World War II

This nonfiction title introduces students ages 12 through 15 to the complex international dynamics that led to World War II, the most widespread, destructive, and consequential war in human history.
Readers frequently read or hear news stories that allude to events and major figures of World War II.
World War II is a popular setting for feature length movies, novels, video games, and other media that middle grade students consume both in an academic setting and independently.
Readers learn how the outcome of World War II continues to play a direct role in international relations today.
Uses primary sources to engage readers in scholarly deconstruction of relevant material.
Activities encourage the development of important skills, including comparing and contrasting, looking for detailed evidence, making deductions, and applying critical analysis to a wide variety of media.
Investigating previous events in the world’s history can help students understand the causes and effects of current events.
Focuses on student-directed, as opposed to teacher-guided, learning.
This text is interdisciplinary in nature and provides links to the art, culture, economics, technology, and history connected with the time periods discussed.
Offers age-appropriate, hands-on activities that bring the text to life and reinforce learning.
Uses an inquiry-based approach that encourages readers to think critically about the reasons behind World War II and both the media’s and government’s role in shaping narratives. All these issues are pertinent to current political events.
Meets the following standards for the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies: Time, Continuity, and Change; Individuals, Groups, and Institutions; Power, Authority, and Governance; Global Connections.
Meets Common Core state standards in language arts for reading informational text and literary nonfiction.
Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.