"WW1 vs. WW2 class" Topic

I was asked to teach the local 4th grade about the difference between WW1 and WW2. I can address stuff like the Blitz, the advances in tank and aircraft tech as well as missiles, radar, and atom bombs; but if it were you, what would you talk about? We will be doing a game, probabaly North Africa or Kursk because everyone wants to be a tank commander. Total time available is 2-3 hours.

Humm…I think I'd teach from the direction that the causes of WWII can be found in WWI, and present a sense of linkage between the two, and how historical events can have a direct impact on the future…

Damon.

I think I'd go less for the technical side as well and more on the human and social elements. When the armies went to war in 1914, there was a real sense of enthusiasm among many countries as they waved the soldiers off to give whatever neighbouring country they were destined for a good thrashing. Within a few months many, if not most, of those soldiers were dead, maimed or wounded. When the armies of 1939 marched to war, there was a far more sombre mood as people recalled that level of loss and sacrifice.

If that may send some young 'uns off to sleep, perhaps throw in the advances made in artillery and armour in the Great War, as well as the emergence of airpower, and how they helped dominate the battlefields of 1939-45.

4th grade gets taught this kind of things? How old are they? Ten, eleven?

Keep the technical side to an absolute minimum. Make sure they learn that there was a first world war and a second world war. The basics, really. They'll get bored to death by technicalities and anything else than broad lines.

Gary has some excellent points! One way to show the difference is to explain how WWI killed more SOLDIERS than WWII, but WWII killed more PEOPLE. The vastly higher percentage of civilians killed (5% vs. 50% if I am not mistaken—that's off the top of my head) bespeaks a vastly different war in its real results for ordinary people.

I always like discussing the POLICY differences that caused this massive shift in who was killed: Nazi racial doctrine and Allied strategic bombing doctrine (via Giulio Douhet) being key IMHO. Since it can be argued that both of these grew out of WWI, then you can make a connection while showing the differences, and highlighting the techinical advances that made them possible. Of course, maybe all this is way over the heads of 4th grades. Pix of death camp victims and firebombing victims optional.

Doctor Tom

Go to the Junior General web site, it has a good selection of easy to use simulations that will probibly fit the bill.

Two big differences:

Moving Front vs Static Front

Destruction of cities from the air on a large scale

Try to get at a kids point of view. For example, "anyone seen or read Narnia? Can anyone tell me why those kids had to leave their homes?"

Also, rationing, famine in Netherlands in WWII — and Germany in WWI.

I think the eastern front in WWI was pretty mobile.

But 4th graders? Keep it simple, and I would also keep it on a "personal" level, e.g. tracking the life of real or fictous characters in the war.

Talk about idealogy. That great nations were led by leaders motivated by idealogies which stressed the inevitable need for use of arms as a means of resolving conflict. Talk about how most of those idealogies were in time proved counterproductive to human well-being and talk about why the United Nations was created after the war – to resolve conflicts without having to kill millions of people.

"anyone seen or read Narnia? Can anyone tell me why those kids had to leave their homes?"

Grade 4? Not many.

Most of the suggestions I've seen here are totally daft, no offense.

It's easy to forget how we were at that age. They don't teach history at that level in a lot of places. I distictly remember when I was in grade 4 and was given the companion guide to the BBC series The WOrld at War. I couldn't really read it, but enjoyed the pictures. I brought it to school one day and while I and a friend who were interested in this sort of thing knew that the Germans were guilty of the Holocaust, even intelligent kids at that age still still don't appreciate the horror of it all. As for most other kids, well, a bunch of girls spent their time with my book looking at the few photos of tractors pushing concentration camp corpses and trying to pick out as many images of breats and penises as they could.

Having worked with young children a lot in volonteer activities, that's the standard extent of interest for that age group in general. Grade 6 would be the time to delve into this – at that age, a few kids will understand some of the moral questions that are touched on above.

Somebody, ie, the teacher, is ridiculously and vastly overestimating their class. All of the suggestions here are sincere, but many of them are just way over the heads of kids at that level.

I think, especially given the age, would keep it simple and try and humanize it as much as possible. I take it this is a US class. They will have plenty of time and chances to learn about the intricate nature of the wars in their studies. For now you need to keep it simple. WWI we joined in 1917 and it was over in 1918. Our troops fought mainly in France. In 1941 we were attacked. The war lasted for us 4 years. We fought all over the world. Further see if there is a tie in with local history. Perhaps a local National Guard unit fought in one or both. Something along the lines that maybe their grandfather, or great grandfather might have gone to where ever.

I think they might be interested in simple examples of the life of a typical soldier in the war. What was happening back home during the war. How because of better communications people went to the movies and saw newsreels of the war during WWII, remind them there was no television or internet!

Pictures, models, anything visual will make a much bigger impact. Any way you can get them to participate as well will make the point much better to them.

Keep it simple and encourage questions.

Tanks, remember they are kids, First set up a WW1 type scenario where nothing moves. Then give them tanks. Show what kinds of advances can me made in 25 years. Try to apply it to todays advances. VCR TO DVD for example. Good luck and Great work sir!

For the techy kids, explain the portable radio thing. WWI generals had major problems co-ordinating their offensives, the availability of radios in WWII allowed things to keep mobile…

Thanks one and all. Much to think about. Pat D. great idea for a scenario, Mucho Gracias!

I'm assuming when you say 4th grade, this is America?
Anyway:
from the Allied side -
WW1- the allies were enthusiastic. I'd find pictures of cheering soldiers (fairly easy to find) and ask why the French were wearing red trousers (easy to see – frighten enemy!)
WW2 – explain the casualty problem (Churchill used to tell Russians about the Somme) and how would this affect the soldiers. Show more camouflaged clothes and ask why?
Then put up 2 maps
German advance in 1914
German advance in 1940
why different – morale
tecnology

can show beginning of Battle of Britain or some of Dunkirk or what you have.

get pupils to table differences in uniforms
and in technology
(pictures of tanks, planes)

Move onto politics – who was Hitler?
Ah personality.

Then map of major battles for both.
Note WW1 largely European
but WW" Global – can put maps in books and label regions (Pacific , etc)

If it America – casualty rates for each for America – America more involved in second.

Not gone to far into didactic methods as 28 years' experience of teaching history so depends on too many constraints – wish Nat Curric realised that!

Good luck

WW" – WW2 – sticky old retired fingers

Hmmm..young as they may be, 4th graders understand right from wrong. They also understand (well, most anyway IMHE) fighting in self-defense (Allies in WW2) and fighting over *stoopid stuff*(Great Powers in WW1), instead of talking things over and agreeing to resume playing nicely! Emphasize that the lead up to WW1 and what triggered it was a domino effect of the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne by a Serb terrorist, and the fact that there were two mutually antagonistic alliances that were drawn into the conflict.

I would then suggest that you show that because the victors of WW1 were so punitive in the terms of the Treaty of Versailles -an example IMHO of scapegoating rather than taking one's fair share of the blame!- that led to German resentment, the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, and WW2.

WW2 can be explained as a pretty clear case of the schoolyard bully (Nazi -and I stress *NAZI*- Germany) picking on the smaller "kids" in the schoolyard, and those smaller kids banding together to stand up to said bully and making him stop hurting everyone smaller and weaker than him.

I realize that this is a pretty serious oversimplification of matters, but IMHO and coming from the perspective of one who teaches with growing frequency, as good an approach as I can come up with in addressing the subject of two of the bloodiest conflicts in human history with (!!!!!) 4th graders! >;D

So. I hope this all helps! :D

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Anonymous writes to Grinning Norm:

Good point!