399 Biesterfield Rd.
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
847-439-3994
www.elkgroveparks.org/museum
OPEN HOURS
September-May:
Wed & Fri | 2:30-5:30pm
Sat | 11am-2pm
Dear Teachers and Educators,
Thank you for considering the Elk Grove Historical Museum
for your program needs! We offer programs that range in topic from
farm life to World War II. These unique programs are for grades
Pre-K through 8th that meet specific state standards.
We provide a one-of-a-kind experience at our museum
campus which is comprised of several buildings: an 1850s
Farmhouse, an orientation building, a barn from the 1880s, a chicken
coop, an outhouse, and a vegetable garden.
When you visit the museum for a school visit, your class/
group will be divided into three groups. By the end of the experience,
each group will have visited three stations plus an orientation
session. Each station is designed to provide a comprehensive
experience. Please note that if you schedule a program during the
months of March-August, one of the stations may be replaced with
an exhibit tour. Each year is a new exhibit topic which means a new
subject that your students will get to learn!
Included in this packet are a couple of things: a program
overview and pre- and post- visit lessons for your class. These
lessons are important in preparing your students and promoting
learning beyond the museum experience. Although these are not
required, they will certainly help enhance your experience!
If your class is unable to come to the museum, we can
certainly come to you! All of our programs can be adapted to be done
right in your classroom.
Contact us at the number above to book your visit today!
Sincerely,
Elk Grove Historical Museum staff
June-August:
Wed - Fri | Noon-5pm
Sat | 11am-2pm
Program Overview:
world war ii and the home front
Learning Standards Addressed:
Program Description:
• 16. A.3a Describe how historians
Learn about the American home front during World War
use models for organizing historical
II and how civilians helped the war effort.
interpretation (e.g., biographies, political
1. Orientation
events, issues and conflicts).
• Students will be introduced to America’s entry
• 16. A.3c Identify the differences between
into World War II
2. Propaganda in World War II
• Students will learn how propaganda played a role
and create a propaganda poster
3. Scrap Drives
the United States developed as a world
political power.
rights, roles and status of individuals in
drives and rationing to support the war effort
relation to municipalities, states and the
4. Victory Gardens
nation.
• Students will understand the importance of
• 14.D.3 Describe roles and influences of
victory gardens to the war effort, and plant a
individuals, groups and media in shaping
Victory garden seed
current Illinois and United States public
Grade Level:
7th-8th grade, maximum class size is 30 students per visit
Program Length:
policy (e.g., general public opinion, special
interest groups, formal parties, media).
• 14. E.3 Compare the basic principles of
the United States and its international
interests (e.g., territory, environment,
120 minutes (10-15 minute orientation, 30 minutes at
trade, use of technology).
each station plus 5 minutes for rotation)
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3
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• 16. B.3d (US) Describe ways in which
• 14. C.3 Compare historical issues involving
• Students will be able to describe the role of scrap
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historical fact and interpretation.
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vocabulary:
world war ii and the home front
The following is a list of vocabulary that may be used and discussed during the museum
visit. Use this list to prepare your students before the visit and/or to write about their
experience after the visit!
Allies
The countries, including the U.S., Great Britain, France, Poland, Russia and others that opposed the Axis
powers together during the Second World War (1939–1945)
Axis Powers
The nations, including German, Japan, Italy and others that fought in the Second World War against the
Allied forces
Home Front
A home front or homefront is the civilian populace of the nation at war as an active support system of its
military.
Propaganda
A form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or
position
Rationing
A fixed portion, especially an amount of food allotted to persons in military service or to civilians in times
of scarcity. You were only allowed to buy a small amount (even if you could afford more). The government
introduced rationing because certain things were in short supply during the war, and rationing was the
only way to make sure everyone got their fair share.
Scrap Drives
The United States government encouraged the American people to participate in scrap drives. Citizens
were asked to turn over to the government items that would prove to be useful in the war effort.
Victory Gardens
Vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in the United States,
United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Germany during World War I and World War II. They were used
to reduce pressure on the public food supply. Besides indirectly aiding the war effort, these gardens were
also considered a civil “morale booster” in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of
labor and rewarded by the produce grown.
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pre-visit lesson 1:
world war ii and the home front
Why was it called a world war?
Introduction
World War II was the mightiest struggle humankind has ever seen. It killed more people, cost more
money, damaged more property, affected more people, and caused more far-reaching changes in nearly
every country than any other war in history. The number of people killed, wounded, or missing between
September 1939 and September 1945 can never be calculated, but it is estimated that more than 55
million people perished.
More than 50 countries took part in the war, and the whole world felt its effects. Men fought in
almost every part of the world, on every continent except Antarctica. Chief battlegrounds included Asia,
Europe, North Africa, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea.
The United States hoped to stay out. Drawing on its experience from World War I, Congress passed
a series of Neutrality Acts between 1935 and 1939, which were intended to prevent Americans becoming
entangled with belligerents. Americans in general, however, while not wanting to fight the war, were
definitely not neutral in their sympathies and the acts were manipulated, to the frustration of genuine
isolationists, to lend more support to the Allies than the Axis.
Historians do not agree on the exact date when World War II began. Most consider the German
invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, to be the beginning of the war. Others say it started when the
Japanese invaded Manchuria on September 18, 1931. Others even regard World War I, which culminated
in the Peace with the Central Powers in 1921 and World War II as parts of the same conflict, with only a
breathing spell in between.
War officially began on September 1, 1939, when Germany attacked Poland. Germany then
crushed six countries in three months — Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and
France — and proceeded to conquer Yugoslavia and Greece.
Japan`s plans for expansion in the Far East led it to attack Pearl Harbor in December 1941,
bringing the United States into the war. By early 1942, all major countries of the world were involved in
the most destructive war in history.
World War II would go down in the history books as bringing about the downfall of Western
Europe as the center of world power, leading to the rise of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
(U.S.S.R.), setting up conditions leading to the Cold War, and opening up the nuclear age.
Activity: Discussion
Have a discussion with the students about why World War II is called a ‘World War’. The basic answers
are underlined in the Introduction. Then use the map on page 6 and label the contries that belonged to
the Allies or the Axis.
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pre-visit lesson 1:
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Why was it called a world war?
Activity: Map It!
Some additional suggested projects using maps are listed below. Use maps from the internet or have
the students draw their own maps as specified. Pair or group the students and assign each a different
mapping activity. When all projects have been completed let one group at a time share their assignments
with the rest of the class. Compile all the maps into a classroom book about World War II.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Use a map of Europe. Title the map “German and Italian Aggression in Europe in 1939.” Color all the German-invaded countries red; label each country with its correct name. Color the Italian-invaded countries green; label each country with its name.
On a map of the Pacific region, color red all the countries which were Japanese territories in 1941. Label each country with its name. Give the map an appropriate title.
(Use page 7) Map the European theater war battles. Draw a symbol of your choice to show where battles took place, for example, Dunkirk, Nunzio, and Kursk. Label each city with its name. On the back of the map, list each city and tell who fought there and who won.
Use a map of Europe to show which countries were Allied forces, which were Axis powers, and which remained neutral. Color all Allied countries blue, color all Axis countries red and leave all neutral countries white. Label each country with its name.
Draw a map of the island of Oahu. Locate and label the following military installations: Hickam Field, Wheeler Field, Pearl Harbor, Bellows Field, Barbers Point Marine Base, Haleiwa Field, and Kaneohe Naval Air Station. Draw appropriate symbols, such as planes, to indicate the path taken by the Japanese forces and the damage done to U.S. forces. Make a list of all the U.S. Navy ships which were sunk or damaged in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Make a map which reflects the changes in boundaries of European countries after World War II. Label each country. Make a list of those that were newly created and another list of those that were eliminated.
Map the Battle of the Bulge, the D-Day invasion, or the Battle of Britain. Draw different symbols for each set of forces. Label the cities in which the battles were fought. Use arrows to show the directions in which the various forces moved.
Draw a map of Germany; copy it. Label one map “Pre-World War II.” Label the other map “Post-World War II.” Show the differences in internal boundaries between the two time periods.
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pre-visit lesson 2:
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World War II timeline
Have the students create a timeline for the war. They may either do one timeline per student, as
small groups of students or as a class project. The timelines can be as simple or as elaborate as
you feel the students and you have time for. There should be a line put on 8 ½” X 11” or 8 ½” X
14” paper for individual students. If doing in groups or as class project individual sheets of paper
can be put together to form a long sheet or you may use a roll of paper of whatever length you
like.
This project can be done over a period of time. You can have the students check for what
happened on days as the school year goes by. (What happened in World War II on this date)? This
information can then be added to the timeline as a paragraph or two on the event. It can also have
images added to it that may be found on the internet; from magazines or the students own art
work. As the students are gathering information about events for the timeline you may ask them
to evaluate the importance of the event that they want to add. You can have a discussion with
the students of what do you think would have happened in world history if the events they are
researching didn’t take place or if the event happened differently.
If you are also doing the Pre-Visit Lesson #1 you can use the maps to show where events of the
timeline took place.
World War II Timeline Resources
»» Timeline of World War II From 1939 to 1945
»» Timeline on WorldWar-2.net
»» Timeline on Ducksters.com
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How did World War II change the world?
Introduction: World War II Aftermath
The Allies established occupation administrations in Austria and Germany. The former
became a neutral state, non-aligned with any political bloc. The latter was divided into western
and eastern occupation zones controlled by the Western Allies and the USSR, accordingly. A
denazification program in Germany led to the prosecution of Nazi war criminals and the removal
of ex-Nazis from power, although this policy moved towards amnesty and re-integration of exNazis into West German society.
Germany lost a quarter of its pre-war (1937) territory. Among the eastern territories,
Silesia, Neumark and most of Pomerania were taken over by Poland, East Prussia was divided
between Poland and the USSR, followed by the expulsion of the 9 million Germans from these
provinces, as well as the expulsion of 3 million Germans from the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia
to Germany. By the 1950s, every fifth West German was a refugee from the east. The Soviet Union
also took over the Polish provinces east of the Curzon line, from which 2 million Poles were
expelled; north-east Romania, parts of eastern Finland, and the three Baltic states were also
incorporated into the USSR.
In an effort to maintain peace, the Allies formed the United Nations, which officially came
into existence on 24 October 1945, and adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in
1948, as a common standard for all member nations. The great powers that were the victors of
the war—the United States, Soviet Union, China, Britain, and France—formed the permanent
members of the UN’s Security Council. The five permanent members remain so to the present,
although there have been two seat changes, between the Republic of China and the People’s
Republic of China in 1971, and between the Soviet Union and its successor state, the Russian
Federation, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The alliance between the Western Allies
and the Soviet Union had begun to deteriorate even before the war was over.
Germany had been de facto divided, and two independent states, the Federal Republic of
Germany and the German Democratic Republic were created within the borders of Allied and
Soviet occupation zones, accordingly. The rest of Europe was also divided into Western and Soviet
spheres of influence. Most eastern and central European countries fell into the Soviet sphere,
which led to establishment of Communist-led regimes, with full or partial support of the Soviet
occupation authorities. As a result, Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania,
and Albania became Soviet satellite states. Communist Yugoslavia conducted a fully independent
policy, causing tension with the USSR.
Post-war division of the world was formalized by two international military alliances, the
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United States-led NATO and the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact; the long period of political tensions and
military competition between them, the Cold War, would be accompanied by an unprecedented
arms race and proxy wars.
In Asia, the United States led the occupation of Japan and administrated Japan’s former
islands in the Western Pacific, while the Soviets annexed Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Korea,
formerly under Japanese rule, was divided and occupied by the US in the South and the Soviet
Union in the North between 1945 and 1948. Separate republics emerged on both sides of the
38th parallel in 1948, each claiming to be the legitimate government for all of Korea, which led
ultimately to the Korean War.
In China, nationalist and communist forces resumed the civil war in June 1946. Communist
forces were victorious and established the People’s Republic of China on the mainland, while
nationalist forces retreated to Taiwan in 1949. In the Middle East, the Arab rejection of the United
Nations Partition Plan for Palestine and the creation of Israel marked the escalation of the ArabIsraeli conflict. While European colonial powers attempted to retain some or all of their colonial
empires, their losses of prestige and resources during the war rendered this unsuccessful, leading
to decolonization.
The global economy suffered heavily from the war, although participating nations
were affected differently. The US emerged much richer than any other nation; it had a baby
boom and by 1950 its gross domestic product per person was much higher than that of any
of the other powers and it dominated the world economy. The UK and U.S. pursued a policy of
industrial disarmament in Western Germany in the years 1945–1948. Due to international trade
interdependencies this led to European economic stagnation and delayed European recovery for
several years.
Recovery began with the mid-1948 currency reform in Western Germany, and was sped
up by the liberalization of European economic policy that the Marshall Plan (1948–1951) both
directly and indirectly caused. The post-1948 West German recovery has been called the German
economic miracle. Italy also experienced an economic boom and the French economy rebounded.
By contrast, the United Kingdom was in a state of economic ruin, and although it received a
quarter of the total Marshall Plan assistance, more than any other European country, continued
relative economic decline for decades.
The Soviet Union, despite enormous human and material losses, also experienced rapid
increase in production in the immediate post-war era. Japan experienced incredibly rapid
economic growth, becoming one of the most powerful economies in the world by the 1980s.
China returned to its pre-war industrial production by 1952.
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How did World War II change the world?
Activity: Discussion
Review the U.S. economy, society, and politics in the years following World War II. To spark
discussion, write the terms below on a chalkboard/whiteboard and ask students: What does each
of these terms communicate about post-war America in the late 1940s and early 1950s? In what
ways was this a time of prosperity and hope? What were some of the challenges the nation faced?
Answers may include the following:
»»
»»
»»
»»
Cold War
communism
arms race
baby boom
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»»
»»
»»
assembly lines
vacuum cleaners
G.I. Bill
television
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»»
»»
»»
»»
suburbs
segregation
cars
labor camps
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post-visit lesson 2:
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Post War U.S. Economy
In this lesson, students will explore advertisements from the late 1940s and early 1950s. Like all
advertisements, these showcase a society’s latest products and technology. They also reflect the society’s
values and common stereotypes. You can discuss this topic further, sparking conversation with a few
advertisements from recent papers and magazines.
Activity: Advertisements Then and Now
Show and discuss a few examples of late 1940s and early 1950s print advertisements from the following
Web sites. (Be sure to select examples from after 1945.) Ask students: What does each of these ads tell
you about U.S. society at the time? Below are two websites to help you get started on examples:
»» Ad*Access at Duke University Libraries
»» Archive of classic print ads
Assign students to work with a partner/partners to select an advertisement to analyze. (To narrow their
focus and ensure diversity, you may want to assign students an advertisement.) Have students write a
short analysis that answers some/all of the following questions:
»» What product is being advertised?
»» Who is the target audience?
»» How is the product described? What features are highlighted?
»» What claims does the ad make? What does it promise the product will provide the buyer? (For example: comfort, excitement, popularity, beauty, praise, prestige, etc.)
»» Does this ad use symbols or stereotypes to sell the product? If so, which ones?
»» Does this ad give any evidence or proof to support its claims? If so, what is it?
»» What other information is included in the ad? (For example, was the product’s price included?) Was there any information you found interesting or surprising?
»» What does the ad indicate about the U.S. in the post-war years?
»» Do you think this ad would be effective for a similar product today? Why or why not?
Find a print advertisement for a similar product from a current magazine or newspaper. Write a
second analysis, first answering the previous questions and then the following ones:
»» How are the two advertisements similar?
»» How are they different? (For example, do they make similar claims for the buyer? Do they use different symbols or stereotypes to sell the product?)
Then students will present their post-war and modern-day ads to the class. As a class, discuss
what the ads convey about the post-war era, as well as how life differs from life today in the U.S.
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post-visit lesson 3:
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Children during World War II
Children today have similarities and dissimilarities from children during World War II. For
this activity your students will be able to discovery and gain insight into these similarities and
dissimilarities.
Activity:
Discuss with your students as to how they think that they are different from children during
World War II. This can be in such things as the clothes they wear, what they eat, how they play etc.
Write a list of the things students mention.
Compare the list to things that students may do today. One of the things they can bring up in how
child during the War helped in such things as scrap drives. How is this similar to what they may
be doing today?
Assignment: Children’s Lives During WWII and Today
After the discussion, assign a research project where students will find evidence which supports
their ideas on how they are both like and or not like children during World War II. This can be an
individual or small group project.
As an evaulative method, students will present their projects to the class. These presentations can
be in the form of a play, poster, paper, blog, etc.
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