Name ______________________________________
World War II Interactive WebQuest
Political and economic instability in Europe led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany. By the
late-1930s Europe was, once again, engulfed in conflict as Germany’s war machine began to overwhelm the entire
continent. The following interactive Web Quest explores various features of the Second World War, from Germany’s
expansion in the mid-1930s to the final days of the conflict. You will examine several interactive activities, videos,
articles, and images as you complete this Web Quest. Follow the instructions and complete each activity or task as you
proceed through the Web Quest. Good luck!
Nazi Expansion
Click this link and then click to explore “Europe and Africa,” then click on the box near the bottom that reads “Nazi
Expansion.”
Read the first paragraph of the article.
Why did Hitler wish to expand his empire? When did Great Britain & France declare war against Germany, and why?
Examine the pictures from the Nazi invasion, then examine the map depicting the Nazi occupation of Europe.
As you watch the simulation, list the regions of Europe invaded by Nazi Germany from 1936 through 1941.
The Battle of Britain
After taking control of France, Hitler turned his attention toward Great Britain. In the interactive activity, zoom out and
click on the box that reads “Battle of Britain.”
Read the first paragraph of the article.
After Hitler took control of France, how did he hope to force Great Britain’s surrender?
Click on the box that reads “Churchill rallies the British” and listen to the speech he gives to his citizens.
What is the main message of Churchill’s speech?
Click on this link and listen to the first speech on the page by Churchill:
What is the main message of Churchill’s speech?
How would you describe Churchill as a speaker?
Click this link to watch a video clip about the Battle of Britain:
List several details of the “Blitz of London.” What did the London citizens go through? How did they survive the attacks?
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Lend-Lease Act
Click here to return to the WWII Interactive.
Click to explore “North America,” then click on the box on the left that reads “Lend-Lease Act.” Read the first paragraph
of the article.
What was the difference between the cash-and-carry payments and the lend-lease payments?
What was the main purpose of the Lend-Lease Act?
Click on the icon on the right that reads “Lend Lease Distributions.”
Which nation received the most from the U.S.? How much did they receive in 2008 dollars?
Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
While the U.S. was negotiating with Japan and trying to keep troops out of the war, everything changed on one fateful
morning in December of 1941. Click here to return to the WWII Interactive.
Click to explore “North America,” then click on the box on the top left that reads “Pearl Harbor.”
Read the first paragraph of the article.
How many lives were lost during the attack on Pearl Harbor? What did President Roosevelt call this day?
Click this link to watch a video clip about the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor.
What was the date of the attack?
What are some ways in which FDR describes the attack?
What was the immediate effect of the attack?
The Battle of the Atlantic
The Nazis had a devastating underwater strategy they used during the war. Click here to return to the WWII Interactive.
Click to explore “North America,” then click on the box in the middle that reads “The U-Boat Peril.”
Read the first paragraph of the article.
Why did German U-boats attack Allied ships in the Atlantic?
How many U-boats and how many Allied ships were destroyed during the Battle of the Atlantic?
The Italian Campaign
Click this link to follow the major battles in Italy.
Why do the British and the Americans both agree that the Allies should invade Italy?
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Where do Allied forces begin their attack of Italy? Who is leading the Allied troops?
When do the Allied forces capture Rome? What is the ultimate fate of Mussolini?
The Tuskegee Airmen
Before the Allied forces were prepared to launch a second front in France, Allied fighter pilots began bombing German
targets. An all-black squadron—known as the Tuskegee Airmen—was a part of the bombing campaign against strategic
targets in Germany. Click the following link to learn about the experience of one Tuskegee Airmen.
What was the specific mission of the Tuskegee Airmen?
Was the “Tuskegee Experiment” successful? Why or why not?
The Doolittle Raid
Though American morale was low after Pearl Harbor and the defeat at Bataan, the tide began to turn in the Pacific after
the Doolittle Raid. Click this link to watch a video clip about the Doolittle Raid.
What was the goal of the Doolittle Raid?
What had to happen for the Raid to be successful?
What was the psychological effect of the Doolittle Raid?
What becomes Japan’s goal after the Doolittle Raid?
America on the offensive in the Pacific – The U.S.S. Enterprise
After defeating the Japanese at Midway, U.S. troops go on the offensive in the Pacific. Click here to return to the WWII
Interactive.
Click to explore “Asia,” then click on the box on the right that reads “USS Enterprise.” Read the first paragraph.
List three significant statistics about the U.S.S. Enterprise.
Click the box on the right that reads “Inside the USS Enterprise” and watch the video that follows.
What was the weight, range, and cruising speed of “The Big E?”
What weapons does the USS Enterprise hold?
Click this link to watch a video clip and learn more about the USS Enterprise.
List some of the characteristics of the USS Enterprise that made it such a vital weapon for the US.
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The D-Day Invasion of Normandy
With Allied forces closing in on Hitler from the South and the East, the next step was to invade France and attack Hitler’s
forces from the West. Click here to return to the WWII Interactive.
Click to explore “Europe and Africa,” then click on the box in the top left that reads “D-Day.” Read the first paragraph.
What was the codename of the operation?
How many troops and vehicles landed at Normandy?
Click this link to learn how the Allied forces deceived Hitler prior to D-Day.
What cities were the three best options for where to begin the invasion of France?
What was the name of the plan of deception prior to D-Day?
List some of the ways the Allied forces made Hitler believe the troops were landing at Pas de Calais:
Click this link to watch a short animation about the build up and events of D-Day.
What was the date of the invasion?
What were the codenames of the beaches where most American troops landed?
British and Canadian troops?
When was Paris finally liberated?
Click this link to watch a short animation about the events of D-Day and the invasion of France.
Approximately how many servicemen are in southern England prior to the invasion?
Why did Hitler keep the German armoured reserves in Paris instead of sending them to Normandy?
How difficult are the early battles after the Normandy landings?
When Paris is finally liberated, how many weeks have the Allied troops been fighting and how many causalities have they
suffered?
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The Holocaust
Click this link to learn about the Holocaust.
What groups were targeted by the Nazis during the era of the Holocaust?
What was Hitler’s “Final Solution?”
For what were the Nazi “concentration camps” used during the Holocaust?
Click this link
Describe the way in which Jews were killed by 1942:
How deadly was the Auschwitz death camp during the Holocaust?
Fighting Continues in the Pacific – Japanese Kamikaze Pilots
Though the war in Europe was over, the fighting in the Pacific was just heating up. Click here to return to the WWII
Interactive.
Click to explore “Asia,” then click on the box on the right that reads “Zero to Kamikaze.” Read the first paragraph.
What new strategy did Japanese fighter pilots begin to employ in the Pacific?
Click on the box to the right that reads “Japanese Zero.”
What were some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Japanese Zero fighter plane?
Japanese Interment Camps
On the home front, Japanese-Americans faced discrimination during the war.
Click on this link to watch a video clip about Japanese internment during the war.
What was Executive Order 9066, and why was it issued?
Describe the camps and the conditions faced by the Japanese Americans:
How does the U.S. government try to make amends in 1988 for the Japanese internment?
The Manhattan Project
Click here to return to the WWII Interactive.
Click to explore “North America,” then click on the box on the right that reads “Manhattan Project.” Read the first
paragraph.
What was the Manhattan Project and what was its goal?
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Click on the icon on the right that reads “Manhattan Project Sites.”
Where were the project sites located?
Click on the icon that reads “First Atomic Bomb Test.”
In three words or less, describe the site of the atomic bomb test:
Hiroshima and Nagasaki – Victory in Japan
Click here to return to the WWII Interactive.
Click to explore “Asia,” then click on the box in the top left that reads “The Atomic Bomb.” Read the first paragraph.
How many Japanese were killed after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagaski?
Click on the boxes on the right to view pictures and a video clip.
Describe the physical conditions of the cities after the dropping of the bombs?
Click this link to watch a video clip about the dropping of the atomic bombs (please be advised, this video clip is graphic
in nature).
If you were close enough to see the blast but were not killed instantly, how were you affected?
How does radiation poisoning affect the human body?
If you were close enough to the blast to get a lower dose of radiation, but you did not die immediately, how might you be
affected several years later?
America on the Home Front – WWII Posters
Click on the following link to explore some posters supporting the American war effort.
What is the main goal of poster 1?
What does the Rosie the Riveter poster represent (poster 2)?
What is the message of poster 3?
What is the goal of poster 5?
What is the goal of poster 7?
What is the message of poster 11?
What is the message of poster 15?
What are some common characteristics found in most of the posters?
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