LESSON # 7

Lesson # 7 - The Second World War

Wednesday, July 7th.

Hello everyone!

Welcome to LESSON # 7!

In this lesson, we´re going to explore the Second World War. But before we start....

How much do you know about WW2? Why did the world go to war again after 20 years of
"peace"? Which countries were involved? How did alliances work in 1939? Was there any
triggering effect which brought about the WW2? Who were the leaders of the countries
involved?

During the lesson, we´re going to learn about the main political, militar and economic reasons
which led to this world war, as well as its dramatic consequences, in an attempt to critically
reflect upon what happened and why it happened. We will try to ask ourselves whether or not
WW2 could´ve been avoided, what was lost and what was gained.

VIDEO 1

The first video I´m going to share with you here is a 7-minute fun video. It shows a timeline of
events which followed the moment Hitler became the leader of the Nazi Party in Germany
until the war came to an end.

WATCH the video and put the events detailed below in the order in which they are mentioned.
The first and the last one have already been marked.
*** You might need to watch the video a few times and/or stop and rewind it in order to
perform this activity. As you finish ordering the events, play the complete video one last time
so that you can check the correct order.

Activate the subtitles if necessary!

ACTIVITY 1

1- Hitler became the leader of the National Communist Party or Nazi Party in Germany.

____The USA declared war on Japan.

____Hitler invaded Poland in September, 1939.

____The Americans dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and
Nagazaki.

____Hitler began to re-militarize (put weapons) the Rhinelands bordering France again.

____The Allied leaders Churchill, Roosvelt and Stalin met in Crimea to plan for the future of
Europe (the Yalta conference).

____D-day: The Allies made a massive landing of troops in Normandy and liberated Paris.
___ Two new world alliances were made: NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the
WARSAW PACT. Important differences between these two alliances led to a long conflict
known as the Cold War.

____Germany allied themselves with Japan and Italy forming the Axis Powers.

____Hitler decided to invade Russia.

____Germany siezed Denmark and Norway.

23- The UN (United Nations) was set to help prevent a new world war. The UN replaced the
League of Nations.

____Germany entered into Austria, which happily joined the Third Reich.

____ Many of the nazis were tried and executed for their war crimes (Nuremberg Trials).

____Japanese finally surrendered and the Second World War came to an end.

____Germany invaded Czechoslovakia, a non German speaking country.

____The Allies liberated the survivors of the Holocoust.

____Many cities in Britain were bombarded by German air forces.

____Britain declared war on Germany.

____On 30thApril 1945 Hitler shot himself and soon the Germans surrendered.

____In December 1941 Japan surprisingly attacked the American Navy base of Pearl
Harbor in Hawaii.
____France was invaded and eventually had to surrender.

____ Germany was occupied and divided into East and West.

VIDEO 2

The second VIDEO you´re about to watch is a 15-minute documentary on WW2.

The documentary is divided into different parts or sections.

Pay special attention to:

01

The situation and the events which, somehow or other, created the conditions and the context
for the outbreak of war (long-term causes as well as short-term causes).

02

The world´s most relevant economic, military, political and social events which occured
between 1929 and 1939.

03
The world leaders of the time whose decisions affected the future of millions and millions of
people.

ACTIVITY 2

In groups of 3/4 students: CREATE a mind-map to synthesize and organize all the key
information you could take from the documentary video in relation to the three questions
above.

Paste a copy of your mind-map on your portfolio entrance for lesson #7

➜You will also find useful information in your study notes on WW2 which I have attached to
this lesson. This material will complement what you have learnt in lesson # 7 from the
introductory videos.

REMEMBER to keep a record of all the activities of this lesson in your e-Portfolio!

This is all for today! smile

Grace