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Unit 5 – World War II
Grade Range: High School
Subject: U.S. History
Estimated Time: Two Weeks
Unit Five of A People’s Playlist: U.S. History with Music as a Primary Source includes five lessons that cover the World War II era.
The Unit begins with an introduction activity where students listen to the audio recording of and analyze the lyrics to “Dear Mr. President” sung by Pete Seeger.
The first lesson investigates the United States isolationism policy leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack and how that attack changed public opinion on joining World War II through the examination of music artifacts, newspaper articles, veteran interviews, and interviews with people on the street in the days following the attack.
In the second lesson, students explore the war effort at home through the lens of the entertainment industry. Students analyze how the industry mobilized to contribute to the war effort by listening to recordings, viewing archival film, and analyzing other archival documents.
In the third lesson, students examine the history of Japanese internment, while also considering the benefits and drawbacks of using primary and secondary sources for historical analysis. They listen to the podcast “Asian American History 101”, analyze oral histories from the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project, and view photographs by Ansel Adams of the Manzanar internment camp.
The fourth lesson features the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz as students examine the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany, identify what the Holocaust was, and how it happened. Students will be able to describe the role of music performed at the Auschwitz camp during the Holocaust by examining quotes from an Auschwitz prisoner and Holocaust survivor, analyzing images, viewing videos, defining terms, and listening to music.
In the fifth lesson, students discuss how President Harry S. Truman came to the decision to use the atomic bomb by analyzing primary sources. Additionally, students explore the experiences of the Japanese people during and after the bombings by analyzing art and music created to represent that experience.
The unit concludes with an assessment that asks students to rewrite the words of “Dear Mr. President” to reflect what was covered in the unit about World War II.
lesson:
World War II and Pearl Harbor featuring the song “Remember Pearl Harbor”
Why did the United States officially stay out of the beginning of World War II and how did the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor change that?
lesson:
The War Effort featuring Frank Sinatra
How did U.S. industry mobilize to support for the nation's war effort during World War II, and what role did the music and entertainment industry play in this mobilization?
lesson:
The Holocaust featuring Anita Lasker-Wallfisch and the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz
What was the role of the women's orchestra in Nazi Germany’s Auschwitz camp during the Holocaust?
lesson:
Japanese Internment featuring Kishi Bashi
How did Japanese American veterans experience Japanese internment during World War 2, and how did music grant them resilience during this historic injustice?
lesson:
The Atomic Bombing of Japan during World War II featuring Krzysztof Penderecki
How has music and art represented the history and consequences of the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan during World War II?