SS 11 LG 6/7

Socials Studies 11
Learning Guide #6 & #7
World War II
Text Counterpoints Chapter 5
In September of 1939, Germany invaded Poland.
Soon after Britain and France declared war,
Canada followed, making an autonomous
decision. Germany employed blitzkrieg tactics
throughout Europe, almost capturing the allies at Dunkirk. Canadians were fighting the war around the world.
In the Battle of the Atlantic, the merchant marine bravely supplied England. Many Canadians lost their lives to
crafty German U-boat crews. Canadian pilots also fought in the Battle of Britain against German bombers
trying to destroy England.
Canadians did suffer defeat as Japan invaded Hong Kong on Christmas Day, 1941. Canadians also suffered
heavy casualties during the raid on Dieppe, France in 1942. However, the tide did turn in favor of the allies.
Canadians experienced success in Italy in places such as Ortona and Sicily. One June 6, 1944, Canadians again
displayed valour at Juno beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Germany surrendered a year later.
World War II (WWII) was only decades ago. The Holocaust, the civilian bombings, and the dropping of the first
nuclear bombs demonstrate how humans can be willing participants in the commission of atrocities. What is
keeping us from going in this direction again?
Canadian Themes: There have been recurring themes. Canada becomes more autonomous in its decisionmaking as it enters World War II. Women again keep the country going while many of the men are overseas.
Crown Corporations were created to keep the economy providing for the war. Because of the role that
Canada played during and immediately after the war, Canadians found themselves having significant influence
in world affairs.

Evaluation
Learning Guide #6 & #7
LG# 6: Activity 1 Vocabulary and Concepts

/Completion

LG# 6: Activity 2 Timeline

/100 marks

LG# 7: Research Project

/100 marks
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SS 11 LG 6/7

Activity 1 Vocabulary and Concepts

Define Vocabulary & Concepts as well as People, Places & Events on this page. Remember that definitions
should be at least two sentences in length. You should define the terms and give its significance/importance in
WWII.

People, Places, & Major Events

Vocabulary & Concepts

Mackenzie King
C.D. Howe
War Bride
Phoney War
Invasion of Poland
Policy of Appeasement
refugee
S.S. St. Louis
Merchant Marine/Navy
Enemy aliens
Womens Divisions*

Nazi
Fascist
The Axis
Luftwaffe
The Allies
Total War
Blitzkrieg
Armistice
U-Boats
Japanese Compensation
Rationing
Crown Corporations
Convoys
Corvettes
Radar
Enigma/Ultra*
RCN and RCAF
Totalitarian state
Holocaust/Genocide
Arsenal of Democracy
National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA)
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP)

Operation Sea Lion

The Blitz/Battle of Britain
Joseph Stalin
Bomber Command
Conscription Crisis
Internment Camps
Bombing of Pearl Harbour
Operation Barbarossa
Black Christmas
War Crimes

Activity 2 Timeline

Create a timeline of the following 16 events from

WW2. You should include a short description of each event in
your own words. You should also include the role (if any) Canada
played in each event. Some events were more significant to
Canada than others.
1. Canadas entry into the war
2. Evacuation at Dunkirk
3. Battle of Britain
4. Operation Barbarossa
5. Pearl Harbour
6. Battle of Hong Kong
7. Battle of the Atlantic
8. Bombing of Germany
9. Dieppe Raid
10. Battle of Ortona
11. D-Day and Juno Beach
12. Battle of the Scheldt
13. Liberation of the Netherlands
14. Dropping of the atomic bomb
15. Holocaust
16. Internment of Japanese Canadians
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Major Canadian
Campaigns and Battles
Battle of the Atlantic
Battle of Dunkirk
Battle of Britain
Battle of Hong Kong
Dieppe Raid
Italian Campaign Ortona/Sicily, Italy
D-Day Juno Beach
Battle of the Scheldt (Liberation of
Netherlands)
Battle of the Rhineland

SS 11 LG 6/7

Your timeline should include visual components that highlight Canadas involvement in WWII. Each event
can have a written description along with a visual representation. This timeline may take the format of a
chart, poster, power point, movie etc. (a format of your choice that would demonstrate your
understanding). You may choose to borrow images from books or the Internet (citing your sources, of
course), or you may use your skills to artistically represent these events in your own way.

Learning Guide 7 - Research Project

This is a major research project! You must include evidence from at least four sources. One of those sources
must be a book other than your textbook. Any written work should be word processed, double spaced when
possible. If you are writing an essay, you must provide either a bibliography or works cited.
Your research project can take shape in any form a formal essay, a PowerPoint presentation, a visual
representation, a journal etc.
The following suggestions are jumping off points for you as you begin your research. You are not restricted to
using these topics; they are suggestions for starting points. Please let your teacher know what direction you
are going in your project.
1. Atomic Bomb
Was dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki justified? Explain and defend. Look at both
American and Japanese perspectives.
Compare and contrast the American and Japanese points of
view on the events surrounding the attack on Pearl Harbor
and the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
2. Holocaust
Who was responsible for the Holocaust? It may seem easy
to blame Hitler, but there were many other factors that led
to the death of 6 million people.
Nuremberg Race Laws read the laws closely and examine
how the Nazis implemented and enforced them. Can you see how the Nazis may have
considered their actions justified based on these laws?
3. Women in the War Effort
Examine the roles women played in the home front, and in the war effort (code breakers,
nurses, factory workers, resistance fighters). Alternatively, examine the plight of women
refugees or those placed in concentration camps.
4. Technological advancements
Look at the technological advancements of WWII U-Boats, improved planes, secret codes,
radar, atomic bombs). How did these advancements change the way war is fought and how
battles are won? Consider the cost of civilians.
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5. Aboriginal People in WWII

Aboriginal people who wanted to fight oversees or to contribute to the war effort, gave up their
Native Status in order to do so. This meant that they could never go back to their reserves and
lost their aboriginal identity. Reflect on this sacrifice and the implications it had on them as
individuals and also on a cultural level.
6. Japanese-Canadians
How did the Canadian government justify the internment of Japanese-Canadians? Should
Japanese-Canadians be compensated for the property, businesses, fishing boats that they lost?
7. Canadian Autonomy
The United Nations formed after the Second World War. Canada entered the UN as an
independent country. What factors contributed to Canadas emerging autonomy prior to,
during, and post-WWII?
8. Recording History
There are not many WW2 veterans left, and you are the last generation to have contact with
the war generation. Find a primary source who lived through the war years. It would be ideal
to find a veteran, but anyone who lived in this challenging time will be interesting. Chances are
there are people related to you that either fought, were refugees, worked in a factory, stayed in
internment camps, or somehow lived through the period in some other way.
Interview that person and record their history. Create a format that will allow you to represent
what you learned from that person and share their story with others in the future.
Name:

Project Proposal:

Date:

Teacher Approval:

Resources:

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