Source: The War
Explore central philosophical questions about war and its impact on society. Examine two views about war and take a stand in support of one of the views.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: War. World History: 1900-1945.
Resource Type: Offline Activity/Project
Source: American Experience
Compare the fallible side of Antarctic explorer Richard Byrd's personality with his heroic image and research how the role of the media changed in the first four decades of this century. Investigate Antarctica's importance to the world today.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Media Studies. World History: 1900-1945.
Resource Type: Offline Activity/Project
Source: Frontline
Examine how environment, experience, perception and education converged to create Pope John Paul II's view of the world. Evaluate the skills and abilities needed in a good institutional leader and in a good world leader.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Religion. World History: 1900-1945. World History: 1945-1990.
Resource Type: Offline Activity/Project
Source: American Experience
Prepare a psychological profile of Joseph Goebbels to explain why he was such a fanatical Nazi. Analyze the personality of a selected member of the Nazi party and theorize whether he felt guilt or awareness of his crimes against humanity.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Health & Fitness, Social Studies
Topics: Psychology. Ethics. World History: 1900-1945.
Resource Type: Offline Activity/Project
Source: American Experience
Analyze the ethics of a democratic society using war propaganda, and take a personal stand on the issues. Explore Nazi book burning practices, and compare them to current discussions of banning books in American school libraries.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Ethics. United States History: 1929-1945. World History: 1900-1945.
Resource Type: Offline Activity/Project
Source: American Experience
Investigate and use information related to the Nazi's rise to power to create a timeline from the day World War I ended to the day World War II started in Europe. Write a memo for or against American intervention in the war.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: United States History: 1929-1945. World History: 1900-1945.
Resource Type: Offline Activity/Project
Source: American Experience
Analyze how Goebbels's propaganda films were designed to shape the opinions of the German populace. Explore some of his speeches and articles to identify the most effective propaganda techniques.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Media Studies. World History: 1900-1945.
Resource Type: Offline Activity/Project
Source: American Experience
Graph data from a table comparing U.S. and Japanese annual military spending in World War II, and calculate the change in output over time of specific military items. Use ratios to relate the number of war casualties to the population of a classroom.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Math, Social Studies
Topics: Data Analysis/Probability. Economics. World History: 1900-1945.
Resource Type: Offline Activity/Project
Source: American Experience
Hypothesize one way in which later events would have been significantly different if the atomic bomb had not been dropped on Japan in 1945. Write a newspaper article based on this "counterfactual" scenario.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Geography. World History: 1900-1945.
Resource Type: Offline Activity/Project