WWII: America Joins the War

Dr. Seuss seems to bring us all to a place of childhood nostalgia. He also brings us political satire.
Today in class we analyzed a cartoon Dr. Seuss drew before the United States joined WWII.

Students had to observe, infer and question the cartoon.
I also asked students if they thought Dr. Seuss was in support of going to war, or against it. Most students said he was obviously against it. I had at least one in each class say that no, actually it looks like he is for going to war. He appears to be making fun of the situation. Below is the explanation of Seuss' views on the war and his intentions with the cartoon.

"Dr. Seuss wants the U.S. to get involved in the war effort against the totalitarian regimes. It is clear that Europe is weak as a result of the takeover by fascists and Stalin and the entire continent is suffering. The caption seems to chide the U.S. for staying in their own bed and not getting in with the rest of the suffering nations. Uncle Sam is portrayed as large and clearly healthy, and seemingly able to assist but has his eyes closed to the situation since he has a separate bed."

We had a class discussion on joining the war. Two questions were presented, and students had to write about their opinion on each. I had students share their opinions on each.

{Prior to Pearl Harbor}

• Why would Americans NOT WANT to join WWII?
• Why might Americans WANT to join the war?

The Dust Bowl

After having students complete a homework assignment on the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, we spent the day hearing stories from those who lived through it.

I found a video on Discovery Education, that you can access HERE  that follows the story of two families during the 1930s. One from Oklahoma, and one from Arkansas.

After learning about the decisions of thousands of farmers to pack up their belongings and move West, we had a class simulation of the same.

These were the guidelines of the activity:

Our farm in Oklahoma is covered in dust. We are losing the farm to foreclosure because we are unable to make a profit off the land. We are losing everything.

As a family,(yes, we are a large family… but family nonetheless!) we are heading west in search of a new life, new jobs, new opportunities.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE??  

You have the clothes on your back, and we are heading out of town in the morning. Take only what you can carry.

On a small slip of paper, write down four essentials you CAN NOT live without.

 

Then we had to do some imagining :) They had to pretend the conditions from the 1930's still applied to our simulation, but they could bring the items they actually own today in 2013.

I read the lists out at the end to see what things we were bringing with us. This is always entertaining to see who prepares for the journey with hygiene essentials like a toothbrush and deodorant (we are always thankful for the ones who remember those items). There are those who cant live without their phones, but some unlucky few who forget to pack their charger.  I had several today bring guitars so we could sing campfire songs along the way :)

This was a fun way to end the discussion today! I hope they were able to in some small way understand the sacrifice of leaving many things behind to start anew.

American's Face Hard Times

We are covering the Great Depression this week.

After the notes of statistics and figures of the bank failures and businesses going bankrupt, it is easy to forget the faces behind the numbers.
How easy is it to gloss over 25% unemployment? It's the stories that give us insite into the lives of those millions of people out of work. Its the stories that tell us what it was like to have to leave home, leave your family behind to find work - food.

In 2009, Lisa Ling went into Tent City in Sacramento, California; one of the hardest hit cities during the current recession to interview the occupents. I show this clip to my students every year for a few reasons. One, its a good clip. Two, students are able to emotionally connect with the hardship of thos ewho lost everything when the economy started to fail. Three, they are able to connect the stories of the people in recent years to the lives of those who lost so much in the early 1930's.

(originally aired on Oprah, Feb 18, 2009)

 

 

 

 

The stories of the people we are studying are the bases of history. It is easy to sometimes forget the reality to the condensed versions of what we gloss over in textbooks. Another great resource - interviewing those you know!

Today, I was reminded of the importance of story. I had several students share their family historyin class. They told the stories of their grandparents, and some great grandparents experiences during the Great Depression. They were stories that allowed me, and their classmates to learn a little more about the time period than had we just stuck to the notes.  

 

I won't use names, but I want to be able to share the stories with you - in hopes you will also be able to better understand the lives of those who experienced the Great Depression in the 1930s. These are not direct quotes - but as close as I can remember!

 

 

"My grandma's parents sent her and her siblings to a children's home, because it was the only way she could insure they would get something to eat. The parents would come visit the children. But they lived there throughout the Depression."

"My family lived in Kentucky on a farm at the time. They said it wasn't that big of a deal there. They were able to farm, and live off the land. They never had to really worry about food." 

"My great grandma didn't trust the banks! She hid money all over her house. Once she died, we were finding money stashed away in toilet paper rolls!"
 

Have a conversation with your family to learn your family history. What did your family experience during the Depression?

Do you have stories to share??