Title: WWII- Hitler’s Rise to Power
Subject: Social Studies
Grade Level: 7th grade
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject Area: WWII
Unit Description: Summary of key events, people and places in WWII.
Lesson Description: The lesson will begin by asking the students what knowledge they
already have of Hitler, and questions about him that they may want answered by the end
of this lesson. After discussing their prior knowledge, we will being to tell the history of
Hitler’s life, and the reasons he began to rebel through a power point which students will
be given time to copy into their notebooks. We will then move onto the strategies he used
to take over Germany and begin the Nazi party and the students will color in countries on
a map of Europe that Hitler took over and allied with. They can use a map provided on
the overhead to assist them. We will briefly introduce the concentration camps he started,
and explain his ideal type. For homework the students will write a paragraph on their
opinion if Hitler was a good leader or not. They may use the organization chart provided
to them to compare and contrast Hitler’s qualities to the qualities of a good leader.
State Standards: Geography, History, Political Science, Behavioral Science
Unit Goals: To develop a knowledge of people, places, causes, and outcomes of WWII.
Lesson Goals: To provide the students with a better understanding of how and why Adolf
Hitler rose to power, and why he was so successful.
By the end of the lesson they should know:
 Hitler started as an intelligent, intellectual man who began to rebel after being
rejected from the art school he wished to attend.
 He wrote a book while he was in prison called Mein Kampf explaining the
reasons for his hatred of other races, and his plan to exterminate them all.
 The beginning of the Nazi party.
 The strategies Hitler, and the Nazis used to take over most of Europe.
 A brief overview of concentration camps (an in depth overview will be covered of
the day we teach about the Holocaust).
 How and why Hitler fell from power.
Anticipatory Set: Students will be involved by telling what knowledge they already have
of Adolf Hitler. This information will be recorded on a KWL chart.
Introduce and model new knowledge: Teacher will provide a power point on all
important topics covered in this lesson. Students will be given time to copy the notes
from the overhead power point into their notebooks.
Provide guided practice: Teacher will comment on students’ ideas and correct any
misconceptions, they will also answer the questions the students came up with at the
beginning of the class. The teacher will also be jotting down ideas on the blackboard,
providing visuals with the use of maps in the classroom. Students will be expected to take
notes from the power point.
Provide Independent Practice: Students will be coloring in a map of countries Hitler ruled
they may use this map
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Second_world_war_europe_1941-1942_map_en.png
which will be on the overhead to help them, they will also use these notes to study for
their test at the end of the unit.
Formative/Ongoing assessment: The students will be assessed on their class participation,
the homework assigned, and their overall WWII unit test.
Summative/End of lesson assessment: The students will be writing a paragraph for
homework on their opinion about whether Hitler was a good leader or not. They may use
the organization chart provided to them to compare and contrast Hitler’s qualities to the
qualities of a good leader.
Procedure: Students will discuss their prior knowledge of Adolf Hitler and tell the teacher
any specific questions they would like answered about Hitler by the end of this lesson.
The teacher will then tell the history of Hitler and put up a power point on the overhead,
which the students will copy. Students will then color in countries on a map of Europe
which Hitler ruled. At the end of the lesson, the teacher will answer the questions
students asked at the beginning of the lesson, and a paragraph will be assigned for
homework.
Necessary materials: Chalk board, KWL chart, overhead projector, power point, blank
maps of Europe, crayons.
Links:
Blank map:
http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/579/592970/BlankMaps/World%20War%
20II%20in%20Europe.gif
http://readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=33
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Second_world_war_europe_1941-1942_map_en.png