World War II
An Integrated Unit Plan
Our Goal
Engagement, Enrichment, Experiences
By choosing World War II, students are being immersed in a time period of great strides and setbacks as a Nation. Additionally, World War II was not only a time of great innovation and change in the United States, but on a global scale as well. Our goal for this unit is to promote global learning within our classrooms. Through a broad scope analyzing diverse factors contributing to how our past determines the trajectory of our future, we are promoting deeper, critical thinking within our students. It is essential to encourage relevant instruction for young adolescent learners in order for a more meaningful academic experience. Learning about a time period of such immense global change that directly affects the world today provides opportunity to have engaging learning opportunities for students across all academic areas. From the spread of disease to the power behind art, World War II gives rise to interdisciplinary roots of study for students to engage and deepen their knowledge in. Adolescent learners are at a time in their lives of development on multifaceted levels; therefore, our goal is to spark interest and promote curiosity in students surrounding a time of such rich history and how it relates to their lives today.
Essential Questions
High Level Thinking
Overarching essential questions for entire unit:
How does World War II connect the past to the present?
How did World War II connect us globally?
Where would we be without World War II? {Alternative Endings}
Who were prominent figures of World War II? How are they remembered today?
How does World War II represent resilience?
What were the significant advancements of World War II?
Learning Outcomes & Instructional Objectives
Our overall goals for the learning outcomes and instructional objectives for this unit are to focus on the diverse aspects and themes of World War II history and how it relates to aspects of our world today. We aim for students to retain a deeper understanding of various advancements and destructions caused or sparked by the War. It is our instructional objective to highlight the causes and effects and the lessons to be learned by the War’s participants and future generations. It is our goal for students to learn the values contributing to War’s outcome, which include teamwork, optimism, courage, and sacrifice. By making instruction relevant to students’ lives, they will be able to relate to multiple perspectives of the War and how it contributed to the world today. By focusing on the unit’s essential questions, students are gaining a deeper understanding of how World War II influenced the course of history.
Each subject area will have compiled an outline of lessons that contribute to the integrated unit plan. Each section will have overall learning and instructional objectives relating to eighth grade curricular standards. The authors of each outline will articulate how this unit will support young adolescent learners in achieving these learning outcomes relating to outlines (lessons, materials, content).
If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.