World War II Unit
Socials 11
Reference: Counterpoints Chapter 5
P. Waatainen
Skills in communication and historical thinking in this unit:
 Assessing historical significance
 Using primary source documents
 Grappling with controversial issues in history
 Formulating and supporting an argument
 Memorializing historical events
Questions to guide study:
1. What were the international causes of the Second World War?
2. Why did Canada enter the war?
3. What was the nature and impact of Canadian participation in:
a. The European theater?
b. The Pacific?
c. The homefront?
4. Describe the impact of the war in Canada on:
a. The economy
b. National unity
c. Japanese-Canadians
d. Women
5. What was the nature of World War II as compared to World War I, ie.
a. Technology
b. “total war”
c. impact on civilians
d. atrocities
Schedule:
Nov 29/Dec 3
Causes in Europe
Issue Sheet: Canada’s entry
Dec 5
Causes in Asia
Issue Sheet: Japanese atrocities
Dec 7
Japanese internment
Issue Sheet: Japanese internment
Dec 11
Events to 1942 in Europe
Issue Sheet: Dieppe Raid
Dec 13
Nature of the war document activity
Dec 17
Events of 1943/44
Issue sheet: technology
Dec 19
Women in the war document activity
Jan 8
Ending the war in Europe
Issue sheet: Bombing of civilians
Jan 10
The War at Home
Issue sheet: Conscription
Museum display proposals due
Jan 14
The Holocaust and Canada’s response
Jan 16
World War II exam and Issues sheets due
Museum Display Proposal
Choose one specific topic that relates to Canada’s role in World War II in the
European theatre, the Pacific or on the home front.
Imagine that you are the curator for a new museum display about Canada’s role in
the war. In this assignment you will design a display for the one topic (ie bomber
command, the Dieppe Raid, the Japanese internment, the fall of Hong Kong, women
in uniform etc.)
Select 5 elements that you would include in your display. These could include
photographs, propaganda posters, cartoons, physical artifacts, quotes, letters, voice
recordings etc.
For each element include:
- an image of it (or audio clip)
- bibliographic information
- a paragraph describing why you selected it and what you hope the museum
visitor will take away from experiencing it
Also include a concluding statement which describes your intention for the display
overall. In your choices of how you are memorializing that topic, what
understanding are you trying to convey?