DRAFT
Grade 6
Lesson: World War 2: Part 2
Social studies Standard(s): Standard 4, Objective 1
Content Objective(s):
Teacher objective
Students will sequence the important events in World War 2 by
playing dominos.
Student objective [posted]
I will sequence the important events in World War 2 by playing
dominos.
Essential Questions:
How should we handle conflict?
#21
Language Objective(s):
Teacher objective
Students will be able to support their argument for the major
turning points in World War 2 by filling in a Four Square graphic
organizer.
Student objective [posted]
I will be able to support their argument for the major turning
points in World War 2 by filling in a Four Square graphic
organizer.
Required Academic Vocabulary for Word Wall:
Listen: troops, appeasement, nonaggression pact, blitzkrieg,
Axis powers, swept, pushed deep into, banned, censor, allies,
correspond
Speak: troops, nonaggression pact, Axis powers, allies,
surrender, push back, correlate
Read: troops, appeasement, nonaggression pact, blitzkrieg,
Axis powers, swept, pushed deep into, banned, censor, allies,
surrender, push back
Write: troops, appeasement, nonaggression pact, blitzkrieg,
Axis powers, swept, pushed deep into, banned, censor, allies,
surrender, push back
Sentence Frames:
On page _____, in the section with the heading_______, it
states_____ that correlates to________.
Materials:
 My World, Chapter 31, section 3, p.940-947
 OR an informative text summarizing the events after
1941 in World War 2.
 Domino template
 Optional: wood or plastic dominos
 Pictures of each major timeline event
Additional Lesson Vocabulary:
Lesson:
Instructional Time: 50
Opening: (5 minutes)
Strategy: Secret Password (same strategy used in lesson #20) – this time students do this activity as a mixer. All students circulate
and pair up several times.
 Teacher gives each student a fact about part 1 of WW2.
 Students read their clues as they walk around the room and the other student tries to figure out what the clue is
describing.
 Students try to guess as many as possible in 5 minutes.

Introduction to New Material (Direct Instruction): (15 minutes)
Strategy: Sequencing Graphic Organizer – students use this graphic organizer to place events in order with pictures.
 The teacher presents the following sequence of events(may add details)
 For each event, use a visual and a few student volunteers can act it out. Other students have the pictures and hold
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them up.
Make costumes/hats to represent each role (Hitler, Stalin, Lenon, Roosvelt, Japan’s military leaders)
Timeline
1. 1941- Hitler breaks non-aggression pact (friendship treaty) with Russia, Hitler sends the other half of the army to
attack Leningrad, Stalin pushes Hitler back, Hitler fails to conquer Russia
2. Japan bombs Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, US declares war on Japan
3. Germany declares war on US, Soviet Union joins the Allies
4. Battle of Midway – 1942
5. January 1943, Soviets pushed back German invasion
6. Stalin, Lenon, Roosevelt plan D-Day to occur on June 6, 1944
7. After a year they free all the countries under Nazis rule
8. Hitler kills himself, Roosevelt dies April 1945, Trueman takes over
9. Germany surrenders May 7, 1945
10. US discovers the concentration camps
11. Japan keeps fighting, US asks Japan to surrender, tell them about the atomic bomb, they refuse, US drops the bomb on
Hiroshima kills 80,000 people, 3 days later drop bomb on Nagasaki 40,000 dead, they surrender August 14, 1945.

Guided Practice: (15 minutes)
Strategy: Power Thinking – Students match text citations with the events on the timeline as they read.
Use the modeling cycle:
Teacher Does:
 Students and the teacher read aloud from a text summary of the events of World War I.
T: “Now that I have read section one, I’m going to look at the events on my timeline and see if I can match an event to a
section of the text. I see the event “In 1941- Hitler breaks non-aggression pact (friendship treaty) with Russia” and
that is described in the text on page 942, “he broke his agreement with Stalin and sent 3 million troops into the Soviet
Union.” I am going to label this page and location with a sticky note that says #1 on it because this statement
correlates to this specific event.”
Teacher and students do:
T: “Let’s keep reading (read the next section). Look at your timeline cards. Review the text. Can you find a description of the
next event in the text? Discuss this with your table groups.”
T: “Hold up the picture of the event that matches a passage in the reading we just read.”
 Check table groups’ answers
T: Call on a table group and a seat number (numbered heads). “Student A please read the section that corresponds to the
event on the timeline.”
S1: On page 942, in the section with the heading U.S. Entry Into the War, it says “On December 7, 1941 Japanese airplanes
bombed and American military base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.”
T: “Which event does this correspond to on your timeline?”
S2: This correlates to the event “Japan bombs Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, US declares war on Japan.”
T: “Ok, let’s label this #2 with a post-it note.”
You Do:
T: “Now read the next section. Discuss any text-reference to an event on your timeline. Find the text reference and
match it to the event.”
S3: In the section Turning Points it states, “Japan suffered its’ first serious defeat at the Battle of Midway.”
T: “Show me how you will label the text.”
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
Students hold up post-it note with #3 on it.
T: “Ok, let’s continue reading and finish labeling the text.”
Independent Practice: (10 minutes)
Strategy: Dominos – students set up dominos in order based on the events in this section of WW2. The events are
represented in words and/or pictures. They start the domino effect by tapping the first domino to show cause and effect. Refer
to the materials list for options for dominos. Using the text references gleaned from the text, students take turns explaining
how one event led to another (cause and effect).
 Using the projector. Place two dominos under the camera, matching the picture to the event.
T: “I chose these two dominos because in 1941, Hitler broke the non-aggression pact (friendship treaty) with Russia,
sending three million troops into the Soviet Union to attack Leningrad, At Stalingrad in 1943 Stalin’s army
surrounded the Germans, cutting off their supplies and forcing them to surrender. Germany failed to conquer Russia.
What other details should I add? Look at your text references and timeline and put your finger on a detail you might
add(wait for students to read and point). I might add “Russia joined the allied forces” Show me thumbs up or down if
you agree or disagree with me. Find the page for this text reference and show me the page number with your fingers.
(wait) I see you chose page 944 and the third paragraph, excellent.”
We Do
 Model this same process with a student and the class.
You Do
 Guide students through the process, require them to find the answers, check for whole class comprehension and
provide feedback.
Closing: (5 minutes)
Strategy: Four Square Writing Process – Use the organizer for forming a supported argument. Students fill in the squares using
the timeline and text from class.
Question : What were the major turning points in World War 2? (support your response with evidence)
 Students read their argument from their organizer with a partner.
 They may choose to add details or change details after discussing in pairs.
 Student pairs now join another pair to form a group of four and share their arguments. The group comes to consensus
for three turning points in WW2.
 Each group of four shares the major turning points and the teacher writes the answer on the board. If the same
answer is repeated, the teacher adds a tally mark.
 The class comes to consensus on three major turning points supported with evidence.
Assessment:
The closing activity
Extra Ideas:
Homework – Write a paragraph using the organizer.
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