Equipment & Supplies
- Chart paper and markers
Procedures
Day 1
1. Ask the class, "How did World War II begin?" Racism. A German dictator named Adolph Hitler believed that Germans were a superior race and should rule the world. He began to imprison, torture, and kill those he felt were inferior. Six MILLION Jewish people died during Hitler's regime. This became known as the holocaust. (For a helpful visualization of what six million looks like, see Paper Clips DVD. In the small town of Whitwell, Tennessee a Middle School created a holocaust memorial by collecting paper clips for each Jewish holocaust victim. Paper clips were chosen by the students because they were worn on collars by Norwegians to symbolize their support of the Jewish people.) Hitler's military planned to take over the world with the help of Japan and Italy. Although the United States did not agree with Hitler's philosophy, it felt safe from his threat separated by an ocean. The United States became involved in the war when Japan made a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941.
2. Write on the board "United We Stand, Divided We Fall." Ask the class, "Have you ever heard of this expression before?" It is credited to Aesop, a slave who lived six centuries B.C. What does the expression mean? People have used this expression many times during war to convey the thought that it is much easier for your enemies to defeat you if your country/team/group is not working together.
3. Do you think unity existed in the United States before World War II? Show Colored Admissions. This famous image was taken right before the World War II. Ask the class:
- What does this image show? (A black man in the shadows walking up the steps to enter the back of a movie theater.)
- Does it give any clues if the United States was really "united" before the war? What clue does it give? (The colored admission sign is an indication of the segregation still prevalent in American society. If you look carefully in the half-shadowed door beneath the steps, you will also see a sign that says, "WHITE MEN ONLY.")
4. Explain to students that prior to World War II the United States was not unified. African Americans (10.6% of America's population) were treated as second-class citizens. They were asked to sit in the back of the bus, drink from different water fountains, eat at separate restaurants, and, if they managed to find employment, they were often given the lowest paying jobs and often times treated without respect.
5. During World War II the United States understood that it would take unity from its citizens in order to defeat such powerful enemies as Germany, Italy, and Japan. In order to create a sense of unity, it used propaganda. Ask your class to define propaganda. Propaganda is a specific type of message (positive or negative) aimed at influencing the opinions of people. Ask students to volunteer examples of propaganda they experience in their life (billboards, political campaign TV ads, cartoons, etc.) Propaganda uses some of the following techniques to win over people's opinion: (You may wish to list these on the board.)
- They use patriotism.
- They oversimplify an idea.
- They use celebrity influence.
- They use simple, catchy slogans.
- They are deliberately misleading.
- They prey on readers"/viewers" fear or emotion.
6. Show United We Win. Here is a propaganda poster the government created:
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What is going on in the picture?
Two men-one African American and one white-work on war equipment together. -
Are there any symbols used in the poster? What does the symbol represent?
The flag in the background represents the United States of America. -
What is the purpose of the poster?
The purpose is to foster and encourage a sense of unity between races to win the war. -
Look at the list of propaganda techniques. Which ones are used in this poster?
Techniques used include: patriotism and simple slogans. Misleading information could also have been applied: although the message is unity, note that the workers are not pictured at equal levels. -
Do you think it was an effective poster?
Class answers are open to interpretation.
7. Ask the class, "If you were African American during World War II, would you want to help out your country when it has been treating you as a second-class citizen?" Explain that some did not. Some African Americans felt it was more important to fight racism at home than to fight racism abroad. Show Randolph During World War II. This pamphlet shows one of the most influential Civil Rights leaders ,A. Philip Randolph, organizing a march on Washington during the war. The planning of this march influenced President Roosevelt to pass the Fair Employment Act which prevented discrimination in the defense industries. What does A. Philip Randolph mean–"Winning Democracy for the Negro is Winning the War for Democracy!" (The War for Democracy was another name for World War II, but the term is also used here for the fight for civil rights in America. Randolph is playing with the public perception of where the "War for Democracy" is being fought.) Do you agree with him?
8. Other African Americans felt serving their country in the war would be an opportunity to gain respect and equality at home. Show poster Dorie Miller. Dorie received a Navy Cross with the help of publicity from the Pittsburgh Courier when he shot down several Japanese planes at Pearl Harbor. For a personal narrative of an African American from Homestead, Pennsylvania who served and encountered a great deal of racism in the army, have students read Student Handout 1-Quotes from an African American Soldier and complete Student Worksheet 1-Interpreting Quotes from a Soldier. [Note: this narrative will give specific and explicit and compelling examples of racism, require some maturity from your class, and add a bit of time to your overall lesson teaching time. For assessment of the interpretive worksheet see Teacher Guide to Student Worksheet 1-Interpreting Quotes from a Soldier.]
9. Hand out to each student a copy of Student Handout 2-Background Information. Have students read the background information. Students should interact with the text by underlining and making notes or questions in the margins. If time is short, this can be read for homework in addition to the assignment below.
10. At the end of Student Handout 2, James G. Thompson of Wichita, Kansas suggests in a letter to the Pittsburgh Courier that "African Americans should keep ‘defense and victory in the forefront" and should not ‘loose sight of our fight for true democracy at home" …For homework ask students to design a campaign emblem for the Pittsburgh Courier that fulfills this advice. Then write a paragraph underneath the emblem describing and explaining the design. Students will be assessed on design (content and form), explanation, and presentation. An assessment rubric is provided (see Assessment).
Day 2
1. Ask students to take out Student Handout 2-Background Information and their homework from Day 1. Ask several students to share their emblem and explain any symbols they have chosen to include. Then collect the emblems.
2. Project Double V Emblem on an overhead. Ask students what they think it means. Share that the rest of James G. Thompson's letter: "We colored Americans [should] adopt the double V V for double victory. The first V for victory over our enemies from without, and the second V for victory over our enemies from within." Because of his letter demanding equal rights at home if risking life abroad, the newspaper began the Double V Campaign on February 7, 1942 designed to promote civil rights and patriotism through the slogan "Victory at Home, Victory Abroad". African-Americans in Pittsburgh now felt empowered to contribute to the war effort and it was Daisy Lampkin who sold them $2 million in bonds.
3. Review the information about war bonds from Student Handout 2. Write the following question on the board: If you were Daisy Lampkin, how do you convince the black community of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to support the war effort and raise war bonds? Remembering historical perspective, students are to discuss possible ways Lampkin was able to successfully raise that amount of money from a community who was deprived of equal rights. In this brainstorming session, all answers are possible and should be recorded in a web on chart paper. Ideas can be inferred from the photographs.
4. Ask students to recall yesterday's discussion about propaganda posters. Today they will analyze a government war bond poster on their own. Pass out to half of the students Keep Us Flying and half Homecoming Bond Poster. In addition disseminate Student Worksheet 2-NARA Poster Analysis. Have students complete an analysis of their poster. For assessment see Teacher's Guide to Student Worksheet 2-NARA Poster Analysis. Review responses in class.
5. Discuss their responses and have students compare posters.
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Which poster did they think was most effective?
Allow for various student responses. Ask students to explain their response. -
What propaganda techniques were being used in the posters?
The Homecoming Bond Poster is clearly manipulating the fear/emotion of the viewer by saying your loved one will come home more quickly and safely if you buy war bonds.
The Keep Us Flying poster is misleading since not many African-Americans were allowed to serve until the end of the war. The Tuskegee airmen were an example of the exception instead of the rule. -
Which one was clearly targeting an African American audience?
Keep Us Flying–It shows an African American as part of the war.
6. As a final activity, ask students to pretend they are African Americans living during World War II. They are to write a short letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Courier justifying their decision to purchase or not purchase war bonds in support of the war effort.
