World War II
1936 Olympics - Grades 6-12 - This site, based on an exhibit from the American Holocaust Museum, uses the 1936 games as a starting point for a visual synopsis of the evolution of the Nazi regime, with a particular focus on its racial and ethnic policies. The result is a succinct, though stark, introduction that should be useful for many students. Teacher preview recommended.
Airplanes of World War II - Grades 5-12 - This site offers detailed photos, specifications, and histories of the aircraft involved in World War II, along with basic information on how specific planes contributed to the war effort on each side.
Atomic Archive - Grades 6-12 - While it covers all aspects of American involvement with nuclear activities, this site's coverage of the history of atomic investigation will be particularly attractive to students and teachers. There is a timeline on the history of atomic energy, and the teacher's section includes several activities built on the effort to build the first atomic bomb. There's a lot of content in this site that is too advanced for secondary students, but creative teachers will find lots of opportunities here.
The Battle of Britain - Grades 4-12 - The Royal Air Force developed this site to comemmorate the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, in which the British successfully avoided invasion by the German Reich. The site explains how the battle evolved and highlights the role of the Air Force in the fight.
Confinement and Ethnicity - Grades 9-12 - The National Park Service is an unlikely source for this detailed explanation of the internment camps operated for Japanese Americans in the western states during World War II. It includes everything from detailed maps of the camps to correspondence on the matter from Eleanor Roosevelt. This is a straightforward presentation of a still-troubling topic.
D-Day Museum - This new museum in New Orleans chronicles the D-Day invasion and the people and machinery that made possible the largest military operation in the history of warfare. This site is a good starting point in explaining the huge scale of the D-Day invasion, and could be a springboard to a larger discussion of the challenges that the Allies faced during World War II.
Diplomatic and Political Documents of World War II - Grades 9-12 - This is a collection of primary documents from the World War II era stretching from Neville Chamberlain's "peace in our time" declaration to the Japanese and German surrender documents. It's a great resource for studying history based on documentary evidence.
The War in Europe - Chronology & photos from The History Place.
The U-Boat War - 1939-45 - Grades 5-12 - A site devoted entirely to the history of German submarine warfare during World War II. The materials include descriptions of each boat, captains and crews, mission histories, and strategic objectives. Lots of depth!
The War in the Pacific - Chronology & photos from The History Place.
Return to Midway - Grades 5-12 - The National Geographic Society uses Robert Ballard's discovery of the wreck of the battleship Yorktown as the centerpiece for this beautiful, extensive site on the Pacific war and the battle of Midway. Lots of Java-enhanced maps and descriptions, along with time-lines and historical narrative.
The Enola Gay - Grades 8-12 - This is the web site for the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum's Enola Gay exhibit. It includes information on the mission to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, as well as a discussion of the preservation of the aircraft.
First Hand Accounts - Grades 6-12 - Here is a collection of first-hand accounts of selected events during World War II. They're a great introduction to the use of primary sources in studying historical events. Students may be particularly interested in comparing first-hand accounts of an event with the way in which those same events are presented today.
Hiroshima - A personal Memory - Grades 6-12 - This is a first-person account from a survivor of the bombing who is telling her story many years later. This site isn't extensive, but the message is direct and has lost no intensity over the years.
A Holocaust Time Line - Grades 8 and up - with supervision - Prepared by The History Place.
The Home Front - Grades 6-12 - Visitors to this BBC site on World War II can read excerpts from Nella Last's diary of her experiences in England during the war. Useful as an example of a primary source from a civilian who lived through the war in England.
The U.S. Holocaust Museum - Grades 6-12 - The site for the U.S. Holocaust Museum contains a collection of resources and on-line exhibits which document the history of the Holocaust, the people who perished, and those who worked to save them. Note that many of the images may be disturbing to some students.
A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust - Reference material for teachers, from the University of South Florida.
Japanese American Relocation - Grades 6-12 - This digital archive from the University of California offers narrative and images describing the forced internment of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II. It offers a troubling comparison to events that took place in other nations during the war. Interesting possibilities for discussions on discrimination, national security, etc.
Japanese Americans and the Constitution - Grades 6-12 - The Smithsonian presents this nicely-designed site describing the internment and discrimination against Japanese Americans during World War II. Students can listen to an audio introduction which provides a summary of the events of the period, and sets the stage for the larger presentation. This one is well worth a visit.
The Japanese Navy in World War II - Grades 6-12 - At the start of the war, Japan had the world's largest, best-equipped navy. This privately-developed site offers detailed pictures, plans, and descriptions of the Japanese fleet during World War II, as well as information on Japanese naval actions and strategies during the war. Plenty of visuals; lots of detail.
Omaha Beachhead - Grades 9-12 - This is the Army's official history of the Omaha beach invasion effort and subsequent progress inland. The site is entirely text, written as adult-level military history. There's plenty of material here - and in other corners of this vast site - for the patient reader.
Oral Histories of World War II - Grades 6 and up - This is a collection of oral histories from people involved in the war. Most of the material has been transcribed, but there are a few bits that can be heard as RealAudio clips. Many of the segments could use some additional context, but they effectively capture the scope and intensity of the experience.
Remembering Pearl Harbor - Grades 6-12 - The National Geographic's visually attractive presentation on the Pearl Harbor attack includes several resources that could easily be adapted for instructional purposes, and the interest in first-person accounts and recollections could be adapted for many different subjects. This site could also be a nice resource for student research and reports.
Pearl Harbor - Grades 4-8 - This Thinkquest site was created by a team of 5th graders in Hawaii. It describes the Pearl Harbor attack using original words and artwork, and it makes an eloquent plea for peace. The Flash animation is a good example of what a ten-year-old with the proper tools can do!
Pearl Harbor - Battleship Row - Grades 4-12 - This on-line collections aerial photos of Pear Harbor will interest younger students, and older users will want to read the first-hand accounts of the Pearl Harbor attack from survivors. There are also links to related content about Japanese and American forces during the conflict.
Private Art - A collection of letters to and from home - Grades 6-12 - This is a collection of letters exchanged between one soldier and his family. The material is indexed chronologically and is easy to retrieve and use, though the site is probably more technically complex than necessary. Nice use of graphics and illustrations.
Remembering Nagasaki - Grades 6-12- Teacher preview recommended - This site presents and elegant, powerful photoessay showing the devastation caused by the bombing of Nagasaki. The photos were taken only a day or two after the event, and are offered with only enough commentary to give them context. Local sensibilities vary, so please preview this one before using.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center - Grades 8 and up - The foremost organization for the study and memorialization of the holocaust provides a variety of resources for those researching this topic.
The Power of Persuasion - Grades 8 and up - Posters from World War II presented by the National Archives.
Trinity Web - The nuclear bombing of Japan - Grades 7 and up - Created by the Seattle Times, this site focuses on the initial nuclear tests that preceded the bombing of Japan to end the war. Additional links to first-person chronicles, other related W.W.II sites, and nuclear resources. Well done.
Voices of the Holocaust - Grades 6-12 - Illinois Institute of Technology hosts this site, developed to share first-hand experiences of holocaust survivors. The site is particularly interesting, because the memories were collected only a year or so after the end of the war, and were transcribed verbatim by interviewers. The result is a collection of several dozen interviews which are remarkable for their clarity. This site would be a great primary resource for any holocaust study.
What Did You Do in the War, Grandma? - Grades 7 and up - This is a collection of oral history information compiled by high school students in Rhode Island as a class project. Well-done student effort.
World War II Resources - Grades 9-12 - This is a collection of primary source documents from American and Allied sources. This site includes pre-war assessments and intelligence, cryptography studies, and even the actual German and Japanese surrender documents. It would be a great starting point for students interested in using primary sources.
World War II: An American Scrapbook - Grade 5-8 - Social Studies - This student-created, award winning site includes oral histories of World War II experiences with sound clips with written explanations and commentary from the grandchildren of the war participants. The site welcomes new contributions from your students and tells them how to go about collecting the information. Teachers can plans units directly from this advice or simply have students tour the site to learn more about WWII. Thinkquest Junior winner: second place, social studies, 1998.
World War II Poster Collection - Grades 6-12 - from Northwestern University. A collection of posters from the war years, combined with a search engine and index.
World War II Timeline - Grades 6-12 - This is an extensive, multi-part timeline created at the University of San Diego. The material can be used both to show the broad relationship of events and also to track detailed developments of specific portions of the conflict.
Related Links:
World Cultures - Japan
World Cultures - Europe
American
Themes
Historical Chronology
Original Documents
US History Lessons
TeachersFirst Content Matrix
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