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Kids learn about the causes of World War II including fascism, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, the Treaty of Versailles, appeasement, the Great Depression, and Japanese expansion.

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World War II History: The Holocaust for Kids

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Kids learn about the history of the Holocaust during World War II. Jewish people were killed by the German Nazi Party.

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World War II History: WW2 US Home Front for Kids

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Kids learn about the history of the United States home front during World War II. How people back home helped to fight the war.

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Kids learn about the history of African Americans in WW2 including the Tuskegee Airmen, the 761st Tank Battalion, segregation, and desegregation of the armed forces.

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History >>World War 2 for Kids Women played an important role for the United States in World War II. Although they did not enter combat as soldiers, many women helped by serving in thearmed forces. They also helped to keep the country together at the home front. Women worked in factories producing ships, tanks, munitions and other much needed products for the war effort.

Poster recruiting women for the armed forces
Source: National Archives

Women in the Armed Forces

Many women served in the armed forces during the war. Some served as nurses in the Army Nurse corps. This could be a dangerous job as some nurses worked in hospitals that were close to the war front. They served in a variety of areas including field hospitals, ship hospitals, medical transport planes, and evacuation hospitals. Many soldier's lives were saved by these brave nurses.

Women also served in the Women's Army Corps or WAC. This was a branch of the armed forces started up in 1942. Women served in non-combat areas such as mechanics repairing vehicles, army post offices sorting mail, and working in communications and warning systems. There were 150,000 women in the WAC by the end of the war. They served throughout the military, even landing in Normandy only a few weeks after D-Day.

Nurses in the Army
Source: National Archives

At first many men did not want women in the armed forces. It was Eleanor Roosevelt and General George Marshall who eventually got the WAC approved. Later, women troops were such good soldiers that some leaders suggested that women should be drafted.

Women's Air Force Service Pilots

Women also served as pilots as Women's Air Force Service Pilots or WASPs. These were women who already had pilot's licenses. They flew military planes between army bases and flew cargo planes carrying supplies. This freed up male pilots for combat missions.

Rosie the Riveter
Source: National Museum of American History

Rosie the Riveter

Perhaps one of the largest contributions of women during World War II was keeping our factories running. With 10 million men in the army, many women were needed to run the country's factories. They produced much needed planes, tanks, warships, guns, and other munitions for the war.

In order to inspire women to work in the factories, the US government came up with the "Rosie the Riveter" campaign. Displayed on posters and magazines, Rosie the Riveter was a character that portrayed a strong patriotic woman who worked in the factories to help the country. There was even a popular song called "Rosie the Riveter". The campaign was successful as hundreds of thousands of women entered the work force taking on jobs that had been previously done by men.

Famous Women

Here are a few of the women from around the world who became famous during World War II:

Eleanor Roosevelt - The First Lady and wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor was a strong supporter of the troops and for civil rights. She opposed the internment camps of the Japanese Americans and was active in boosting moral on the US home front.

Eleanor Roosevelt on a plane
Source: National Park Service

Queen Elizabeth - The Queen was a symbol of unity for the British against Hitler. She was a great source of moral for the troops. When she was advised to take her children and flee London, she refused saying that the King would never leave and neither would she.

Tokyo Rose - This was the name given to the Japanese women who voiced radio propaganda to the US Troops fighting Japan. She tried to demoralize the troops by continuously telling them that they could not win the war.

Eva Braun - Eva was Hitler's mistress. She married him at the end of the war, right before they committed suicide together.

Sophie Scholl - Sophie was a German woman who actively opposed the Nazis and the Third Reich. She was arrested for protesting the war and later executed. She is considered a great hero giving her life to try and stop the Nazis.

Anne Frank - Anne Frank was a Jewish girl who became famous for her diaries written while hiding from the Nazis for two years in a secret room. She eventually was caught and died in a concentration camp.

Activities

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History >>World War 2 for Kids

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History >>World War 2 for Kids Women played an important role for the United States in World War II. Although they did not enter combat as soldiers, many women helped by serving in thearmed forces. They also helped to keep the country together at the home front.

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1. Why did the United States claim a neutral position in WWII? Although they were neutral, what was their role PRIOR to the U.S. entry to the war?

2. What were some of the new opportunities available to women during WWII? Do you think this impacted women in America long-term? Provide clear evidence and examples.

3. What role did African Americans play in the war? How did segregation impact this role?

4. Thinking of the nations in Allied and Axis Powers, what were the similarities  in leadership styles? Compare and contrast both powers.

5. How did Hitler gain such strong control over Germany? What is appeasement?

6. Why was the atomic bomb used? What impact did it have on ending the war? What were the pro's and cons?

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Question 5

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Question 3

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Why did USA get involved in the war in first place and what was the result of their actions?

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Why was the atomic bomb used? What impact did it have on ending the war? What were the pro's and cons?

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question 2

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question 6

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question 3

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Question 5

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question 5

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1. Determine what question you want your research to focus on.
2. Have your questions approved and comment under the question post (with you and your partner's name)
3. Determine some sources you will use and write them down. Chose 1 article from ducksters.com and take notes on it.
4. Brainstorm possible project products you will create. Form a list to narrow down later.