Net Lessons: Sample Lesson

World War II History Textbooks Project

Students research and compare how events of World War II are treated in various countries’ school textbooks through linking with another classroom from that country.

Subject: History, Social Studies, Diversity Education, Conflict Resolution
Grade level: Grades 9-12
Activity type: Web Collaboration
Activity level:Intermediate
Partners: One classroom per designated country
Timeframe: 9 weeks

Objectives

Students learn about the events of World War II.
Students explore cultural stereotypes.
Students delve into issues of revisitionist history.
Students use the Web to explore issues of public policy.

Prerequisites

None

Materials Needed

One computer with email/World Wide Web access
Chartpaper or chalkboard

Procedure

Have students in small groups identify countries with which they want to partner to explore how World War II is treated in their countries’ textbooks. What issues do they want addressed?
Bring the groups together and on the board or chart paper outline the project, including the desired countries to participate and the issues to be addressed. Some potential issues include:

How are the Germans/Japanese/British/Americans portrayed in each country’s textbooks (positively, negatively, aggressor, victim)?
What aspects of the Pacific War are emphasized or de-emphasised and how might this be a result of government policy?
How is the topic of the atomic bomb dealt with?
How is history taught in each classroom?
How are history textbooks written and adopted in each classroom? What role does the government play?
How have textbooks’ handling of this topic changed over time?

Post a message to international bulletin boards looking for participants in the designated countries. (IECC-projects@stolaf.edu is an excellent place to post a message for international partners.)
Have partner classrooms and your own classroom research the answers to the outlined issues using the Web and other available library resources. Break students into small groups, assigning an issue per group to address.
Share all information with participating classrooms.
In small groups, have students interpret the data, comparing each country’s response on their assigned issue.
Have each small group do a presentation on their issue.
Hold two discussions:

Explore the different perspectives of each country on the events of the war. Ask: What differences were there between countries’ treatments of the war? Why? What are the issues? Who are the different stakeholders in the issue? What is each stakeholder’s perspective? What are each stakeholder’s positions and interests? (Positions are what each stake holder is demanding. Interests are why they need them—the underlying need being addressed by the demand.)
Explore the role of history in our society. Ask: What is truth? In what ways does our society value truth? In what ways does it not? How do we acquire our knowledge about the past? In the interest of serving truth, what would be the best way of acquiring our knowledge about the past?

Timeline

Weeks 1-4 Identify countries and issues to research and post message for participants. Allow three weeks for a response.
Weeks 5-9 Research issues using the Web and other resources.
Weeks 10 Share results with partners.
Weeks 11-12 Intrepret results. Have group presentations and discussions.

Tip

Use Other Historical Resources

Supplement this activity with actual historical documents, diaries/memoirs, newspaper accounts, and films about World War II. Discuss each mode of recorded history and its relative credibility as a source.

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