African-Americans and The Military of World War II

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Grade Level: Fifth

Standards Addressed

5.3 – The student will demonstrate an understanding of major domestic and foreign developments that contributed to the United States’ becoming a world power.

Purpose of Lesson

To introduce students to the role of African-Americans in WWII using news reel. This lesson is based on the understanding that students have already been exposed to news reel as primary source documents in the Social Studies classroom (this can be done in succession with Lesson #1 or as a stand alone lesson during African-American History Month or during a WWII unit).

Activities

Teacher will prompt students to assist with make a list of "expectations" they have for the role of African-Americans during WWII. Students may use opinion, schema or assumptions to create this list.


Teacher will reiterate that these are "expectations" and encourage students to back up their list.


Teacher will show several clips from the collection and have students document what they notice/observe as they watch each one. (Use clips: MVTN 48 295 (A): All Negro Troop Unit in Mass Calisthenics, MVTN 51 15 (B): The War in Italy: Eighth Army Front, MVTN 51 860: Heroes of the Week: 5th Army Silver Star Hero, MVTN 52 616: 3rd Anniversary of Tuskegee Army Airfield)


NOTE: If equipment is available, teacher can divide students into four groups and have each group view and document on one clip. Then re-show each clip to entire class for groups to present their observations after small group discussion.


Students will use their list to meet with a small group of students and discuss the following:

  1. What did you notice about African-Americans in the clip?
  2. Did this give you any information about their role (or lack of role) in World War II?
  3. What hypothesis about the war can you make from these clips?
  4. Why were African-Americans used in military news clips, given the climate of pre-Civil Rights?
  5. How could this have effected the future Civil Rights movement?

Students will individually write an essay about observations from the clip and the information they garnered from the discussion.


Author: Melanie Johnson, Carolina Center for Inquiry (Columbia, SC)