By 1942, World War II was in full swing and the US had joined the effort. All sorts of changes took place across America even though the war wasn't fought on US soil. Most Americans, even those who were not in the Armed Forces, had to contribute to the war effort. People on the homefront manufactured weapons and ammunition, rationed food and supplies, and planted Victory Gardens while soldiers battled across the globe. A US propaganda poster from WWII encouraging people to reuse and recycle materials. From the Palm Springs Air Museum's WWII Poster Gallery.

• learn about World War II, overseas and on the homefront, with various websites
• interview a local veteran or spouse of one about WWII and how it effected you community
• summarize your interview and complete an Introduction

Online World War II from the BBC's website The Drop Zone A People at War "What Did You Do During the War Grandma?" Women Come to the Front World War II: The Homefront World War II, In Commeration at Grolier Online Off-line Your Textbook Interview Packet An Interview with a Local Veteran/Spouse of Veteran

A government notice to all Japanese Americans ordering them to a local Internment Camp. From the CLPEF Network.

1. Before you interview your veteran or spouse, you'll need to dig-up the facts on World War II and America's role in it. Get the basic information about your interviewee from your teacher and do background research about their experiences. Check out these websties to get started:
   • "What Did You Do During the War Grandma?"
   • The Drop Zone
   • A People at War
   • World War II
2. Review interview skills
3. Consider some starting points for your interview. Make an outline of what you want to discuss and your focal point. Don't forget to ask about individual and community attitudes toward the war.

American soldiers fighting at Okinawa in 1945. From the National Archive.

Step B: Collecting Oral History Check with your teacher to find out when you'll be conducting your interview. Get familiar with and test any equipment you will be using. Fill out a Tape Index before you get started. Let's get down to business. Interview your veteran or spouse about the major events of WWII. Findout about major battles like Midway and Battle of Britain, rationing, propaganda, and Japanese internment. Listen to and think about everything your interviewee says. Ask enough secondary questions to get all the details of the events you dicuss. Ask questions if you aren't sure what your interviewee means or if they use a word you don't know. If you don't understand something, your audience may not either. Don't forget to thank your interviewee when you are finished.

1. When you fiish your interview, review your videos or tapes to recall everything you discussed.
2. Challenge yourself to summmarize the content of the interview in only a few (2-3) sentences.
3. Write a paragraph summarizing your interviewee's life if you didn't interview the same person you did in Lesson 1.
4. Describe the setting of your interview and how well it went in one paragraph. Was your interviewee cooperative or difficult? Were they easy or hard to understand? Did they seem knowledgable about the events and remember facts, dates and names?
5. Combine all of this information and create an Introduction for your interview transcript. See Dr. Marchiafava's Sample Introduction for help.

Your teacher will watch your interview and grade your Introduction, so be sure that it is accurate and free of any grammar, spelling or punctuation problems. Also be sure that your Tape Index(es) are complete.

When you're all done with this lesson, check to see what you have learned with these questions: Was individual and community support strong or weak throughout World War II? Or, did it change over time? What were some ways Americans not in the Armed Forces helped the war effort? What new roles did women and minorities fill during the war? Deck of the USS Yorktown covered with SBD-3 planes before the Battle of Midway.