A close reading of an excerpt from The Book Thief provides high school readers with an opportunity to examine how Markus Zusak uses syntax, repetition, and figurative language to contribute to the power of the novel, and to help develop...

“It was a miracle.” Basil Heatter’s “The Long Night of the Little Boats,” which details the miraculous rescue of the British army from the shores of Dunkirk in 1940, is featured in a series of exercises that ask class members to read,...

It's the Royal Air Force against the Luftwaffe! While the Luftwaffe inflicts enormous damage, the RAF is able to hold them off, forcing Hitler to change his plan of attack. Discuss the advantages each group has during the air fights.

With the Japanese troops advancing ten miles a day, US troops retreat to the small peninsula of Bataan. Setting up their trenches in Bataan gives the US troops a unique advantage due to the landscape. Watch the US troops march through...

Although the United States suspected an early attack on Hawaii from the Japanese military, Franklin D. Roosevelt feared what increasing Japan's power would do. Watch the tension rise between Japan, China, and the United States.

Leading the largest offensive in world history, three million German soldiers sneak into the Soviet Union, despite their peace agreement. Although they put up a valiant fight, the Soviet Union was losing its troops.

Like a shark bearing its teeth, the US fighter plane demonstrated innovative tactics against the Japanese Air Force, threatening the Axis Powers and instilling hope in the Allied Forces. Watch these daring moves and learn about the...

"Winning the war will be a national effort." Discover how the United States prepared itself for war from the plan of attack and the dramatic increase in creating military supplies, to the major lifestyle changes the American people...

Who is the Desert Fox? Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel, also known as the Desert Fox, was forced to lead German troops to Tobruk after Italian troops failed to drive back British forces. Although Rommel's army ended up retreating, he still...

Although Japan had already attacked the United States through Pearl Harbor, it was really the attack on the Philippines that struck the United States and their assets the hardest. Watch the Allied Troops fall back as the Japanese...

Both the Allied and Axis Forces fought vehemently over Paris, the French capital. Despite the back and forth, the Allied Forces were able to crush their counterparts, forcing German troops to surrender in 1944.

"My death is my apology for my great crime", Korechika Anami wrote in a letter before committing suicide on August 15, 1945. After bombing Hiroshima and still not attaining the surrender from the Japanese, the Allied Forces bombed...

In six months, 600,000 Soviet prisoners of war died. As this number grew, the United States struggled to stay out of Europe's war. On December 7, 1941, with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United States joined forces with the Allied...

Observe Hitler's tactics for taking over Austria and eliminating those people deemed undesirable. After occupying Austria, Hitler works to gain Czechoslovakia. In 1938, Arthur Neville Chamberlain signs the Munich Agreement, conceding...

Making a devastating impact on allied shipping in World War II, German U-boats used a wolf pack tactic to defeat the convoy system, which Britain favored. Learn how the U-boats stalked their prey, and watch the sinking of many British...

The Nazis destroyed French civilian life when they invaded France in March 1940. Watch the destruction of towns and the fleeing of worried, saddened people. This is part three of a five-part series.

A "sleeping giant" through the many German invasions in Europe, America slowly starts participating in the war. First, America sells aircraft to Britain, makes its naval presence known in the Caribbean, and builds its artillery. This...

How did Hitler rise to power? Take a look at how Adolf Hitler manipulated the government, the German masses, and his own Nazi leaders to take power of Germany post WWI. An interesting video to introduce your class to Adolf Hitler and his...

Before joining World War II, Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the military policy to lend-lease, meaning that the US would distribute artillery without requiring immediate payment. What are the benefits to changing this policy? What are the...

Used to the harsh conditions, the Soviet Union's military pushes the German troops back, securing faith for the Soviet people. With German troops freezing and their tanks becoming immobilized, the German troops fell back to take on the...

Hail the F�hrer! Learn about German support for Adolf Hitler before and during World War II. Actual letters expressing the viewpoints of the time are read. This is part two of a five part series.

"...December 7, 1941-a day that will live in infamy." After Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United States jumped full force into World War II, declaring war on Japan.

After 43 seconds of falling, a chemical reaction began in the bomb falling over Hiroshima. Within another few seconds, tens of thousands of Japanese civilians were incinerated, ripped apart, and left to die in their decimated city....

Why did Germany invade Poland, initiating WWII? German troops crossed the Polish border in response to a raid Polish troops had supposedly made into Germany. Find out what really happened and Britain's response to Germany's attack.