World War II & Post-War Era on Route 66
Lesson Plan Overview: Using the second episode of the three-part documentary series, Route 66: The Untold Story of the Mother Road, students will learn how Route 66 played a central role during the war and the post war period. During World War Two, Route 66 became an important military corridor with the creation of bases, factories, and businesses along the highway. Americans, including women, from all backgrounds and communities found themselves taking on new positions at home and at work. In this lesson plan, students will learn about the history of Route 66 during World War II and the post-war era through oral histories, primary source analysis, and place-based activities. The lesson also includes two research-based assessments; one for analytical writing and the other for creative writing. There are extension activities to dive deeper into the histories featured in the documentary.
All materials available in Google Drive and PDF formats
MATERIALS
Presentation: World War II & Post-War Era on Route 66
Worksheet: “Mapping the Route - WWII & Route 66”
Secondary Source Reading: “World War II & Post-War Era on Route 66”
Primary Source Analysis:
Episode Summary: “World War II & the Post-War Era on Route 66”
Comprehension Questions for the Episode
Graphic Organizer: Women’s Lives During WWII & Post-War Era on Route 66
Assessments:
Paragraph: How did World War Two affect life along Route 66?
Creative writing: Newspaper article from a town along the Route.
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:
Frontline Women, Episodes 1 & 2
Oral Histories: Japanese Internment during World War II
ACTIVITIES
Day 1:
Warm up discussion:
What was going on in the United States before the war started?
How did women participate in the war effort?
Are there places in the U.S. that you know were impacted by the war?
Do you know how World War Two impacted our state?
Interactive map of Route 66:
Open the map on your browser using the QR code or by going here: https://bit.ly/storieswefind
Click on Episode 2.
Pick two people along the route and watch their stories.
Complete the graphic organizer
Discussion:
What places were involved with the war effort?
Who helped with the war effort?
How did different groups participate?
Secondary Source reading & comprehension questions.
Primary Source analysis
Discussion:
Which sources did you find the most interesting? Why?
Were any of the sources surprising or confusing?
What else do you want to know about how life along Route 66 was impacted by World War II?
Day 2-3:
Warm up discussion:
What did you learn about Route 66 during the World War Two era?
Do you think the war helped or hurt business along the route?
How do you think women, in particular, might have been impacted by the war?
Watch the documentary (see link above)
Note: We recommend pausing the documentary every 10-15 minutes to review the worksheet and answer questions
Option 1: Comprehension questions
Option 2: Graphic organizer
Day 4-5:
Final assessment
Paragraph: How did World War Two affect life along Route 66?
Creative writing: Newspaper article from a town along the Route
RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS
Websites with information about World War Two and Route 66:
Website with stories from the documentary: Route66Women.
The National Park Service has an overview of the history of the war, the pre-war and post-war periods.
Library of Congress overview of the migrant experience during the Dust Bowl.
A number of states have information related to the Route in their state:
ALIGNMENT WITH STANDARDS
ELA Common Core Standards:
W.9-10.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
W.9-10.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.9-10.5: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.9-10.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
W.9-10.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
W.9-10.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
L.9-10.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
RH.9-10.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
RI.9-10.7: Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account
C3 Social Studies Standards:
D2.His.3.9-12: Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context.
D2.His.5.9-12. Analyze how historical contexts shaped and continue to shape people’s perspectives.
D4.His.6.9-12. Use disciplinary and interdisciplinary lenses to understand the characteristics and causes of local, regional, and global problems; instances of such problems in multiple contexts; and challenges and opportunities faced by those trying to address these problems over time and place
D2.His.12.6-8. Use questions generated about multiple historical sources to identify further areas of inquiry and additional sources