Wednesday, December 13th & Thursday, December 14th

Today, we started a new unit-World War II.  I gave you the entire class period to work on your new vocabulary words.  The list of 28 key terms is attached below.  I will be checking it at the end of the period on Thursday.  

Homework: Vocab (if not finished on Thursday)

Monday, December 18th

Today we dove into World War II by learning about the causes of the war: Resentment of the Treaty of Versailles, Failure of Appeasement, Failure of the League of Nations, and the Rise of Dictators & Totalitarian States.  The provisions of the Treaty sent Germany into a severe depression, Great Britain and France ended their policy of appeasement, the League of Nations was not able to work quickly and did not have much authority, and dictators such as Hitler, Stalin, & Mussolini came to power.  We learned that Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, which got the war underway.  

Homework: None

Tuesday, December 19th

Today you were assigned a Europe Map for World War II.  You had the entire class period to work.  Anything not finished in class on Tuesday will have to be completed for homework or outside of class.

Book Map Pg. 470

Homework: Europe Map (if not finished in class on Tuesday)

Wednesday, December 20th - Thursday, December 21st 

Today we learned more about the German invasion of Poland and the events that took place shortly thereafter.  Both Great Britain and France declared war on Germany 2 days later, on September 3,1939.  Poland's military was no match for the Germans and, along with the country, was virtually destroyed.  We also learned about the German attack on France, particularly a small coastal town called Dunkirk.  

Homework: None

Tuesday, January 2nd

Today we focused on Great Britain and the German attacks in 1940.  We began class with a video clip that summarized the 57-day-long "London Blitz."  We learned that because of radar, the British were able to see the German planes coming and were able to prepare for the attacks.  Some people, especially children, evacuated north to the countryside to escape the attacks.  In early 1941, Hilter gave up on his invasion of Britain and moved on. 

Homework: None

Wednesday, January 3rd

Today we learned about the Japanese attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base which led to the United States' entry into the war.  We learned about the Neutrality & Lend-Lease Acts, which were designed so that the U.S. could indirectly help to defeat Germany and the Axis Powers by lending supplies and money to other countries.  The legislation was amended so that loans did not have to be paid back immediately.  

After some brief notes, you read 2 eyewitness accounts of the attack, one from a U.S. Army nurse and another from a Japanese general. 

Homework: None

Thursday, January 4th & Friday, January 5th

Today, we started to watch a History Channel documentary about the attack on Pearl Harbor.  The film describes the first 24 hours after the attack and how the United States and President Roosevelt reacted.  Until this point, as you learned last week, the United States remained neutral without sending any troops into battle.  This event would change that. This past December marked the 82nd anniversary of the attack.

Class Recording 1/4

Class Recording 1/5

Monday, January 8th - Thursday, January 11th

Today, we started to learn about the events that took place after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  We mainly focused on Japanese Internment here in the United States.  Japanese Americans and immigrants were forced to relocate to internment camps run by the government.  Since most of these Japanese Americans lived on the west coast, camps were established along the western and central United States.  Because the Japanese attacked us and were part of the Axis Powers, the U.S. government thought Japanese people living in the U.S. could be enemies and were often thought of as dangerous, criminals, and spies.  The camps were a way for the military and government to monitor them during the remainder of the war.  In class, we looked at 11 different images from the camps and discussed what life was like for Japanese Americans. 

Homework: None

Japanese Interment Video

Japanese Internment Video (Spanish Version)

The Korematsu Case

Thursday, January 18th

Today we focused on the war in Eastern Europe and Africa.  You completed a worksheet with the help of an article I passed out to you in class.  We learned that the Axis powers were victorious in these areas thanks to a regroup by German Gen. Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox.  In Africa, both sides fought to control the Suez Canal in Egypt because it was key to reaching the oil fields of the Middle East.  In Eastern Europe, Hitler wanted to build bases for the attack on the Soviet Union.  He persuaded Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary to join the Axis Powers and later defeated Yugoslavia and Greece.

Reading Packet

Homework: Worksheet (if not done in class)

Monday, January 22nd

Today we reviewed your answers from yesterday's worksheet about the fighting in Eastern Europe and Northern Africa.  The answer key is attached below.  Thanks to German Gen. Erwin Rommel, the Axis Powers were victorious in these areas.  Hitler also wanted to build military bases in southeastern Europe in preparation for invading the Soviet Union. 

Homework: None

Friday, January 19th

Today we learned about Hitler and Germany's two attempts to invade the Soviet Union. We learned that Hitler attempted to invade and had not met his goals before the harsh Soviet winter set in (the Germans did not have the appropriate clothing for the cold and their weapons stopped working properly because of the cold).  Toward the end of the first attempt, Hitler ordered a seige (military blockade) on Leningrad.  This Siege of Leningrad occurred during the winter and around a million Soviet civilians died because of starvation.  The second attempt, Hitler ordered renewed attacks when it got warmer and this time had military aid, in the form of soldiers, from Italy, Romania, and Hungary.  The Germans attempted to take Stalingrad, and the Battle of Stalingrad was one of the most brutal of the war.  The Soviets held off the Germans, and again winter came.  Hitler would not allow defeat and eventually 90,000 Axis were captured in early 1943. 

Homework: None

Wednesday, January 24th

Today we started class by watching a short propaganda video clip.  You saw either Looney Tunes or Disney's Donald Duck.  The purpose was to show you that even children were targets of propaganda during the war.  After the videos, you worked with partners, doing an activity called "Interviewing a Poster."  You and your partner looked at 2 propaganda posters from the WWII era.  The posters were in color from various countries (America, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia, Japan, and the Soviet Union), so you got to see what different areas and cultures were being seen by people around the world.  On the worksheet, you analyzed and examined the posters, looking at symbols, colors, images, slogans, etc.

Homework: Propaganda Worksheet - Due Monday

Monday, January 29th  - Friday, February 2nd

Today we began a new project related to the World War II propaganda we looked at yesterday.  Each of you will be creating your own propaganda poster!  I assigned each class a different country: 1st period - Great Britain, 2nd period - Germany, 3rd period - Soviet Union, 5th period - Japan, 6th period - Italy,  and 8th period - United States.  Each class will create their posters from that country's perspective.  You may use the internet for ideas and also collaborate with your classmates, but you are not allowed to simply copy a poster from the internet as your own!  

Homework: Posters due Monday, February 5th

Monday, February 5th 

Today we learned about Fighting in the Pacific, which was a separate front of fighting from the fighting in Europe.  Most of the fighting in the Pacific was between the Allies (mostly the United States) and Japan.  There were a couple of battles specifically mentioned, the Battle of Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway.  Also mentioned were the military strategies used in the Pacific: island hopping by the United States and kamikazes by Japan.  

Homework: None

Tuesday, February 6th

Today was a work day to complete your Pacific Theater Maps.  All maps are due at the end of class tomorrow. 

Homework: Pacific Theater Maps (if not finished in class)

Wednesday, February 7th

Today we viewed a short PowerPoint about the war ending in Europe and Japan.  We learned that as Allied forces moved in on German forces from the east and west (Soviets in the east, British & Americans in the west), the Germans eventually were surrounded by their enemies.  Berlin was surrounded by the Soviets and on May 7, 1945 the Germans surrendered.  It was months later when Japan finally surrendered: August 15, 1945.  However, Japan did not surrender until after the atomic bomb was used on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945). I also showed you a brief video clip about Hitler's death.  We also discussed some theories about whether or not he actually died or escaped to South America.

Homework: Study for Test

Thursday, February 8th

Today we learned about conferences and meetings that were going on during and then after the war in Europe.  Primarily, we talked about the three big Allies-Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union-and all of the plans they had made for postwar Europe.  For example, at the Yalta Conference in early 1945, the United Nations was created in June 1945, and the Potsdam Conference occurred in July 1945.  At the conferences, all three countries tried to agree on what to do with postwar Europe.  Churchill and Roosevelt/Truman disagreed often with Stalin, mostly due to the fact that they did not like the possibility of communism spreading out of the Soviet Union. 

Homework: Study for Test

Tuesday, February 13th

Today we played a Blooket review game for tomorrow's test.  The study guide for the test is attached to help you prepare. 

Homework: Study for Test!