Introduction

Sometimes what makes studying a topic hard is not that the topic is especially difficult or complex, but that you don't feel personally connected to it: it doesn't reach you emotionally, you might not care about it, you might feel it doesn't touch your life. If you have any of these feelings about the study of World War II, we encourage you to try this Subject Sampler. Instead of getting you to learn a lot of facts on the subject, a Sampler tries to get you connected to the topic, to find something about it that interests you. Each of the activities asks you to make a personal commitment to what you like, believe, or feel about a topic. We think that once you care about a subject, it will be easier to learn about it.

The following links come from all over the World Wide Web and represent a variety of aspects related to World War II. You may complete the following Internet activities alone or by working in a group. You also may complete all or only some of the activities depending on your goals. Also, feel free to use the Merriam-Webster's WWWebster Dictionary whenever you need to.

Good luck and explore yourself at least as much as you explore the links below.

Sampling Activities

Explore all of the links below and answer the three questions that follow each link. Your answers should be honest and personally felt. The goal here is not for you to collect factoids of information, but for you to connect with issues related to African-American life and history.


  1. Explore the art on this site until you find   something that really hits you.  Keep in mind this artwork was done by actual soldiers in the war.
  2. What exactly is it about this thing that makes you connect to it?
  3. What action does this image make you feel like taking?


  1. Read at least 8 of the interviews.  Find one that is especially meaningful to you.
  2. What exactly is it about this thing that makes you connect to it?
  3. Can you personally relate to the experience, feelings, or attitudes related to what you found powerful in the interview?


  1. Watch all of these cartoons.  They are funny but they also tell you a lot about the time period.  Describe your favorite cartoon.
  2. Did you think the cartoons were funny or disturbing?
  3. Name one important fact about the war that you learned from the cartoons.


  1. Listen to at least five of the songs on this site.  Pick a song that really moves you or that you really like.
  2. How does the song compare to the music of today?  Do you still like it?
  3. Does this song tell you anything about life during World War II?
  4. How does this song make you feel? 


  1. Browse through the magazine covers and choose the most interesting one to you.
  2. What do you think the editors of the magazine were trying to say about the war?
  3. Ask yourself why you thought this was an important magazine cover..


  1. Scroll to the bottom of the page and look at least four documents about the Holocaust?  Which one was the most memorable to you?
  2. Find a fact, quote, or example that really bothers you.
  3. Did you find these documents disturbing?  Are you surprised that people put these instructions in words and that other people followed these instructions? How did these documents make you feel?


  1. This site has an amazing collection of media from the war.  There are popular songs, new broadcasts, video clips, pictures, ads, and propoganda.  Explore the site and find the clip that is most interesting to you.
  2. What was it about this clip that drew your interest? How would you feel if you were the either in the war or waiting at home for someone who was in the war?
  3. How does the clip make you feel? 

Conclusion

You've now had the opportunity to explore some important aspects of WWII. We hope that through looking at the topic from a personal perspective that you've found something inside yourself that connects to the people and experiences that make up this history.