There are abundant resources for studying World War II online. Whether you are a military history buff, a high school student looking to supplement your world history or American history studies, or a homeschool mom creating your own World War II unit study for your younger children, you won't need to look far to get detailed resources suited to your purposes. In this Unit Study Resources article we've included links to lesson plans and websites dealing with the war itself, the war in Europe, the war in the Pacific, life on the home front, the holocaust and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We have a complete listing of the History Channel Speech Archive's World War II speeches. Other resources include songs of World War II, activities, books, and videos. In the video section you'll find fiction and nonfiction videos most with short reviews.

• World War II Lesson Plans
• World War II Websites
• World War II Songs
• World War II Activities
• World War II Speech Clips
• World War II Books and Stories
• World War II Videos - Fiction and Non-fiction

World War II Lesson Plans

• History Channel Study Guides
  Anne Frank: The Life of a Young Girl
  The Last Days of WWII
  The Lost Children of Berlin
  Out of the Ashes

• World War II Unit
  Resources for use with Saving Private Ryan.
• The Foreign Policy of Franklin D. Roosevelt To The Entry Into World War II
• World War II Lesson Plans
  Pearl Harbor, D-Day, The Casualties, Atom Bomb.
• Using Primary Sources to Understand the Past: Post WWII Europe and the Marshall Plan
  Great euphoria was experienced with the end of World War II. However, it became apparent to many leaders of the "new world order" that conditions in Europe were reaching new lows. Not only was most of Europe completely destroyed, putting the task of herself back together proved difficult if not impossible without outside assistance. With this lesson, students will learn exactly what problems post-WWII Europe faced. Through analyzing the speech given by President Truman’s Secretary of State George Marshall, students will learn what arguments were used in favor of aiding Europe in her effort to rebuild herself. Students will become familiar with arguments or ideas that could have impeded the carrying out of the Marshall Plan. Students will also form opinions as to whether the Marshall Plan was the best option for the United States to take.
• The Holocaust Unit Plan - high school level lesson plan
• The Holocaust and You - 7th Grade Core Knowledge lesson plan
• Anne Frank and Miep Gies - lesson plan for 7th grade from Core Knowledge
• Anne Frank in the World, 1929 - 1945 Teacher Workbook
  Anne Frank is perhaps the best known of any Holocaust victim and, for the time before other testimonies and experiences were made public, represented all who had died. We use Anne's experiences to study those Jews who were in hiding during the war. We also try to understand difficulties faced by all involved, including the families in hiding as well as those on the outside who helped them.
• Teaching with Documents Lesson Plans - World War II
  A Date Which Will Live in Infamy
  Powers of Persuasion--Poster Art of World War II
  Documents Related to Churchill and FDR
  Message Drafted by General Eisenhower in Case the D-Day Invasion Failed and Photographs Taken on D-Day
  Documents and Photographs Related to Japanese Relocation During World War II
  Memorandum Regarding the Enlistment of Navajo Indians
• Teacher Vision World War II Lesson Plans
  Lesson plans listed by academic subject: math, language arts, art,and social studies.
  

World War II Websites

General World War II Sites

• National World War II Memorial
• History Channel Speech Archive - World War II
• Avalong Project - World War II Documents
• BBC World War II
  Sections include "Campaigns and Battles", "War at Sea," "The Air War," The Secret War," "Politics," "The Holocaust," and "Home Front."
  Advertising and Information Posters Gallery
  Nazi Propaganda
  Children of World War II
• Codes and Ciphers in the Second World War
  Between 1939 and 1945, the most advanced and creative forms of mathematical and technological knowledge were combined to master German communications. British cryptanalysts, Alan Turing at the forefront, changed the course of the Second World War and created the foundation for the modern computer.
• American Aces of World War II
  American fighter pilots and airplanes of World War Two. Aces like Robert S. Johnson, Gabby Gabreski, Pappy Boyington, Joe Foss, David McCampbell, Dick Bong, Tommy Blackburn, Edward 'Butch' O'Hare, and Chuck Yeager. Fighter planes like the P-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning, and F4U Corsair. All the World War II theatres, services, and fighter planes are included: P-47 Thunderbolt pilots with the 56th Fighter Group of the 8th Air Force, Marine Corsair aces of Guadalcanal and the Solomons, carrier based Navy Hellcat pilots, and USAAF fighter pilots who flew the P-38 over New Guinea and the Philippines.
• The Home Front During World War II
• The Air Force in World War II
• The Army in World War II
• The Navy in World War II
• American Battle Monuments Commission - Cemetaries, memorials
• A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution
  The experiences of Japanese Americans during WWII; decision-making and citizen action under the U.S. Constitution
• George C. Marshall, Soldier of Peace
  To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Marshall Plan, the National Portrait Gallery and the George C. Marshall Foundation in Lexington, Virginia, have co-organized this exhibition on the life and career of American general and statesman George C. Marshall.
• July 1942: United We Stand
  During July 1942, seven months after the United States entered World War II, magazines nationwide featured the American flag on their covers. Adopting the slogan United We Stand, some five hundred publications waved the stars and stripes to promote national unity, rally support for the war, and celebrate Independence Day.
  

War in Europe

• The History Place - World War II in Europe
  Information about Hitler and other Nazis. Timeline.
• Anne Frank House Information about Anne, her diary, activities, and teacher resources.
• Maps of World War II - European Theater
• World War II in Europe
  Summary, facts and statistics, weapons, photos, memoirs, biographies
• World War II Combat in Europe
  Information supplemented by pictures from the United States Air Force Museum
• National DDay Museum
  Slide show of the museum exhibit along with other resources and information about D-Day.
• Stephen Ambrose lecture: Victory in Europe: May 1945
  Dr. Ambrose, widely recognized as one of the leading experts on this period, reviews the Allied strategy to end World War II in Europe, evaluates its success, and reflects on its long-term implications. Audio file.

War in the Pacific

• The History Place - World War II in the Pacific
  Battle photos and timeline.
• Maps of World War II - Asian Theater
• Pacific Naval Battles in World War II
  Descriptions of the naval battles include statistics.
• National Geographic - Remembering Pearl Harbor
  Photos, footage, firsthand accounts, and narration bring the attack on Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, to life—moment by moment, target by target.
• USS Arizona Memorial - National Park Serives Official website
• Hiroshima Archive
  The Hiroshima Archive is originally set up to join the on-line effort made by many people all over the world to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing, This is intended to serve as a research and educational guide to those who want to gain and expand their knowledge of the atomic bombing.
• World War II Combat in the Pacific
  Information supplemented by pictures from the United States Air Force Museum
• Enola Gay
  The Enola Gay exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum closed on May 18, 1998. This web page provides images and highlights from that exhibition.
  

The Holocaust

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
  Includes:
  Online workship and 133 page guide titled "Teaching About the Holocaust"
  Identification cards - A set of 37 identification cards reproduced on 8 1/2" x 11" paper for easy distribution and reproduction. Portrays the experiences of a wide range of people during the Holocaust
  Booklets or brochures on the Resistance to the Holocaust and the victims of the holocaust.
  Family Guides to the exhibition.
  Many other resources.
• The Holocaust a Learning Site for Students
  Welcome to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's The Holocaust: A Learning Site for Students. Organized by theme, this site uses text, historical photographs, maps, images of artifacts, and audio clips to provide an overview of the Holocaust. It is the first step in a growing resource for middle and secondary level students and teachers, with content that reflects the history as it is presented in the Museum's Permanent Exhibition, The Holocaust.
• A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust
  Extensive resources in an easily accessed and navigated site. You'll find exactly what you're looking for quickly and easily.

World War II Activities

• War Games
  Wargames covering World War II probably outnumber those covering all other eras (combined!) -- obviously World War II is something of great interest to us all, and wargamers are no exception. While there have been WWII computer wargames since the early '80s (see "Golden Oldies" below), we've restricted this list to games from the last several years, games you might have a chance of finding in stores or that you can order directly from the publishers.
• Battle of the Atlantic Online Game
  The Battle of the Atlantic lasted as long as World War Two itself. By the summer of 1942 one Allied ship was going down every four hours, yet German U-boat losses remained frustratingly low. Play the game as a 'Senior Officer Escort'. In charge of the destroyers and corvettes tasked with defending the increasingly important convoys, you will need to learn about the tactics you can use to outwit German U-boats, and discover the strengths and weaknesses of both friend and foe.
• Build Your Own World War II Timeline
  This timeline will start you off with a few dates. Add more important dates from World War II and print out your final timeline. You can also add photos, videos, and sound!
• Create a World War II Memory Book
  There are still thousands of people alive today who were soldiers, civilians, or children during the Second World War, and who remember what they did and how they felt. Locate someone to interview about this extraordinary time. Then use the Scholastic Writing Workshop to write and publish that person's oral history of World War II in Scholastic's World War II Memory Book.
• Scholastic Research Starter - World War II Military Operations
• Mary of the WACS - cutout paper doll from 1943

World War II Songs

• Songs of World War II
  Lyrics and midi song files for over 40 songs.
• World War II Songs from the Belfer Audio Laboratory and Archive
  Information about music during World War II and an archive of songs from the period. Search the archive by title or topic. The listings for each song include images, information and an audio clip of a recording of the song from the period.
• Soldier's Songs
  Today there is an unprecedented interest in military history. Soldiers' Songs amplifies this interest with music, lyrics & historical notes which tell powerful stories about the lives, thoughts and emotions of soldiers and those who waited for them at home.

  The purpose of this page is to provide historical context for the songs. This combination of song and context creates opportunities for classroom teaching aids and resources for student papers and presentations.