​Unit 4: America at War

Critical Vocabulary: Totalitarianism, Fascism, Nazism, Allied Powers, Axis Powers, Isolationism, America First Committee, Neutrality Acts, Internationalism, “Quarantine” Speech, Cash & Carry Policy, “Arsenal of Democracy," Lend - Lease Act, Atlantic Charter, Pearl Harbor, Battle of the Atlantic, North Africa Campaign, Battle of Stalingrad, Italian Campaign, Normandy Invasion, Battle of the Bulge, Bataan Death March, Doolittle’s Raid, Battle of the Coral Sea, Battle of Midway, Island-Hopping, Battle of Okinawa, Hiroshima, Office of War Information, Selective Training & Service Act, “Double V” Campaign, War Production Board, Zoot Suit Riots, Executive Order 9066, Yalta Conference, Potsdam Conference, Iron Curtain, Containment Policy, Domino Theory, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Berlin Airlift, NATO, Warsaw Pact, 38th Parallel, Demilitarized Zone, Eisenhower Doctrine, Massive Retaliation, Arms Race, U-2 Incident, Kennedy Doctrine, Flexible Response, Bay of Pigs Invasion, Berlin Wall, Cuban Missile Crisis, Red Scare, House Un-American Activities Committee Hollywood Ten, Rosenberg Trial, McCarthyism

Lesson 1: World War Looms
I can summarize the origins of World War II, & I can assess the American response to the growing international crisis from 1935-1941.
  • This means I can identify the events that led to the start of World War II in 1939.
  • It also means that I can evaluate the United States’ reaction to each event.
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Lesson 2: America at War
​I can analyze the military strategies the United States & its allies pursued during World War II.
  • This means I can assess the battle strategies of the U.S. in both the Pacific and European Theaters and determine how each led to victory for the Allied Powers.
  • It also means I can analyze Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan in order to end the war.
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Lesson 3: The War at Home
I can explain the opportunities & hardships the war created for Americans on the homefront.
  • This means that I can explain the ways in which the home front supported the war effort, and I can analyze its impact on the lives of both individuals and groups of Americans.
  • It also means that I can describe the growth of the US government during World War II.
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Lesson 4: The Cold War

Coming Soon!
I can discuss the origins of the Cold War, & I can evaluate the methods used by the United States to contain communism.
  • This means I can compare and contrast the American and Soviet systems, and I can explain the development of hostilities between the two nations.
  • It also means that I can describe the Cold War policies developed under presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy, and I can assess the success of each.
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Lesson 5: The Red Scare

Coming Soon!
I can explain the causes and effects of the Red Scare after World War II, and I can compare it to similar events following World War I.
  • This means I can explain the causes of the Red Scare after World War II, and I can analyze the ways in which the U.S. government sought to combat Communism at home.
  • It also means that I can compare the First and Second Red Scares, and I can evaluate the impact of each on American culture and society.
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