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 * 7th Grade Social Studies with World War II **

__Theme 1__: Survival - The idea of survival can be perceived on a spectrum based on an individual’s perspective and position within society. Survival is the idea that an individual must endure hardships or adverse conditions, whether they are physical or emotional. The theme of survival can be more or less brutal at times in a middle school student’s life. Middle school is a time for self-discovery and self-efficacy. It is viewed as the time for survival because of its intense peer pressure and growth, both physically and relationally.
 * Expanded Write-up **

//Adolf Hitler// was the German leader of the Nazi Party during World War II. He initiated WWII and played a significant part in the Holocaust. Hitler viewed the Jews as his enemies, as well as the enemy to Germany. Hitler organized this genocide of the Jews, and once he got started, it was nearly impossible to stop it. The theme of survival definitely plays a role in the people’s lives affected by this plan enacted to begin killing Jews, but this plan was also Hitler’s way to regain health of Germany and to stay in power. Learning how to deal with opposing forces is an everyday thing; students will definitely relate to this because many students have “enemies” during the middle school years. They wrestle with the ideas of who is trustworthy and who is not.
 * Essential or Highlighted Individuals: **

//Anne Frank// is best known as the young girl whose recordings of being in hiding for two years with her family were published into a diary/book. She is a Jewish victim of the Holocaust, and when she was young, her family moved from Germany to Amsterdam where the Nazis eventually gained control. Because of this, she and her family went into hiding for two years, and they were later transferred to a concentration camp. This definitely centers on the theme of survival, and the diary is recorded by a young girl - someone to whom adolescents can relate.

//The Jews in the concentration camps// were those that were caught or captured by the Germans and put into these camps to be held as a POW (prisoner of war) or to perform forced labor tasks. These Jewish people were brought to these camps to ultimately be murdered in gas chambers. The idea of survival seems lost when it becomes this gruesome of a reality. How does one escape these horrors? How does one deal with the harsh realities that he encounters? Is it ever going to get better? - These are all questions middle school students will ask during the middle school years. While middle school students may not encounter some of the harsh realities these Jewish people faced, they will encounter their own difficulties and trials in life; they must learn what tools and skills to use and learn in order to “survive.”

//The Diary of a Young Girl// by Anne Frank is the diary of Anne Frank as she undergoes everything she experiences while in hiding. She did not publish this diary herself; after her death, her father published her writings. In this book, she records her truest feelings and her deepest secrets. She learns to trust something when no one or nothing else seems to be trustworthy. Students will relate to this because at a time of physical growth and social growth, no one seems trustworthy and nothing seems to be going right. Maybe writing down one’s feelings could help him to better release his negative emotions and learn to trust more easily and how to survive the tough years.
 * Core Texts: **

//Hatchet// by Gary Paulsen is a young adult novel about a boy who is sent to visit his father, and along the way, he gets stranded on an island. All he has with him is a hatchet, and he must learn how to adapt to his surroundings and how to make new friends with the relationships that are available to him. He must learn to survive with the skills that he has learned and the tools that he has brought. Much like in middle school, students must learn to adapt when things do not go as planned - because hardly do things go as planned in the midst of peer pressure and heightened emotions.

//Survivors: True Stories of Children in the Holocaust// by Allan Zullo is a book that is based on eight interviews. It is a nonfiction book that is designed to speak to middle school students about the strong will of man. If someone truly believes anything and he sets his mind to accomplishing it, there is nothing that will stand in his way of achieving that goal. If one is strong willed enough to survive the horrors of WWII, then maybe a middle school student is able to make it through the end of his week.

__Theme 2__: Race - Racism is an issue that is woven throughout America’s history. Inequality or unfair treatment is definitely something middle school students face. With this theme, students will be able to explore different perspectives and different ideas, while also exploring what their own views are on inequality.
 * Condensed Write-up **

//President S. Harry Truman// ended segregation for the U.S. military in 1948.
 * Essential or Highlighted Individuals: **

//Rosa Parks// is a popular name when it comes to learning about civil rights. Parks became a well-known African American woman who refused to give up her seat to a white person in the colored persons’ section of the bus. She is important to know in regards to this theme of racism because she fought for her rights.

//Tuskegee Airmen// were the first African American servicemen to serve as military aviators in the US armed forces. They are important because of what they accomplished as men of color.

//The Watsons Go to Birmingham// by Christopher Paul Curtis is a historical-fiction novel that tells the story of a family who moves from Michigan to Alabama and undergoes the realities of racism.
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//Maniac Magee// by Jerry Spinelli is a book that describes one man’s desire to bridge the gap between the whites and the African Americans by showing his athleticism through running.

//Up from Slavery// by Booker T. Washington is an autobiography that accounts Washington’s story of growing up in slavery and overcoming obstacles in order to be who he wanted to be. It speaks to the racism in the South and his ability to climb the social ladder, regardless of his skin color.

__Theme 3__: Capable of Change - As we see in history, the capacity to change and to construct change is not an overnight thing; it takes time and preparation, but it is possible. Viewing these individuals’ stories and interpretations of social evolution will be useful and encouraging for those students who also wish to make a difference, but feel it is too big of a job for one individual.

//Martin Luther// is best known for his ninety-five theses on the church door, which sparked an element of change. He saw a need and decided to do something about it.
 * Essential or Highlighted Individuals: **

//Women// were not normally in uniform and many of the social norms at this time were challenged because men were not at home.

//Albert Einstein// was shamed for being from Germany, though through all the persecution and scrutiny, he became one of the most well-known physicists, creating the theory of relativity.

//“I Have a Dream”// is a speech written by Civil Rights Activist, Martin Luther King Jr., in which he calls for a change to end racism in the United States and for equal rights.
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// [|__Draft Card__] // which details an immediate request for a young man to prepare to go to war.

//Walt before Mickey// by Timothy S. Susanin details the struggles and failures that Disney faced before establishing his Disney park.

__Theme 4__: Power - Do you respect authority? Do you challenge your elders? Following the rules is not always easy, especially when it falls to unfair treatment or mistreatment of the human race. Through these examples of power struggles, students will be able to examine other individuals’ takes on how to accomplish change and equality, or how to remain in power with divisive tricks.

//William T. Sherman// led Sherman’s March with 60,000 soldiers from Atlanta to Savannah. This march was to encourage others to abandon the Confederate cause. It was used as a scare tactic to encourage this change.
 * Essential or Highlighted Individuals: **

//Joseph Stalin// decided it would be a good idea to sign the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact which ensured no military action would be taken for the next decade between these two countries. Stalin saw this as an opportunity to keep his nation on good terms with Germany.

//Rosie the Riveter// is an icon and symbol of feminism, most commonly recognized as the woman who wears a red bandana and shows her strength. The women had to take on duties once the men were drafted to fight in the war, and Rosie is a leading proponent for this.

//German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact// ensured no military action would be taken for the next decade between these countries. As this was a promise and contract, power was gained on both sides during this time as they promised to be peaceful.
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//The Gettysburg Address//, though not part of WWII, was given by Abraham Lincoln and is considered one of the most powerful speeches in American history because of his call for human equality.

//Jim Crow Laws// were laws that legalized segregation between whites and African Americans, holding a power over African American peoples.

__Theme 5__: Courage - Is courage about doing the right thing in a hard situation, even if it goes against authorities, or is courage about doing what one believes can resolve tough issues? Courage, how can one achieve it? Courage is something most humans struggle with, especially when it comes to taking on new responsibilities or overcoming hardships for the duty of one’s country.

//Joseph Goebbels// was Hitler’s right hand man, responsible for presenting Hitler in the best way, and after Hitler died, Goebbels and his wife poisoned their children and then killed themselves.
 * Essential or Highlighted Individuals: **

//Harry S. Truman// became president after the death of Franklin Roosevelt. He was also the one who decided to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

//Richard Winters// parachuted in Normandy in the early hours of D-Day. He was an officer of the U.S. army and a war veteran.

//Rosa Parks: Courageous Citizen// by Ruth Ashby is a biography of Rosa Parks’ story and how she had the courage to stand (or sit, rather) for what she believed in. She fights against injustice, and it recounts the story of her bus ride in 1955.
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//Declaration of Independence// claims that the thirteen newly independent states are no longer under British rule and have formed a new nation - the United States of America.

//Courageous Footsteps: A WWII Novel// is a novel about two teenagers who are imprisoned with their family in a Japanese camp during WWII and the struggles and hardships they must overcome.

__Theme 6__: Economics - Money. Everyone is interested in how to best spend money and save money. What happens when the government is in control of these decisions? How does a country recover after a great war?

//George S. Patton// liberated the country from the Nazi regime.
 * Essential or Highlighted Individuals: **

//John Locke// was regarded as a famous philosopher and political theorist, often accredited with being the founder of British Empiricism.

//Franklin D. Roosevelt// served as president from 1933-1945. What he did and how he did it plays into the effects on the economy of the U.S. during this time.

//G.I. Bill// which was created to help veterans of WWII by establishing hospitals and granting stipends for various expenses.
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//The Land Lease Act// provided United States military aid to foreign nations during WWII.

//The Marhsall Plan// helped finance the economic recovery of Europe.