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OVERVIEW

Few were untouched by World War II, the most widespread and destructive war in human history. Though generations have passed, the stories of the War are neither distant nor complete. And, like the communities featured in The War series by Ken Burns, Ohio communities have memories and experiences of the war to share.

The following lessons will enable middle and high school students to engage in the larger historical narrative of the war by conducting oral history interviews with WWII generation Ohioans. Oral histories are an interview based method of historical inquiry in which living survivors of a specific time or event are asked about their experiences or observations in a systematic way. These interviews serve to not only bring history to life for students, but also help preserve these stories for future generations to learn from.

The lessons are aligned to the Ohio Academic Content Standards for Social Studies grade 7-12 and are intended to be adaptable for multiple grade levels. Teachers should begin this lesson by providing an overview of World War II. If this lesson will be used around the Ken Burns series The War but you have not yet taught a unit on World War II, or, you typically do not teach World War II in your class, the following over-arching topics should be reviewed before beginning:

  • Rise of the NAZI party, Japanese Expansionism, and the Axis Powers
  • The Allied Powers
  • U.S. Participation in World War II: From Isolationism to Pearl Harbor
  • The Combat Theaters
  • Civilian and Military Losses
  • The home front war effort including industrial mobilization, women and minorities in the workforce

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Students will conduct research and perform oral history interviews in order to describe U.S. participation in WWII and explain the role of Ohioans on the home front and abroad.

OHIO ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARDS

History Grade 9

Benchmark E: Analyze connections between World War II, the Cold War and contemporary conflicts.

Analyze the consequences of World War II including:

  • Civilian and military losses
  • Refugees and poverty

History Grade 10

Benchmark D: Connect developments related to World War I with the onset of World War II.

  • Analyze the impact of U.S. participation in World War II, with emphasis on the change from isolationism to international involvement including the reaction to the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Benchmark E: Analyze connections between World War II, the Cold War and contemporary conflicts.

  • Analyze the impact of U.S. participation in World War II with emphasis on:

    Events on the home front to support the war effort, including industrial mobilization, women and minorities in the workforce.

 

Social Studies Skills and Methods Grade 7-12

Grade Seven

Thinking and Organizing

  • Describe historical events and issues from the perspectives of people living at the time in order to avoid evaluating the past in terms of today's norms and values.

Communicating Information

  • Compare multiple viewpoints and frames of reference related to important events in world history.

Problem Solving

  • Establish guidelines, rules and time lines for group work.

Academic Standards

  • Reflect on the performance of a classroom group in which one has participated including the contribution of each member in reaching group goals.

Grade Eight

Communicating Information

  • Construct a historical narrative using primary and secondary sources.
  • Write a position paper or give an oral presentation that includes citation of sources.

Problem Solving

  • Identify ways to manage conflict within a group.

Grade Nine

Thinking and Organizing

  • Detect bias and propaganda in primary and secondary sources of information.
  • Evaluate the credibility of sources for:
    • Logical fallacies;
    • Consistency of arguments;
    • Unstated assumptions;
    • Bias.
  • Analyze the reliability of sources for:
    • Accurate use of facts;
    • Adequate support of statements;
    • Date of publication.

Grade Ten

Thinking and Organizing

  • Determine the credibility of sources by considering the following:
    • The qualifications and reputation of the writer;
    • Agreement with other credible sources;
    • Recognition of stereotypes;
    • Accuracy and consistency of sources;
    • The circumstances in which the author prepared the source.

Communicating Information

  • Analyze one or more issues and present a persuasive argument to defend a position.

Grade Eleven

Obtaining Information

  • Adjust a research question or topic based on information obtained while conducting research.

Communicating Information

  • Identify appropriate tools for communicating a position on an issue (e.g., electronic resources, newsletters, letters to the editor, public displays and handouts).

Grade Twelve
Social Studies Skills and Methods

Communicating Information

  • Respond to questions and feedback about presentations knowledgeably and civilly.

Problem Solving

  • Build consensus within a group by:
    • Finding points of agreement;
    • Identifying points individuals are willing to concede;
    • Making sure that all voices are heard;
    • Attempting to understand the view of others.
  • Engage in group work on issues-analysis and decision-making:
    • Identify a problem or dilemma;
    • Analyze the interests, values and points of view;
    • Identify causes of the problem or dilemma;
    • Propose alternative solutions;
    • Formulate a position or course of action;
    • Evaluate the consequences of the action taken.

ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARDS

Activities and Procedure
Lesson I: Introduction to Oral Histories (1-2 class periods)

  • Students should have a basic understanding of the War before beginning this lesson. If you have not yet taught a unit on WWII, the over-arching topics listed above should be covered.
  • Describe oral histories to your class based on the information in the overview. Explain that students will be listening to oral history interviews on this Web site to get a better understanding of Ohioan’s role in the war.
  • Ask students to offer examples of how information collected from people who took part in past events differs from the information found in textbooks. Write student responses on the board.
  • Now, address some of the concerns regarding oral history interviews. Explain how the person conducting the interview might lead the testimony by asking leading questions or through personal bias. The testimony itself can sometimes be unreliable. For example, the interviewee may forget a detail that changes the nature of their story.
  • Finally, Introduce students to oral histories by having them explore stories on the Ohio War Stories Web site. Each student will select onevideo interview to analyze. Students will answer the questions from the Oral History Analysis Worksheet below. This activity should be conducted in the computer lab, library, or for homework as the student will need internet activity.

    Link to Oral History Analysis PDF
  • When students have completed the oral history analysis worksheet, they will share the information they collected with the class. Use this as an opportunity to spark group discussion.

Lesson II: Imagining the War (2 Class Periods)

  • Students will prepare for collecting and conducting oral history interviews by first imagining what it would have been like to have lived through World War II. Advise students that they will be creating a character profile of WWII survivor and will imagine what it was like to be that person.
  • Now, instruct students to find a partner. Each partner will take turns role playing as both the interviewer and interviewee.
  • Start by having each student create their own WWII identity. This profile should be inspired by the person from the video interview they analyzed from the first lesson.
  • Distribute the WWII Personal Profile Worksheet. Students will use the library to conduct research about the context of the specific place, time, and role this person played during the war in order to help discover details about the community and life during this time. Each profile will include biographical data imagined by the student. Here, students need to pay attention to details like date of birth.

    Link to WWII Personal Profile PDF
  • Once students have completed conducting their research, students will work in pairs to conduct mock oral history interviews. Each interviewer will fill out the following WWII Biography Worksheet based on the answers given by the interviewee. Students should refer to their research to avoid anachronisms.

    Link to WWII Biography Worksheet PDF

Lesson III: Conducting and Preserving Interviews (3-5 Class Periods)

  • For the culminating project, students will work in groups of 3-5 to conduct oral history interviews with people who lived through WWII. Start by downloading The War Veterans History Project Field Guide at http://www.loc.gov/vets/thewar.html. This guide, created by the Library of Congress Veterans Oral History Project for Ken Burns The War series contains a step by step procedure for collecting and conducting oral histories with veterans.
  • Print copies of the Field Guide and distribute to the groups.
  • Students will locate community organizations in order to make connections with WWII survivors. Page 6 of the Field Guide lists a number of organizations that represent veterans. Organizations such as museums often have connections with seniors either through their collection areas or as volunteers. You may also contact these organizations to help locate people who would like to share their memories.
  • Once students have arranged an interview, they should use the questions on page eight of the field guide to help prepare their interviews. Students should obtain biographical data from the interviewee to help write their questions.
  • Students should take time to practice setting up and using the equipment prior to the interview. The interview equipment and guidelines are detailed on pages 12-14. Students should also keep in mind that many of the people who lived through WWII may have difficulty traveling and may need to make arrangements with their teacher or parents to meet the interviewee. Student’s first priority should be the convenience and comfort of the interviewee.
  • Students should obtain the release form included in the Field Guide as they will be submitting the interview to the Veterans History Project for preservation. Students will also gain permission to post the interview to the Ohio War Stories Web site. Each group will present and summarize their interview for the rest of the class and share what they think makes the story important.
  • The lesson culminates with the story being published on the Ohiowarstories.org site. To do this, students will need to create a user name and visit Share Stories, where they can upload their video content.

 

Additional Oral History Resources

American Association for State and Local History
1717 Church Street<
Nashville, TN 37203-2991
www.aaslh.org/publicat.htm

American Folklife Center
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20540
lcweb.loc.gov/folklife/

American Folklore Society
4350N. Fairfax Drive
Suite 640
Arlington, VA 22203
afsnet.org/index.html

Oral History Association
Dickinson College
PO Box 1773
Carlisle , PA 17013
www.baylor.edu/~OHA/Othersites.html