Starter quiz
- The process of supplying yourself or others with new weapons to rebuild military strength is called ______.
- 'rearmament ' ✓
- Which acts were passed by Congress in August 1935 and May 1937?
- Lend Lease
- Cash and Carry
- Neutrality ✓
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- What happened to the output of US industry during World War Two?
- It rose significantly. ✓
- It stayed the same.
- It decreased.
-
- What happened to the rate of unemployment in the USA during WW2?
- It increased.
- It decreased. ✓
- It stayed the same.
-
- Which US president broadcasted a fireside chat in which he referred to the USA as the “great arsenal of democracy”?
- Hoover
- Roosevelt ✓
- Truman
-
- When did the USA officially enter WW2?
- December 1941 ✓
- March 1941
- November 1939
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Exit quiz
- Match the words with their definitions.
- home front⇔he efforts of the the non-military people of a country at war t ✓
- rationing⇔system limiting the amount of something that each person can have ✓
- segregated⇔the separation of groups of people from each other ✓
- ______ is the act of preventing certain information from being seen or made available to the public
- 'Censorship' ✓
- How many women joined the US armed forces during the war?
- around 350 000
- around 150 000
- fewer than 1 000
-
- From which of the following jobs were women in the armed forces excluded from during WW2?
- active combat ✓
- mechanical engineering
- operating switchboards
- nursing
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- Which of the statements is most accurate in describing the situation for African Americans during WW2?
- African Americans were not allowed to serve in the armed forces.
- African Americans joined the armed forces but served in segregated units. ✓
- African Americans joined the armed forces and served in mixed units.
-
- Which of the statements is best describes the Double V Campaign?
- The campaign called for democracy and freedom abroad.
- The campaign called for democracy and freedom at home.
- It called for democracy and freedom abroad and for African Americans at home. ✓
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Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Censorship and rationing were introduced in the USA during WWII.
- Seven million women entered the American workforce between 1940 and 1945.
- The types of work completed by women became more varied.
- African Americans gained new opportunities for employment during the war.
- African Americans continued to face discrimination both in the military and on the home front.
Common misconception
Improved working opportunities for women and African Americans represented an end to discrimination against them.
African Americans and women continued to face discrimination in the workplace. Women entered 'male' jobs but were paid less than men and many employers still hired disproportionately low numbers of African Americans.
Keywords
Home front - the non-military people of a country at war and their activities in support of the war effort are described as the home front
Censorship - censorship is the act of preventing certain information from being seen or made available to the public
Rationing - rationing is a system of limiting the amount of something that each person is allowed to have
Riveter - a riveter is a person whose job involves joining pieces of metal together. This was a common job in shipbuilding and aircraft manufacturing
Segregated - groups of people are segregated if they are separated from one another. In the USA, people were often segregated based on their race