World War II & Holocaust Resources
World War II began in 1939 and was the greatest and most destructive global war in history. By the time the war ended in 1945, more than six million Jews were killed and the total loss of human life is estimated between 40-60 million people. Check out the eyewitness interviews, lesson plans, and other resources collected here to learn more about the causes and effects of World War II and its lasting impact on survivors of the Holocaust.
Book Lists
Jewish Holocaust Book List for Older Readers
These great titles narrate the Holocaust with rigor suitable for in-depth middle and high school units.
Jewish Holocaust Book List for Younger Readers
Created with grades 3–6 in mind, this list features moving historical fiction and age-appropriate nonfiction.
Jewish Holocaust Titles for Independent Reading
Mrs. Gould of Southwestern Central Middle School created this list of nonfiction and fiction for independent reading to support an 8th grade level unit on the Holocaust.
Articles
World War II Timeline
April 7,1988
See a timeline of significant developments in World War II from the invasion of Poland to the surrender of Japan.
World War II
Grolier Online |
Illustrates the political and economic climate that launched World War II, and traces its impact on the world at large.
The World at War
by Karen N. Peart
March 24,1988
Brief chronicle of World War II, from September, 1939 to August, 1945.
World War II Experiences
,1988
Read an excerpt from a message board exchange about World War II that was held during Scholastic Network's 1995 special event, Remembering World War II.
Normandy Invasion
by Louis L. Snyder
Grolier Online |
The Allied invasion of France's Normandy region during World War II began on June 6, 1944 and landed about 1 million troops by July 1.
Activities
Turn history students into historians! From the American Home Front to Anne Frank's story of courage, students can meet real people who lived through the World War II events that shaped history. Activities are linked by a teachers' guide.
Follow the life and times of Anne Frank through interviews with women who knew her. Learn about the Holocaust and Frank's life, through online research activities.
Students learn about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor through eyewitness interviews and an interactive timeline. A teacher's guide with suggested activities is included.
Research Tools: The Holocaust and World War II
A collection of articles to help research World War II and the Holocaust, with a focus on Anne Frank.
World War II was fought between 1939 and 1945. In these six years, battles raged across Europe, Asia, and Africa involving all the great powers and most of the smaller nations of the world.
Resources
Women During World War II (5-12) Lesson Plan
It is common knowledge that many women contributed to our nation's victory in World War II. But, too often, it is unrecorded knowledge.
Dear Miss Breed Lesson Plan
The letters which are at the core of the book Dear Miss Breed provide readers with an eyewitness account of the Japanese American incarceration.
Lesson Plans
Literature and History of the Holocaust
by Jacquylynn Brickman
Features unit of study on the Holocaust, that focuses on both the good and bad in human nature.
Remembering the Holocaust
Students gain insight into the causes and enormous effects of the Holocaust.
Books
I am an American
by Jerry Stanley
Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, nearly 120,000 Americans were imprisoned by the federal government. Their crime was that they were of Japanese ancestry.
Hostage to War
by Tatjana Wassilijewa
Thirteen years old when the Nazis invaded her Russian homeland, Tatjana Wassilijewa recalls her experiences during World War II in this compelling and ultimately inspiring memoir.
