Students consider how they might respond if they were on a home front in wartime. Then, they investigate the details of WWII home front activities, including the economic effects of the war on the home front. Next, they learn about the role of the Office of War Information and analyze its propaganda work. Finally, they study biographical materials on First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and her home front activities.
Students view a wartime poster urging home front service and read an introduction explaining the concept of the home front and the lesson objectives. They imagine themselves as civilians during a global war and respond to a word cloud prompt describing activities they might do to assist the war effort, using words or brief phrases.
Teacher MovesReview the lesson objectives and invite students to identify which home front activities in the word cloud interest them most and why. Encourage students to add new ideas that emerge during discussion.
Students examine images and read about patriotic home front activities such as Victory Gardens, war bond purchases, rationing, and volunteerism, as well as the economic effects of World War II, including the end of the Great Depression, expanded employment for women, the farm labor shortage, Japanese American internment, and the Bracero Program. They use The U.S. Home Front During World War II and its accompanying video to identify a range of home front activities and complete a graphic organizer listing each activity and its role in the war effort. Then they post on a collaborative wall explaining how significant they believe the home front was in winning World War II and respond to at least two classmates with questions or positive comments.
Teacher MovesSelect contrasting student wall posts—one emphasizing a large role for the home front and one a smaller role—and read them aloud to spark discussion about the impact of civilian efforts on the war’s outcome. As appropriate, direct interested students to optional resources such as Office of Price Administration Radio Clip Sheet, The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco, and Bracero History Archive, and encourage students with family connections to the World War II era to gather and share family stories.
Students read about the purpose and activities of the U.S. Office of War Information (OWI), including its use of propaganda through radio programs, films, photographs, newsreels, leaflets, and the founding of Voice of America, as well as the controversies surrounding its work. Using Office of War Information as a reference, they post on a collaborative wall explaining whether they think propaganda is always wrong or sometimes justified and apply their reasoning to the OWI, then respond to at least two classmates with questions or positive comments.
Teacher MovesUse student wall responses to initiate discussion about the ethics and effectiveness of propaganda, prompting students to connect OWI activities to both World War II and contemporary examples of persuasive media.
Students read about Eleanor Roosevelt’s leadership on the home front and her activism in civil rights, women’s rights, and human rights, using Eleanor Roosevelt and its accompanying video to deepen their understanding of her role. They then locate a photograph of Eleanor Roosevelt online, upload it to a shared canvas, and add a caption highlighting the fact about her that most impresses them.
Teacher MovesInvite students to compare and contrast their selected images and captions, prompting them to elaborate on why they chose particular facts and how Eleanor Roosevelt’s actions contributed to the World War II home front and to broader social change.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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