Name_____________________________ Period______

World War II Project

Project Description

This week you will dig deeper into one of the topics below related to World War II. You may work
independently or as a pair, but groups are not allowed. You will choose one of the roles listed and develop the
described product that shows your research into the available topics and answer to a central question you
develop. This question should be opinion-based, open-ended, and crafted in a way that allows for multiple
perspectives. While being opinion-based, there should be enough historical evidence and scholarly work
available to support different those different perspectives (in other words, don’t make the question so specific
you can’t successfully conduct your research). During the project, you must keep a planning sheet with your
notes and a list of your sources. The rubric for this project can be found on the back of this handout.

Topic List
● The Japanese Bombing of Pearl Harbor
● The Role of Women During the War
● Japanese Incarceration Camps
● Segregation in the US Army
● The Navajo Code Talkers
● The Impact of the Manhattan Project
● Justification for the Bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
● The Effect of Propaganda During WW2

Project Roles

Advertising Director: Creating a campaign through either print, video, or audio to inform the audience about
their findings.
Broadcast News Reporter: Writing scripts and filming the news reports.
Curriculum Writer: Can include a blueprint for a curriculum along with accompanying resources like PPTs or
worksheets.
Documentary Filmmaker: Producing and narrating a documentary short about the topic.
Editorial Writer: Two editorials to delve into alternate opinions about the central question.
Graphic Designer: A wide range of possible projects fit here from print media, magazine covers/articles, etc.
Museum Curator: Students design an entire exhibit with visuals and descriptors dedicated to their subject.
Newspaper Editor: Design, layout, and write the front page of a newspaper with at least three articles on it.
Podcaster Producer: Creating a meaningful audio conversation, ideally between two people.
Screenwriter: Write a fictional screenplay adapted from the real world topic.

Project Roles

Monday: Select topic, select project role/format, create central question related to the topic, begin research.
Tuesday: Big research day – you need to be as expert as you can be before the block period because that
time needs to be devoted to creating your product.
Block: Create your product. Written products should result in roughly 750-1,000 words of content, while
audio/visual products should result in 3-4 minutes of audio/visual with corresponding scripts.
Friday: Gallery walk sharing of products. You will leave feedback on the sheet next to each person/pair’s
product.
 5 4 3 2 1

Sources (-1 Uses 5 sources Uses 4 sources World War

UsesII Project
3 sources Uses 2 sources Uses 1 or 0 sources
for no
primary
source)

Notes Thorough, detailed, Thorough, detailed, Somewhat detailed, General, inadequate, No notes or wholly
useful, and more useful, and adequate of some use, leave unable to support a inadequate to
than enough to to create final room for gaps in strong product support a strong
create final product product product product

Content of Accurate, detailed, Accurate, somewhat Mostly accurate, Common Lack of accuracy,
Product and conveyed detailed, conveyed some detail present, inaccuracies, detail, and
clearly, shows high- clearly, shows good mostly minimal detail, demonstration of
level understanding understanding of understandable, difficult to understanding,
of topic topic shows fair understand, shows unclear topic is
understanding of large gaps in understood
topic understanding of
topic

Presentation Well thought out, Well thought out, Acceptable, some Occasionally a Very actively
of Product shows attention to generally thoughtful attention to distraction from hinders the
presentation, and attention to presentation, but information in the information in the
heightens the presentation, usually doesn’t product product
information adds to information meaningfully
contained in the contained in the enhance the
product product information in the
product