World War II Unit World History - Digital and No Prep - WWII Lessons No Prep

This comprehensive 3-week bundle for World History includes everything you need to guide your students to explore World War II. It is all no-prep & fully digital and editable. Students will evaluate a variety of sources and demonstrate their learning through reflections and check for understandings. Includes Pear Decks, EdPuzzles, and other engaging options along with digital notebooks and an escape room which are all ready to post. Save hours of prep time and stress with this complete unit! Includes multiple assessment options and a study guide.

NOTE: The Holocaust is addressed in a seperate mini-unit [which will be posted shortly]

1. I can explain examples of Appeasement and assess the pros and cons to this policy.
2. I can describe the events that started World War II, including the non-aggression pact & invasion of Poland.
3. I can explain the Blitzkrieg and provide examples of how it was used successfully by the Nazis in the early years of WWII.
4. I can analyze the significance and outcome of the battle of Britain.
5. I can explain the Nazi invasion of the USSR, including the motives for the invasion and major battles like Leningrad & Stalingrad. 
6. I can provide context to the War in the Pacific by explaining how Japan increased its military power and territorial ambitions in the years before WWII.
7. I can describe the fighting in the Pacific, including major battles and tactics.
8. I can describe the military and scientific advancements of WWII and how they affected the war and civilians. 
9. I can explain the events that led to the end of World War II in Europe and the Pacific.
10. I can analyze the legacy and impact of World War II.

UNIT PLAN:

1. Appeasement Storyboard + PPT

The 10 slide lecture will guide students to understand how Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles and why he was not stopped. They will ultimately answer the questions: Why did Appeasement fail & at what point should Hitler have been stopped?

TOPICS:

• Overview of Appeasement
• Hitler's 1923 speech
• Withdrawal from the League of Nations
• Conscription & Rearmament
• Rhineland Remilitarization
• Anschluss
• The Czech Crisis & Munich Conference with Chamberlain
• Invasion of Poland

2. The Beginning of the War in Europe

This digital notebook will guide students through the beginnings of WWII from the Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact to the invasion of Poland to the Fall of France. Students will analyze a quote from Hitler, read maps, analyze cartoons, and watch videos to build their understanding. They will also learn about interesting stories like the story of the French surrender in the same railroad car where the Germans surrendered in World War I!

TOPICS:

• Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact
• Invasion of Poland
• Blitzkrieg
• Invasion of France
• Surrender of France

3. Home Front in WWII - Pear Deck + NB

This digital notebook with Pear Deck built in will lead students to explore the Battle of Britain, Churchill's "Finest Hour Speech," the home front, bombing of Dresden, and more! This activity will deepen students' understanding of how Total War in WWII affected civilians across Europe.

TOPICS:

• Finest Hour Speech (with recording)
• The Blitz, including a video and a primary source
• The home front in Germany
• Connections to the Home Front and women in WWI
• Bombing of Dresden
• Final reflection

4. The USSR vs. Germany - Primary Sources

This digital interactive notebook with primary sources and political cartoons will allow your World History & AP Euro students to investigate the German invasion of the USSR during World War II. Students will build their understanding by watching short video clips as well as analyzing primary sources and political cartoons. Primary sources include an excerpt from Mein Kampf to understand the ideological underpinnings of the invasion of the Soviet Union, a speech from Stalin that shows the idea of a "Great Patriotic War," and a series of diary entries from a 16 year-old survivor of the Siege of Leningrad.

Topics include

• Breaking the 1939 Non-Aggression Pact
• The Great Patriotic War
• Siege of Leningrad
• Battle of Stalingrad
• Failure of Operation Barbarossa

5. Japan & The War in the Pacific (EdPuzzle + Timeline)

This lecture (Google Slides) covers the rise of militarism and imperialism in Japan before diving into the War in the Pacific during World War II. The Teacher PPT will guide students through important events and trends as they fill in their timeline digitally or as a hard copy. Then, students will complete a 28 minute EdPuzzle (make a copy & assign to your class) about the War in the Pacific, excerpted from the World Wars series.

Topics include

• Meiji Era
• First Sino-Japanese War
• Russo-Japanese War
• Annexation of Korea
• Taisho Era
• Rise of militarism
• Attack on Manchuria
• Withdrawal from the League of Nations
• Rape of Nanjing & the War in China
• Japan's empire
• Pearl Harbor
• EdPuzzle: the fighting in the Pacific: Philippines, Midway, Kamikazes & atomic bomb

6. Weapons of WWII - Escape Room

This content-driven Escape Room will allow students to explore the military technology and other developments during World War II. Includes a student Note Sheet & a Google Forms escape room that can be used in class or in distance learning. Have students team up to see who can crack the codes first!

Through embedded videos, charts & readings, students will learn key details about totalitarianism! This is ready-to-post & can be completed fully digitally or you can print the optional student Handout provided for in-class use. Well-suited for World History or AP European History

Topics:

• Tanks
• Planes and radar
• Incendiary bombs
• War Production
• Code breaking and the Enigma Code
• R&D and technological developments
• Final reflection: Write your report by summarizing the following: Describe 3 technological or scientific developments of WWII. Explain how each affected the war and/or civilian life

7. The End of WWII Time Capsule + Lecture

This lecture (Google Slides) covers the End of WWII for World History, AP Euro or US History. Take your PPT to the next level by guiding students through major events like D-Day, V-E Day, Island Hopping, The Atomic bomb, and more... but that isn't all. Students will need to think deeply and apply what they learned by choosing images of material items ("artifacts") to put in a time capsule representing each event. They will explain the items and why they were chosen to represent each event. Each slide of the lecture includes detailed information and embedded videos to engage students and bring the topic alive.

Topics include

• The Surrender of Italy (sample time capsule completed)
• D-Day
• The path to V-E Day
• Island Hopping in the Pacific
• The Atomic Bomb
• Surrender of Japan (V-J Day)
• Major conferences: Casablanca, Tehran, Yalta & Potsdam

8. BONUS ASSIGNMENT: WWII Crash Course EdPuzzle + Doodle Notes

Students will answer the questions on EdPuzzle & illustrate their answer for each question. Make a copy of the EdPuzzle to assign to your class.

9. Study Guide [BONUS] - digital or printable

ALSO INCLUDES A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW PPT with 34 slides of info to review material.

ASSESSMENT: 

Oral Exam/Short Answer Questions

Multiple Choice Exam - 30 questions

• Can also be used in chunks as a formative assessment

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Check out my other World History Activities & Units! I am developing more World History & AP Euro Curriculum, so make sure to follow my store to get notifications when new resources are available.

Please let me know if you have questions. You can email me at yeoldeushistoryshoppe@gmail.com and I am happy to help.

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