US History - 4th Six Weeks
Unit IV
III – World War II
Concepts:
1. Reasons for U.S. involvement: dictatorships and the attack on Pearl Harbor
2. Leadership of FDR and Truman both domestically and internationally (relationship with
allies and
mobilization)
3. U.S. Office of War Information
4. Major Issues of WWII: Holocaust, Internment and Conventional and Atomic Weapons
5. Major Military Events: Battle of Midway, U.S. advancements through the Pacific Islands,
Bataan
Death March, invasion of Normandy, fighting war on multiple fronts,
liberation of concentration camps
6. Military Leadership: Omar Bradley, Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, Chester A.
Nimitz,
George Marshall and George Patton
7. Homefront: American patriotism, military enlistment, volunteerism, war bonds, Victory
Gardens,
opportunities/obstacles for women and minorities
8. Contributions of minorities: Tuskegee Airmen, Flying Tigers and Navajo Code Talkers
9. Economic effects: end of Great Depression, rationing, opportunities women and
minorities
10. Constitutional issues from policy changes during war
11. Participation in international organizations and treaties
12. Art: war propaganda in art, music, film and literature.
13. Congressional Medal of Honor recipients from all races
14. Scientific Discoveries in medicine
Questions Students should be able to answer:
1. What is the significance of the key dates of in history from 1939-1945?
2. What domestic and international leadership did FDR provide during this time?
3. What function did the US Office of War Information serve?
4. What were the major issues of WWII including the Holocaust, internment, and
the use of atomic and conventional weapons?
5. What were the major military events and what were the contributions of the
military leaders in WWII?
6. What was the home front and how did American patriotism inspire exceptional
actions by citizens and military personnel?
7. What were the effects of governmental actions on individuals, industries, and
communities?
8. What were the economic effects of WWII on the home front?
9. What were the constitutional issues raised by federal government policy changes
in WWII and evaluate the pros and cons of US participation in international
organizations and treaties?
10. How are the characteristics of WWII reflected in various genres of art, music,
film, and literature?
11. What actions were taken by women and minorities to expand economic
opportunities and political rights?
12. What were the political, social, and economic contributions of Eleanor Roosevelt
to American society?
13. What is the importance of Vernon J. Baker?
14. What specific needs result in scientific discoveries and technological innovations
in the military and in medicine (including vaccines)?
Terminology/people to know :
1. Dictatorships
2. Pearl Harbor
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt
4. Harry Truman
5. Allies
6. Mobilization
7. Domestic
8. International
9. US Office of War Mobilization
10. Holocaust
11. Internment
12. Executive Order 9066
13. Conventional/atomic weapons
14. Battle of Midway
15. Pacific Theater
16. Bataan Death March
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
Invasion of Normandy
European Theater
Oman Bradley
Dwight Eisenhower
Douglass MacArthur
Chester A. Nimitz
George Marshall
George Patton
Patriotism
Victory Gardens
Tuskegee Airmen
Flying Tigers
Navajo Cod Talkers
Eleanor Roosevelt
Vernon J. Baker
Primary Sources: To be used throughout entire unit
Art
Political cartoons of Dr. Seuss
Propaganda posters
Techonology
Video Clips: Newsreels (Unite Streaming):WWII cartoons
Photos of Holocaust
Music
“Little Boxes” by Malvina Reynolds
Elvis Presley music
Literature
Jack Kerouac poetry
There will be several Formative and one summative assessment for this portion of
Unit IV, and it will be cumulative towards the CBA at the end of the six weeks.
IV - B The Cold War
Concepts:
1. 1957 Launch of Sputnik ignites the U.S.-Soviet space race
2. U.S. responses to Soviet aggression after WWII: Truman Doctrine, Marshall
Plan, NATO, Berlin Airlift and JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis
3. Arms race/Space race ignites tension: HUAC, McCarthyism and Venona Papers
4. Korean War and policy of Containment
5. Space technology and exploration improving the quality of life for Americans
Questions Students should be able to answer:
1. What was significant in history from 1957-1991?
2. What were the US responses to Soviet aggression after WWII including the
Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, NATO, the Berlin Airlift, and JFK’s role in the Cuban
Missile Crisis?
3. How did Cold War tension intensify by the arms race the space race,
McCarthyism, and HUAC as confirmed by the Venona Papers?
4. What were the reasons and outcomes for US involvement in the Korean War and
its relationship to the containment policy?
5. What was the economic impact of defense spending on the business cycle and
education priorities from 1945 to the 1990s?
6. What were the pros and cons of US participation in international organizations
and treaties?
7. What scientific discoveries, technological innovations, and the applications of
these by a free enterprise system were used to improve the standard of living in the
US?
8. How did space technology and exploration improve the quality of life?
Terminology/people to know :
1. Sputnik
2. Space race
3. Cold War
4. Truman Doctrine
5. Marshall Plan
6. NATO
7. Berlin Airlift
8. John F. Kennedy
9. Cuban Missile Crisis
10. McCarthyism
11.
12.
13.
14.
HUAC
Venona Papers
Korean War
Containment
There will be several Formative and one summative assessment in the form of a
project for this portion of Unit IV, and it will be cumulative towards the CBA at the
end of the six weeks.
IV - C Postwar America
Concepts:
1. Population growth: baby boomers
2. Economic Prosperity: Baby Boom, GI Bill, Increased Consumption and growth of
agriculture and
business
3. Culture: Beat Generation, Rock and Roll,
4. Science: Polio vaccine
Questions Students should be able to answer:
1. What were the effects of the population growth and distribution on the physical
environment?
2. What were the effects of the governmental actions on individuals, industries, and
communities?
3. What were the causes of economic prosperity in the 1950s including the
Baby Boom and the GI Bill, and what were the effects of such economic prosperity
on increased consumption and the growth of agriculture and business?
4. What was the economic impact of defense spending on the business cycle and
education priorities?
5. What characteristics and issues in the 1950s were reflected in various genres of
art, music, film, and literature?
6. What were both positive and negative impacts of significant examples of cultural
movement in art, music, and literature such the Beat Generation and rock and roll?
7. What was the impact of popular American culture on the rest of the world over
time, and what was the global diffusion of American culture through the
entertainment industry via various media?
8. What were the actions taken by people to expand economic opportunity and
political rights to contribute to our national identity?
9. How did contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, gender, and religious
groups shape American culture?
10. How did specific needs result in scientific discoveries and technological
innovations in agriculture, the military, and medicine including vaccines?
11. What scientific discoveries, technological innovations, and the applications of
these by a free enterprise system were used to improve the standard of living in the
US?
Terminology/people to know :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Baby Boom
GI Bill
Consumption
Business Cycle
Beat Generation
Rock and Roll
Pop Culture
Vaccine