that you are working with concrete research.
Holocaust Project
You may choose one of the following long-range projects or you may choose one of the
World War II topics (above). Our essential question for this unit is
Why do people commit hate crimes?
In some way your project should address this question as fully as possible, otherwise, you will earn nothing
higher than a does not meet or a D.
 Examine, do not just list, the progression from segregation to annihilation of Jews in Europe from 1933 to
1945. Use this format to discuss hate crimes. Include pictures, quotes, drawings, text, and a reflection
answering the essential question (At least two pages in length). You may provide me with a typed page
of notes that you worked from with your sources identified for each section of notes.
 Create a story/ role-playing/ skit/ monologue about the experiences of those in the Holocaust. Address
the issue of hate crimes and why you believe they are committed (At least two pages in length). You
may provide me with a typed page of notes that you worked from with your sources identified for each
section of notes.
 Interview a survivor of the Holocaust or research other accounts of survival considering the effects on
the survivor, what changes the survivor undergoes, the survivor’s fate and philosophy. Include a
reflection of the essential question (At least two pages in length). You may provide me with a typed
page of notes that you worked from with your sources identified for each section of notes.
 Write an expository essay about why people commit hate crimes with stories/examples of hate crimes.
Include a reflection of the essential question (At least two pages in length).
 Plan a campaign against hate crimes. Discuss what they are, the danger they present to society,
examples, what we can do to stop them. Include a reflection of the essential question (At least two
pages in length). You may provide me with a typed page of notes that you worked from with your
sources identified for each section of notes.
 Create your own project? Discuss this with me…
Best place to find information?
Start with www.splcenter.org
www.apa.org
www.holocaustsurvivors.org
Choose a medium for your project – should include a combination of
 written and
 visual components:
f. Essay with pictures/tables/graphs
g. Essay/PowerPoint
h. Essay/poster/collage
i. Essay/diorama
j. Video/collage
Length:
c. introduction/conclusion
d. three body paragraphs for each student or the equivalent through a table etc. – the point? I
want to see that you understand what you are learning. You have to show a transfer of
knowledge (understanding). If I don’t see that, you are not meeting expectations.
Partner: You may work with one other person on any of the projects above. You may work alone. The
total amount of writing required is two pages or about five solid paragraphs with in-text citations
and a Works Cited.
Citations: In-text citations and a Works Cited are expected. Some projects have an addendum which allows
you to provide a notes sheet with citation information because a creative approach is allowed.
For any narrative writing etc, I will still need to see that you are working with concrete research.
World War II History – Web sites
Battle of the Bulge (PBS)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bulge/
The accompanying website to the PBS American Experience film features footage of veterans’ recollections and
a teacher’s guide.
BBC Online: World War II
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo
Contains general as well as specific information on WWII. Features audio recordings, galleries and animated maps and timelines.
Berga: Soldiers of Another War (PBS)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/berga/index.html
Describes the history of a group of American P.O.W.s who were isolated and made to suffer greatly because the
Nazis believed them to be Jewish. Interactive section allows one to imagine life as a prisoner.
D-Day (PBS)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/amex/dday
A PBS American Experience site that contains a “Did You Know” section as well as a description of the
contents of the paratroopers’ seventy-pound pack.
Encyclopedia of the Second World War
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WW.htm
An immense collection of entries, cross-referenced, and with links back to their original sources. Features entries as general as “Background to
the War,” and as specific as “Secret Agents.”
Go for Broke (Japanese American World War II veterans)
http://www.goforbroke.org/
The history of Japanese American regiments from WWII with interactive maps and descriptions of the
campaigns they were involved in, as well as an oral history video archive, lesson plans for teachers and
assignments for students.
The Holocaust Museum
http://www.ushmm.org/
An expansive site that offers a Holocaust Encyclopedia and articles on the subjects of preventing genocide and
addressing anti-semitism. Includes a teacher’s guide on how to teach the holocaust.
A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution
http://americanhistory.si.edu/perfectunion/experience/index.html
A multi-media Smithsonian site, which treats many aspects of the internment, starting with background and
ending with the 1987 court cases. Site discusses of the constitutionality of a government’s actions during war
and includes a “Reflections” area where visitors can share their thoughts on a variety of posted questions.
NOW on PBS
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/339/the-war.html
Watch as David Brancaccio discusses THE WAR with co-directors and co-producers Ken Burns and Lynn
Novick, and Reverend James A. Forbes.
The National WWII Museum
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/home.html
Features online exhibits, slideshows of permanent exhibits, and a calendar of events at the museum in New
Orleans.
The Price of Freedom: Americans at War
http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/
A Smithsonian virtual exhibit that features a variety of artifacts from different periods of the war. The visitor is
able to examine the object and read a description. Included in the exhibition are weapons, pin-ups, and
government orders.
A Thousand Suns
http://www.athousandsuns.com/
A site on the atomic bomb that features flash animations on such subjects as the differences between alpha, beta, and gamma radiation, and the
destructive power of an atomic detonation. Also features a short resource section.
The U.S. Army and Matters of Race During WWII (PBS)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/alaska/peopleevents/e_army.html
A Survey of the African American struggle to break through racial barriers in WWII. Includes a link to
Truman’s executive order to desegregate the military.
US Latinos and Latinas in WWII
http://utopia.utexas.edu/explore/latino/index.html
A project organized by the University of Texas at Austin to capture the stories of Latinos and Latinas during WWII. The site features web
versions of the journal published from 1999 to 2004, which contain the narratives of soldiers and civilians involved in the war effort.
Women Who Came to the Front (Library of Congress)
http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/wcf/wcf0001.html
Documents the varied WWII experiences of eight women who were “journalists, photographers, and
broadcasters during WWII.” Features examples of works done by the women and a description of their
achievements.
World War II Records at the National Archives
http://www.archives.gov/research/ww2/
A list page within the National Archives site that provides finding aids for searching NARA's extensive World
War II holdings. Also available here is a downloadable brochure (PDF) called "Finding Information on Personal
Participation in World War II."
Source: http://www.pbs.org/thewar/resources.htm