Join me as we examine the causes and legacy of World War II, and learn about the tremendous impact it had on Europe in the mid 20th century. This class will cover the causes of the war, the major battles of the war, the Manhattan Project, the Yalta Conference, and the beginning of the Cold War. This course seeks to examine the big picture causes and legacies of the war rather than examining every detail of each battle.   

This course will be taught using visual aids via PowerPoint in a lecture-based format. Students will be expected to ask questions and discuss as a group the material that we are covering. During the 50 minute class periods, students should expect to answer questions to check their understanding and participate in class discussions. The last week of the course will be the unit test which will be in the form of an interactive game of Kahoot. 

This is an introductory class, so students do not need to have any background knowledge coming into class!

Week 1:  What is caused the war? (rise of fascism, failures of the Treaty of Versailles, Japanese militarism, Franz Ferdinand, alliances, German invasions)  

Week 2: Beginning of the war (Hitler invades western Europe, Operation Barbarossa, Lend-Lease Act, attack on Pearl Harbor)  
 
Week 3: The Pacific Theatre (Japanese conquests, Battle of Midway, island hopping, Battle of Guadalcanal, Battle of Saipan, Battle of Iwo Jima and Okinawa) 

Week 4: The War in Europe (Manhattan Project, Normandy Invasion, Battle of Stalingrad, Battle of the Bulge, Yalta Conference, The Holocaust, beginning of the Cold War)

Week 5: The End of the War (Yalta Conference, The Holocaust, beginning of the Cold War)

Week 6: Kahoot Assessment