Goals and Objectives
Students will be able to define the meaning of total war and how it claimed the lives of millions of innocent civilians during World War II. Through a Jigsaw puzzle reading, students will be able to identify specific statistics and the history that is associated with the following major battles/acts of war: The Bombing of Dresden, The Battle of Stalingrad, The Bombing of Tokyo and the usage of nuclear bombs on the City of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Students will be able to differnate between the tactics of WWI and WWII focusing on the total destruction and human cost of WWII.
CALIFORNIA CONTENT STATE STANDARDS AND COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
10.8 Students analyze the causes and consequences of World War II.
6. Discuss the human costs of the war, with particular attention to the civilian and military losses in Russia, Germany, Britain, the United States, China, and Japan.
Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.A
Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.A
Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
6. Discuss the human costs of the war, with particular attention to the civilian and military losses in Russia, Germany, Britain, the United States, China, and Japan.
Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.A
Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.A
Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Lesson introduction
Students will be introduced to the idea of total war through a brief Prezi presentation. The focus of the presentation will be around the pie chart found in the text book that compares the civilian loss in World War I to World War II and how military objectives changed between both wars. The instructor will read a brief excerpt from Slaughter House Five, exemplifying the total destruction caused by the Allie forces during World War II.
The essential Question
Can purposeful human causalities be a justified as an act of war?
Vocabulary
1. Total War
2. Civilian Causalities
3. Fire bombing/ Napalm
4. "living breathing city"
5. The Wooden City
6. Stalingrad
2. Civilian Causalities
3. Fire bombing/ Napalm
4. "living breathing city"
5. The Wooden City
6. Stalingrad
Content delivery
Students will be divided into groups of 3-5 people. Each group will receive a set of guided notes and selected readings from both their textbook and additional sources provided by the instructor. Each group will focus on the following battles/acts of war: The Bombing of Dresden, The Battle of Stalingrad, The Bombing of Tokyo and the usage of nuclear bombs on the City of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. They will focus on the historical significance and the justification behind the slaughtering of innocent citizens.
dresden_historical.html | |
File Size: | 25 kb |
File Type: | html |
The Battle of Stalingrad | |
File Size: | 17 kb |
File Type: | html |
the_bombing_of_hiroshima_and_nagasaki.pdf | |
File Size: | 109 kb |
File Type: |
the_tokyo_fire_raids_1945.html | |
File Size: | 32 kb |
File Type: | html |
STudent ENGAGEMENT
With the completion of each group's selected guided notes, students will put together a poster board presentation to explain to their classmates, as a review of their selected battle. Students must state at the end of their presentation if they felt what they studied was a justified act of war. While students are presenting, the rest of the class will complete their guided notes associated with the presentation. The majority of the group presentations should be completed within the two hour block period. Additional time will be allotted the following class to complete the assignment. Students will hand in their completed notes once the final group has presented. Students will be assigned homework to write a blurb on Padlet, expressing their opinion on the group assignment and what they thought about the idea of "total war"; ultimately asking students the question how they feel about purposeful civilian casualties during war.
Lesson Closure
The instructor will review each of the selected battles and touch on any key ideas that might have been missed during the group presentations. Students will also be given time to reflect on the assignment and some of the controversial themes discussed during the lesson. The instructor will perform a verbal assessment with the class ensuring their understanding of the four topics discussed in the jigsaw reading. Instructor will also read the following quote from General Lemay, "I suppose if I had lost the war, I would have been tried as a war criminal... Every soldier thinks something of the moral aspects of what he is doing. But all war is immoral and if you let that bother you, you're not a good soldier." Students will perform a quick write stating if morality in history is often determined by the winners and losers.
Assessments
Entry Level- Students will be given time to reflect on the Kurt Vongent reading and on the idea of total war. The instructor will make sure that the class is on task and understanding the key concepts that will go into the lesson plan.
Progress Monitoring-The instructor will meet with each group and make sure they are on task and answer any questions about their presentation.
Summative Assessment- the instructor will grade students on their in-class presentations. He or she will ask questions after the groups has presented to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their topic and have provided the appropriate information to their peers. The instructor will also monitor and grading students' Padlet responses.
Progress Monitoring-The instructor will meet with each group and make sure they are on task and answer any questions about their presentation.
Summative Assessment- the instructor will grade students on their in-class presentations. He or she will ask questions after the groups has presented to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their topic and have provided the appropriate information to their peers. The instructor will also monitor and grading students' Padlet responses.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Students will be placed in groups set up by the instructor, students with learning disabilities and are English language learners will be placed in groups with stronger students. Group work will allow the instructor to meet with students and perform one on one instruction. The instructor will allot extra to time assist and scaffold groups with ELL and IEP students. Both the poster board project and the padlet homework assignment allows students different and creative ways to express their ideas.
Resources
- http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/tokyo.htm
- http://www.dresden.de/en/02/07/03/historical_commission.php
- The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- Battle of Stalingrad.html