Between World Wars: FDR and the Age of Isolationism
Printed Curriculum [$20]
Downloadable Curriculum [$16]
Classroom Set [$9.75ea] (10 min)
First edition.
Overview
Today it is difficult for many students to imagine the tremendous debate in the United States about how the country should respond to Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. On one side were those who supported aiding Britain and the allies. On the other, were those who opposed the aid because they believed it would lead to war for the United States. One government official noted that during the debate over lend-lease, it seemed as if all Americans were thinking out loud.
Between World Wars: FDR and the Age of Isolationism examines the events in the United States and overseas in the early years of World War II and then recreates the great debate that took place in the United States over the Lend-Lease Act.
Readings
The reading examines the domestic and international legacies of World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Students also explore the impact of the Great Depression. The reading explores the leadership of Franklin Roosevelt and the U.S. response to the gathering storm in Asia and Europe. An epilogue reviews FDR's legacy and the end of isolationism.
Framework of Policy Options
The options at the center of this unit help students recreate the debate in Congress over the Lend-Lease Bill. If Lend-Lease passed, it would authorize President Roosevelt to give arms and other defense materials to any nation that he considered to be instrumental in protecting the democracy and safety of the United States. Opponents worried that the bill would lead the United States into war. Questions about how to transport the aid and presidential power were also of concern.
Suggested 5-Day Lesson Plan
The Teacher Resource Book accompanying Between World Wars: FDR and the Age of Isolationism contains a day-by-day lesson plan and student activities.
- Day One: The Great Depression. A multi-disciplinary approach to the period. Students examine photographs, a poem, graphs and an FDR speech.
- Day Two: A Timeline of World Events. Students fill in timelines and explore the relationships of events among different areas of the world.
- Day Three: January 1941 Congressional Debate: Organization and Preparation
- Day Four: January 1941 Congressional Debate: Presentation and Discussion
- Day Five: Listening to FDR. Students listen to Roosevelt's 1941 'Four Freedoms' Speech and analyze its immediate and long-term implications.
- Optional Lesson: Political Geography of the Interwar Period. Students identify major geographical landmarks and connect them to historical events.