We have finished another period of history — WW2. I admit that I learned a lot myself about this monumental war. Here are the primary resources we used for this (four to five week) unit:
WW2 Books
I ditched the Winter Promise reading schedule and instead used this book as our WW2 spine. (I really like all the books in this series.)
Hoodwinked: Deception and Resistance (Outwitting the Enemy: Stories from World War II)
I chose select stories from this book.
Story of World War 2 (Dover coloring book)
WW2 Videos
WW2 Historical Fiction
Journey to America (read aloud)
Don’t You Know There’s a War On? (Sprite read alone)
Snow Treasure (read aloud)
WW2 Audio
The Music of WW2 This is a fabulous site that has authentic songs from the time period — ballads, Big Band music, political songs, etc. So much fun!
I asked Sprite if she’d rather do a lapbook or notebook for WW2, and she chose a lapbook. It’s been quite some time since we’ve made one, actually, so I was rather glad she’s not outgrown them altogether. (Not that I think lapbooks are only for young children, but it seems that she was getting tired of them.)
For the lapbook base, we did something different. We used two very large manila envelopes to make a book with pages and pockets. I got the idea here. (I made my own tutorial which will be posted at Heart of the Matter later.) This envelope base is perfect for a lapbooking-notebooking combo since you can slide notebooking pages into the pockets.
Inside — first spread
Inside — second spread (see the flaps for the pockets?)
WW2 Minibooks
Here is a list of the minibooks Sprite created. I listed the links we used for graphics or for study where applicable. For the most part, each book represents a summary of the day’s lesson. In some cases, we pulled a specific detail out of the reading to focus on, for example the Thompson gun.
1. German U-boats trifold
2. Fascist Leaders accordion book
3. Start of WW2 four-sixths book
4. The Battle of Britain accordion book
5. The Fight for the Suez Canal accordion book
6. Operation Barbarossa special fold
- Hitler & Stalin image
7. Pearl Harbor is Bombed pentagon special fold
8. Japanese Internment Camps matchbook
9. Rosie the Riveter single fold
11. Thompson Sub-machine Gun single fold with four corner book inside
(Sprite’s choice of one WW2 weapon)
12. Holocaust pentagon special fold
This was a mini geometry lesson as Sprite worked on the six pointed Star of David.
(This was a hard topic, needless to say, and I didn’t require Spite to write about it. It disturbed her too much. Instead, she cut out text from a worksheet linked below.
- There are some powerful black and white photographs in this PDF. (I ended up not showing them to Sprite. The reading was hard enough.)
- Remembrance Poster
13. Pacific Victories accordion book
- Iwo Jima (statue) coloring page
- Hiroshima map (Japan)
- mushroom cloud
WW2 Notebooking Pages
I really liked this visual literacy PDF. Each page has either a political cartoon or a photograph to analyze and learn from. We used several pages from it as notebooking sheets to add to the pockets of the lapbook.
We used a WW2 map of Europe from our Knowledge Quest Maps CD.
We also added the poem If We Must Die by Claude McKay, which was read by Winston Churchill to inspire people during WW2.
Here I am bookmarking another wonderful resource from you! Thank you so much for all of your great ideas and links!!
.-= Melanie´s last blog ..Step Two: Happy Dance! =-.
One word: WOW!!! Another great project. I would hazard to guess that Sprite knows more (probably much more) than I do about WWII. If I asked really nicely, would you consider submitting this post for the next Homeschool Showcase? I’m definitely taking notes for when we study WWII.
.-= Kris @ Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers´s last blog ..The Public School Parents’ Guide to Homeschool Parents =-.
“WOW!” was my first first thought, too. And second, and third, and . . . . I’m still saying it to myself. Even right now, I’m hurrying to finish this comment so I can go back and pour over all that great information. Thank you so much!
.-= Tatiana´s last blog ..Venezuela =-.
We also really liked the World War II for Kids book when we used TOG year 4. My boys were heavy into learning about this time period and it had a lot of jumping off points for them.
Thanks for the link to the political cartoons and photos with the accompanying analysis questions. We will be using those next year…thanks for the link.
Great job!
.-= Barb-Harmony Art mom´s last blog ..Weekly Wrap-Up: Starting Our Home Stretch =-.
Jimmie,
Your daughter did a great job with the lapbook. I will look forward to that tutorial about making the lapbook base. I saw books like this at another site but I couldn’t figure out the directions.
We are studying Ancient History all year next year but I’ll be sure to check out your great resources when we study WW II.
Samantha
This is really great! I like the way your daughter colors and draws.
Fantastic lapbook! We’re in the midst of WW2 right now and I’m kicking myself now for not starting a lapbook for it. But we’ve had great reading and great movies. I’m glad to see which version of Anne Frank you watched. I had not started researching the various editions yet. I’ll have to check out that WW2 spine, too. I have loads of books already but that one looks great! We just finished reading The Winged Watchman today and will start I Am David tomorrow.
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..On the Menu =-.
Jimmie, you and your Sprite never cease to inspire! Thanks so very much for sharing this!
.-= Amy @ Hope Is the Word´s last blog ..Incoming =-.
You really got a lot of mileage out of that lapbook! Very creative!
I like WWII for Kids as well! We have it in our curriculum along with lots of others – one of my favorite WWII historical fiction books that you could read aloud to Sprite sometime is Enemy Brothers, by Constance Savery. It has some absolutely wonderful themes of redemption and forgiveness. One not to miss!
You have both done an amazing job! I’m sure this is a very sturdy armature for future study or reference! Thanks for sharing all your ideas and references ~ your suggestions and ideas are always so valuable.
.-= Nadene´s last blog ..Art Appreciation ~ Cezanne Fruit Still Life =-.
Wow, another SUPERGREAT Sprite-Job! I’m amazed! Hope in about 10 years you will open a lapbook-museum!
What a wonderful study. Don’t you just love when you learn along with your child some new tidbit. You have so much info packed into that one lapbook. GREAT!!
Blessings,
Dawn
Looks great! I admire those of you who lapbook. My kids seem to love it but somehow we never finish. I don’t know why. So we don’t do them.
But everyone else’s look awesome
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Nature Walks and Talks =-.
That lapbook will slowly turn into a story and eventually an essay. Hope you will still blog by that time, so we can enjoy and join Sprite’s learning process.
This lapbook is great! Bye from Sicily!
Jimmie, Another great resource from you for our studies next year. I’ve planned some of the same resources already and as usual you’ve given me more ideas! What a great lapbook, Sprite. Thank you for sharing the details – I love that! – M
I am interested in finding quality English books about the Asian side of the war, especially the way the Japanese treated the Chinese and the Koreans and so on. I am on the lookout. I found a few books on Pearl Harbor and on Japanese prison camps in the U.S, but not much else…
Hi Jimmie,
Thanks for sharing your lapbooks. I have used your printables to use in my son’s lapbooks about WWI and WWII. This is our first year doing lapbooks and your blog has been extremely helpful.
i’m doing some research for a unit on wwII coming up later this school year. i love your rundown of what you used. so helpfu! thank you!! just a quick question though: do you think that “diary of anne frank” video is ok for younger kids? (first grade?) its sometimes harder to tell with older movies. thanks for letting me know!
Hi Jimmie, Thanks so much for this! I have been scouring the internet for weeks now do to a ww2 lap book with my kids. This will only be our second we did one about 4 years ago and not sure why it has taken us this long to do another. 🙂 I was wondering if you can tell me where I could find that map you used.
Thanks again for all your wonderful resources!!
I’m so sorry, Chrissie. That lapbook was so long ago. If it’s not linked in the post, I have no idea.
What age would you say this is for? I have a second grade boy who is in love with WWII but he’s also *very* tender hearted.
Cool!
Awesome list of resources! Do you have your lapbook all bundled into one package? I would love to use this with my 5th grade class.
I don’t sell any lapbooking products, Sarah. Check out CurrClick though!