World War 2 (American Girl Molly) Unit Study

World War 2 ?!

Molly couldn’t believe her ears! This couldn’t be happening!

Welcome to the 8th Unit Study in the American Girl History series!
In this Unit, we will learn what life was like in America during the days of the second World War.
Molly of course knew all about the war being fought a world away in places like Europe and Africa, but one cold morning in December, the war that had been so far away had come to American soil. In one moment everything changed.

Where was Pearl Harbor?
Why did the Japanese bomb it?
Would America’s enemies come again and attack another city?
Fathers and brothers shipped out to fight. Mothers and sisters went to work in the factories.
Everyone wanted to help with the war efforts. But what could Molly and her friends do?

Welcome to Molly’s World 1944!

This unit is written with a FULL 3 Week Plan. HOWEVER, please just use this unit as an outline, and on your own time frame. For example, if you have younger kiddos, you might just highlight what parts you’d like to cover each day, and zip through quickly… OR… if you have some older children, or some that are extra excited to learn about World War 2 in greater detail, you’ll probably want to use most of the suggested resources, and stretch this unit out for several months or more. You may want to add in more hands-on projects or field trips, or you may want to cut out the hands-on if your family doesn’t enjoy that kind of thing. This is the beauty of homeschooling (and of a FREE curriculum lol)! You get to tweak it and use it however it benefits your family most.

**WW2 (Molly) Unit Study- Printable PDF Version
IF you’d like to have a copy of this unit all in one convenient printable place (no ads, and written in day by day lesson plans), be sure to grab the Printable PDF Version of this unit study-
World War 2 (American Girl Molly) Unit Study- Printable PDF Version

–>???What’s The Difference Between The PDF Version and The Printable POWER Pack???
Click the link above for a full video explanation!

**WW2 (Molly) Unit Study- Printable POWER Pack
These printables are specifically designed to go with this Unit Study as a companion to the weekly lesson plans you will find! TONS of student printables for all subject areas.
Everything is all in one place and done for you!
World War 2 (Molly) Unit Printable POWER Pack!

**NEW!
Printable Play & Learn Game! Designed especially to go along with this study!
Just print this super fun WW2 File Folder Game and have FUN living, loving, and learning together!

**OR just grab all three products in this one stop (and discounted)
World War 2 Unit Study Printables BUNDLE!

*ALL of the World War 2 – AG Molly Resources… so far!!

*FREE World War 2 Unit Study- AG Molly
+World War 2 (Molly) Unit Study- PDF Version
+Molly Printable Power Pack
+WW2 File Folder Game
+World War 2 Unit Study Printables BUNDLE!
+World War 2 Books and Resources List
+Molly- World War 2 Pinterest Board

*If you have some older children as well and would like to be on a similar history cycle, or if you’d like to stretch this unit out even further, you can find even more resources in my FREE Modern American History Curriculum.
Scroll down to Week 4 to begin!

*Note:
You can find a list of all the “EXTRA” resources -> American History- WW2 Molly Book List .
Fiction and Non-Fiction Books, Read Alouds, Movie Suggestions, related Board Games, Activity Books, Craft Kits, and more!

It would be AWESOME if you’re going to purchase any of the books, if you could do it through this page (just click any of the links to Amazon, browse, and order from there).

Also, be sure to follow my American Girl Pages on Pinterest for all kinds of FREE additional ideas! (I usually pin to these boards at least several times a week!)

Definitely check out the TOP 10 HISTORY HELPS series for even more ideas!
There are ideas for every type of learner and every age student!

+Top 10 History PODCASTS
+Top 10 History SONGS
+Top 10 History TIMELINES
+Top 10 History AUDIOBOOKS
+Top 10 History MOVIES
+Top 10 History BOOKS (Seriously the ULTIMATE history book list!!)
+Top 10 History GAMES
+Top 10 History HANDS ON Activities
+Top 10 History PRINTABLES
+Top 10 History FIELD TRIPS

And a bonus…
+Top 10 History for the HOLIDAYS

->For Parents! Please Read This!

War is always ugly.
World War 2 is no exception, and the brutality and darkness of this war is arguably the full height of man’s depravity. As much as I’d like to gloss over (or skip entirely) this topic, it is important to study it, and to TEACH with diligence what happened to our children.

You’ve probably heard the quote from George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. It doesn’t take much inspection to note that history has a tendency of repeating itself… maybe because of the cycle of things, or because of human nature, or maybe because we haven’t yet learned from the past. As I have been focused on studying World War 2 for this unit, I can CLEARLY see history repeating itself in so many ways today. It is a little shocking, though it shouldn’t come as a surprise. This is why I don’t believe that it’s only important to teach history thoroughly and thoughtfully, but I believe it is IMPERATIVE!

We are living in a time when history is being re-written, and in some cases, erased all together. I’ve experienced this personally as some of my products were flagged on one of the most popular teacher sites. Why? Because I included an image (a black and white sketched bust) of Christopher Columbus. All that appeared was his image, an outline map behind that, and his name. The explanation was that this was inappropriate and traumatizing for children. And, I’m not alone. This is happening to other friends who write homeschool history curriculum as well. There is an exhortation to parents in Deuteronomy 6:6-9 to teach the history of God and His people to their children… when they rise up, when they sit down, and even just walking along together. This was for the parents thousands of years ago… and every single one of us up until this day. WE have to understand history (from Genesis all the way up to this day) as parents, so that we can teach it WELL to our children!
It’s my heart to contribute to this in some small way, but I only can give you an outline here. You may find things you disagree with, or think I haven’t covered that are super important to you.
TEACH THOSE THINGS! TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS!
When you rise up and there’s another war between nations. When you sit down at the table and your children ask about injustice or hatred of some group of people. When you walk along and notice a culture that despises the things of God. This is one of the greatest benefits of homeschooling. You are WITH your children every day. The motto for Fields of Daisies is “Living, Loving, and Learning TOGETHER”.
It’s my heart that as we do those 3 things, the only parts of history we will repeat are the glorious parts that shine with the image of God’s character- bravery, love, compassion, hope, perseverance, mercy, and honesty. I’ve tried to highlight these things even in the midst of the horrors of war. Light shines brightest in the darkness.

I’d also like to highly recommend a book by Erwin Lutzer, long time pastor of Moody Church, called ‘Hitler’s Cross‘. It is not only a fantastic foundation to teach this unit, it is INCREDIBLY relevant for today (written decades ago)!

*Last Note: I am in no way affiliated with, or compensated by the American Girl Company. This post does contain a few links to products on Amazon (just for some extra fun resources and books). If you choose to purchase any of them, I’d really appreciate if you clicked through these links ! There is NO extra cost to you whatsoever, and I will get a small commission from each sale. Thanks friends! 🙂

World War 2- American Girl Molly Unit Study

Core Reading Outline For Unit:

“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944“

*Week 1: “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″– Molly’s World

1. “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- Meet Molly (p. 1; 20-21)

2. “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- A World Away (Intro to WW2/Allies & Enemies)

3. “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- War!!! (p. 2-3; 6-9)

4.“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- War At Home! (p. 10-13; 22-23 )

5. “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- Friends From Far Away (p. 23- inset; 24-25)

*Week 2: “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″– Molly’s Days

1. “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- Did Kids Still Play? (p. 16-17)

2. “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- Wartime Fun (p. 18-19; 36-37; 40-41)

3. “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- 40’s Fashion (p. 14-15)

4. “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- Girls With Guts! (p. 26-29; 30-33; 38-39)

5. “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- More Brave Battlefield Heroes (p. 34-35)

*Week 3: “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- A World War

1. “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- Why War? (p. 4-5; 41-43)

2. ““Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- On The Battlefield (Important Battles of WW2)

3. “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- D-Day! (p. 44-45; 48-49)

4. “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- VE Day (p. 50-51; 56-58)

5. “Welcome to Molly’s World 1944″- WW2 Is Ended (p. 52-55)

*Daily Lesson Plans- Read It…Watch It…Explore It…Try It!

*Week 1: Molly’s World 1944

– American Girl Molly Series (6 Book Set), Book 1, “Meet Molly”
(There are 6 books in this series, so you could choose how much to read each week (and which books) depending on your child’s level and interests. I just listed one book per week.

+Day 1: Meet Molly McIntire

*Core Reading:

-“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944” (p. 1; 20-21)
-“Meet Molly”

*Read!

*Meet American Girl Molly McIntire- Online Reading:
– Read Molly: A Winning Spirit ! (Lots of other free AG books to read here too!)
–“Meet Molly” Comprehension Questions
(Click the icon in the very upper right corner to print this page!)

*Life In the 1940’s:
->Note: You may like to use a few resources from the Free Great Depression (Kit) Unit Study to get an idea of what life was like prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and all that changed with that day.
–Rural Life In the 1940’s
–Daily Life in the 1940’s
–Daily Life During World War 2
(This is long, but would make a good overview for teachers to share in whatever form. The reading level is not difficult. The beginning tells what life was like before America entered into WW2 )

*Watch!

*Meet Molly!
–American Girl Video introducing Molly & her family !
-Try listening to the American Girl Molly Mysteries Podcasts!
– “Molly McIntire: An American Girl On The Homefront” (Full length Molly movie! On Amazon Prime)
OR you can get the Molly McIntire DVD
OR you can watch it AG Molly Movie on YouTube… the quality isn’t great.
–Disney’s American Presidents- Franklin D. Roosevelt

*Life In 1940’s America:
-Video of Life In The 1940’s
–Home Front: America 1940’s
–Life As A Japanese American in 1940’s
(We will be learning much more about this on Day 4 this week!)

*Explore More!
–Meet Molly and try some fun activities on the interactive American Girl website.
–Timeline of the 1940’s in Pictures
(You might like to make a WW 2/1940’s timeline. Check out all these kinds of easy timelines to make!)
–Who Was Franklin Delano Roosevelt?
–Roosevelt Rap with Printable Questions
–BrainPop Franklin Roosevelt Game

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

– Molly’s Life Lapbook from Homeschool Share
– 1940’s Printable Book from 123Homeschool4Me
– 1940’s Printable Paper Dolls

–9 Roosevelt Coloring Pages (including a Fala one ! 🙂 )
–Franklin Roosevelt Notebooking Pages
–FDR Printable Worksheets/Activities

+Day 2: War A World Away

*Core Reading-
-“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944”
-“Meet Molly”

*Read!

–Causes of World War 2
–An Overview of WW2
–World War 2 Begins!
–The War in Europe (overview)
–World War 2 in Europe
–Brief Timeline of the start of World War 2
(This is a good timeline for younger kids without too much information jammed in! The ads on this page are quite distracting though. You may want to use it as a reference or see if there is a way to print 🙂 )
–10 Fast Facts About WW2

*Watch!
–What Caused World War 2? (from BrainPop!)
–Causes of WW2 For Kids
–World War 2 For Kids
(This 9 minute video is a great overview of A LOT of information, but simple enough for kids to understand. Starts with the Roaring 20’s and threads the whole story.)
–What Was World War 2?
(This is great for younger kids! From ‘A Kid Explains History’)

*Explore More!
–What Is WW2?
–What Started WW2?
–TinyTap Explore WW2 Interactive
–Who Was Adolph Hitler?
–Who Was Winston Churchill?
–Who Was Joseph Stalin?
–Who Was Benito Mussolini?
–World War 2 BrainPop! Game
–Interactive WW2 Timeline
–Colored Photos From the Invasion of Poland
(These would be an excellent way for children to SEE what life was like during this time!)

+Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!
–World War 2 Begins Coloring Page
–Poland Coloring Page
–WW2 Map of Europe
(You can follow the labeling instructions or label Germany, Poland, and Russia now)

+Day 3: War! War!

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944” (p. 2-3; 6-9)
– “Meet Molly”

You may like to listen to ‘The Magic Tree House- World At War, 1944” the audiobook is FREE on Amazon.
And here is the link to the companion books- “World At War, 1944” and “World War 2- Fact Tracker”

*Read!
–Attack On Pearl Harbor
–What Happened at Pearl Harbor ?
–Pearl Harbor
–The War in the Pacific

–Who Were The Allied Powers & Leaders?
–Who Were The Axis Powers & Leaders?

-Listen to “A Day That Will Live In Infamy”
(Podcast from Real Cool History For Kids)

*Watch!

–WW2: Pearl Harbor 1941
(This is a kids history podcast to listen to)
–BrainPop! Pearl Harbor
(Good for younger children!)
–The Attack On Pearl Harbor
(Short overview)
–Original Pearl Harbor Footage
–War! War!
(A short clip of a first hand account of what hearing the news was like)
–Pearl Harbor
–Pearl Harbor Explained (about 2 minutes)
–FDR’s Date In Infamy Speech
(You can also read FDR’s December 8, 1941 speech)

*Explore More!

–Pearl Harbor Infographic
–ExploreIt! Pearl Harbor
–Pearl Harbor True Stories Interactive
–Interactive Map of Attack on Pearl Harbor
–Virtual Exhibition: Pearl Harbor Attack
–Pearl Harbor In Pictures (Scroll down for 17 real photos that tell the story)

–Who Were The Allies?
–Who Were The Axis?

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

– World Maps and WW2 Map of Europe and the Pacific
(As you study, it is quite helpful to label the major places you’re discussing! Seeing where Hawaii is in location between Japan and the US is interesting!)
–Map of US or Map of US and Hawaiian Islands
(Shows Hawaii in the right place :)… and it’s proximity to the US)
–Pearl Harbor Coloring Pages & Worksheets
–Attack on Pearl Harbor Coloring Page
–Pearl Harbor is Attacked
–Pearl Harbor Notebooking Pages

+Day 4: War At Home

*Core Reading-
-“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944” (p. 10-13; 22-23)
-“Meet Molly”

We will be reading more about many of these topics in detail, in Week 2!

*Read!

–Growing Up During WW2
(A very good first hand account of what it was like to be a young child during the war! There are lots of good vocabulary words and terms that you could pull from this.)
–A Child’s View of WW2
(from Lyon Air Museum- brief, but fascinating accounts from an American child’s perspective, but also from other places in the world)
–Life On The Homefront- WW2
–Homefront Life in WW2 America
–National Homefront Project
–Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt
–Kids Biography and Activities- All About Franklin D. Roosevelt
–All About Eleanor Roosevelt- Biography and Activities
–Franklin Delano Roosevelt Biography for Kids
–Fireside Chats
(If you used The Great Depression Unit (AG Kit) , or studied this part of history, you will have heard about President Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chats”. You may be wondering why we are talking about it here again. Mr. Roosevelt was still the president of the US, and gave perhaps his most famous “fireside chat” during WW2. These radio speeches once again became a part of most American’s every day lives during this time.)
–Blackout Drills!
–Homefront Households
(This is a great set of images with descriptions of common household items found in American homes in the 1940’s)

*Watch!

–The US Homefront
(Short intro from the History Channel. Though not geared toward children, the footage is good and it makes a nice overview)
–WWII Civilian Home Front in Texas
–America On the Home Front
(about 26 minutes…narration starts at about 1 minute into the video)
-Disney’s American Presidents- Franklin D. Roosevelt
–Victory Gardens
You can watch how one family today transformed their whole front yard into a Victory Garden !
–Scrapping

*Explore More!

–Food Rationing– DKFindOut!
–Rationing During WW2
(This is a full text resource! It is aimed at students in Texas, but the material is really nice and includes photographs and activities)
-Explore the images of WW2 Rationing Posters
(Be sure to check out the alternative meat “no stamps needed” poster! :D)
-Print and explore these WW2 Ration Books, or use them as a hands-on lesson!
(You may also like to try the Piggly Wiggly Rationing Activity. This one might be clearer for younger children.)
-Listen to one of FDR’s Fireside Chats from February 23, 1942!
-Roosevelt Rap with Printable Questions
–BrainPop Franklin Roosevelt Game
–WW2 At Home Posters
(This is a full lesson from the Smithsonian. You could use this lesson if you’d like, but you could also only use the posters they include. Each poster would be a great discussion starter on how it represents the life and culture on the Homefront!)

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

–Vegetable Garden Coloring Page
–Fireside Chats Coloring Page
–9 Roosevelt Coloring Pages (including a Fala one ! 🙂 )
–Franklin Roosevelt Notebooking Pages
–War Bonds Savings Coloring Page
–Women Work On The Homefront
–War Stamps Coloring Page

+Day 5: Friends From Far Away

*Core Reading-
-“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944” (p. 23- inset; 24-25)
*Note- You may want to preview the story on Pg. 24-25. It ends happily, but is quite a tragic story.
-“Meet Molly”

*Read!

–London During WW2
–Growing Up In The Second World War (Britain)
–Children’s Lives In WW2 Britain
–The Battle of Britain
–Battle of Britain
–The BLITZ!
–What Was The Blitz?
–What Was It Like?
–Children Evacuated
(This is a BIG list of interviews, personal stories, etc… I didn’t review them all, so please give them a look first!)

*Watch!

–The 1940’s House
(Take a tour of what “HOME” was like in 1940’s Britain)
–The Blitz- Drawn History
–Operation Pied Piper
(Podcast by kids!)
–The Blitz! And What It Was Like To Live Through It
(This is a children’s podcast)
–The Blitz! A Child’s Perspective
–The Evacuation
(This is a short video with real footage- this would be another great opportunity to talk about propaganda!)
–First Hand Stories of London’s Child Evacuees
(Child led interviews with people who were part of England’s effort to evacuate it’s children to safety!)
–A Day In The Life
(Short animated BBC video about what it might have been like to be an evacuated child during WW2)
–A Kid In World War 2 Song

*Explore More!

–Explore Britain At War
–Explore The Blitz!
–Battle Of Britain
–The Evacuated Children
–Carrie’s War and PDF Printables
(An historic fiction audio story of a little girl who was evacuated during WW2, and the adventure that was! I have not listened to this all the way through, so please preview !!)

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

–Evacuee Children Coloring Page
–Children Evacuating During WW2 Coloring Page
–Child Evacuee With Tag
–WW2 Coloring Map

*Week 1- World War 2: Hands-On History Activities

+Build an air raid shelter fort in your living room.
See how dark you can make it. Make a list of what provisions you will need to spend a couple of hours in there.
Try doing some of your work in the very small space. Is it stuffy and hot inside? Is anyone irritated? Do you have a little brother or sister who doesn’t understand and just wants to get out?
You could listen to some of the fireside chats included in this week’s lessons, or some of the old radio shows.
Or you might like to just get comfy and watch the Molly Movie (or another suggested WW2 movie from there!)
-‘The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe’
(Though not about WW2 specifically, this book/movie is set during World War 2)

+Ration Recipes
Measure out rations for the day or week. See what kinds of recipes you could make for the number of people in your family.
Can you replace one meal a day with a WW2 Ration Recipe? Try some of the “ration recipes” below.
-Try some WW2 Ration Recipes
–WW2 Wacky Cake
(This cake is SO GOOD! It’s a very simple recipe- think MATH today! You won’t believe it has no eggs, butter, or milk!)
–WW2 “Sugar” Brownies
(And a fun printable activity!)

+Plant a Victory Garden !
Read a bit more about Victory Gardens, HERE and HERE
You can watch how one family transformed their whole front yard HERE !
How many veggies can you grow in one large flower pot?
What kinds of recipes can you create using basic rations and what you grew?
Click HERE –> Family Garden Printables for extra fun !
–Grow Your Own Victory Garden! (From leftover veggie scraps!)
–Make A Victory Garden Soup

You may also like to add these resources-

+Get Scrapping !
+Watch this video (Virtual Tour) and then try some of these SCRAPPING ACTIVITIES yourself !
+How Many Creative Uses Can You Find For Plastic Water Bottles ?
(see how many of these ideas you can DO yourself !)
+Go scrapping for an Art Project
(Ideas from Deep Space Sparkle- I highly recommend this site! SUPER ideas!)
+30 Ideas for Using Recycled Finds
+20 Ways to Reuse & Recycle Plastic Bottles

*Week 2: A Day With Molly

* American Girl Molly Series, Book 2, “Molly Learns A Lesson ”

If you are working through this, or any of the other American History unit studies during the holidays, you might want to check out my Christmas School post. There are TONS of hands-on ideas, movie suggestions, book lists, craft ideas, homemade gift ideas, recipes, etc… for early American history up through the WW2 era!
This is an excellent way to incorporate FUN holiday activities, homemade gift making, AND school all into one!

+Day 1: World War 2- Did Kids Still Play?

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944” (p. 16-17)
-“Molly Learns A Lesson ”

*Read!

–The Games Children Played- 1940’s
–Throwback Games
(Learn & DO! This is such a great list of games, first hand accounts, and HOW TO PLAY instructions, so you can try these games too!)
–Home Front Households
(Great images and descriptions of the toys children enjoyed in the 1940’s- from the WWII Home Front National Historical Park Museum)
–A Kid’s War
-Fighters For Freedom Books- Sally Scott of the Waves
(You can read this entire book from Project Gutenberg!)
–Monopoly- Not Just Fun & Games!
(Did you know that Monopoly actually helped prisoners of war escape during WW2? Find out how!)
–The Story of LEGOs!
(The whole story is in the animated video below!!)
–Slinky!
(So many of the toys created during WW2 were created by accident!)
-WW2 Radio Shows and WW2 Comic Heroes
(Listen to an episode of “Captain Midnight” – link in Explore! section below!)

*Watch!

–What Happened to Toys During WW2?
–What Did Kids Play With In The 1940’s!
(Great video!! So many of these CLASSIC toys, still popular today, came about by accident!!)
–How Monopoly Helped Prisoners of War Escape! (short video, less than 2 minutes)
–Unboxing A 1940’s Monopoly Game
(Includes lots of history- really nicely done. Don’t miss the ending, good message!)
–The Story of LEGOs!
(I never knew! What an inspiring story… and a man who gave thanks to God in all things!)
-Everyone knows it’s Slinky!
(This commercial is from the 1970’s, but the toy is the same!)
–WW2 Silly Putty!
–How To Make Your Own Silly Putty
(Including the history of Silly Putty!)
–Captain America Original Serial 1944

*Explore More!

–The Colorful History of Legos
(Podcast from Real Cool History For Kids)
-Try some of these 1940’s Family Games played in Great Britain!
-Listen to the Captain Midnight Radio Show
-Listen to Christmas Radio Programming
(Just for fun! Clips from Christmas Day broadcasts from 1940-1944)
–1940’s Paper Doll to make and color!

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

–Board Game Coloring Page
–Slinky Coloring Page
–Slinky Dog Coloring Page (Just because he’s so cute!)
–Toy Plane Coloring Page
–Captain America Coloring Page
–Army Men Toys Coloring Page
–Legos Coloring Pages

+Day 2: Wartime Fun

*Core Reading-
-“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944” (p. 18-19; 36-37; 40-41)
-“Molly Learns A Lesson ”

*Read More!

–Girls, Play Ball!
–The USO
+13 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About The USO WW2
(Check out #12 !!)
–Canteens
+The Hollywood Canteen
(There’s a nice short video listed under “Watch!” below, that has real footage from the North Platte Canteen!)
–Bob Brings Hope and Humor
+Who Was Bob Hope?
+Hope For The Holidays
–The MOVIES!
+Pop Culture and World War 2
+Hollywood in 1941
–Love Letters
(A sweet story about how important letters from home were to the troops!)

*Watch!

–Variety Show from the early 1940’s
–AAGL Baseball Clip
–All American Girls League
–The North Platte Canteen
-A peek into The Hollywood Theatre with an original usherette!
–Dumbo Trailer- 1941
–1943 Batman Original Trailer
–Lassie Come Home Trailer
–National Velvet Clip
–WW2 War Bonds Movie Commercial
–Home Front Movies- America’s Call To Arms
–News Reels

*Explore More!

–The Pepsodent Show
(Featuring Bob Hope – 1/28/41)
-Listen to An Evening At Crosley Square
(This is a live radio Variety Show from September 10, 1944! Music, jokes, advertisements, and more! Lots of fun!)

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

–AAGPBaseball League Coloring Page
–Lassie Coloring Page
–Hollywood Movie Stars Coloring Page
–Casablanca Coloring Page
–Bob Hope Coloring Page
–1940’s Coloring Page

+Day 3: 1940’s Fashion

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944” (p. 14-15)
-“Molly Learns A Lesson ”

*Read More!

–WARdrobe: Fashion and WW2
–Clothes Rationing During wW2
(This is a nicely done info-graphic type article. It is written about the clothes rationing in Britain, but the US also had very similar rationing in place. Good info in bite size format!)
–Clothing Coupons
–Wartime Wardrobe
(Also from the UK)
–Make It Do! Clothing In WW2
–Feedsack Dresses
(Just like we learned about during the Great Depression!)
–Dressing For War

–Sock Knitting Spies!
(Read the story of Phyllis Latour Doyle and her amazing adventure!)
–Spy Clothes
(Another us for clothing during WW2!!)

*Watch!

–How WW2 Changed Fashion
–Clothes Rationing
–1940’s WW2 Hairstyles (V for Victory!)
–How To Do Vintage Curls
–1940’s How To Be Pretty and 1940’s Guide To Glamour, Dress, and Posture
(Some funny and dated parts, but pretty good advice still 🙂 )

*Explore More!

–DK Findout! Fashion in the 1940’s
-Explore this ‘Make & Mend For Victory‘ booklet
-Read this WW2 Application For Additional Shoes Request

–What Did Soldiers Wear During WW2?
(The US Infantry uniform is the 4th one down)
-Explore what US soldiers wore- WW2 Uniforms

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

–1940’s Fashion Coloring Page
-LOTS of Fashion Coloring Pages from the 1940’s(Just scroll down a bit, click on the image to enlarge, and you can print!)
–WW2 Nurse Uniform
–Ww2 Soldier Paper Doll

+Day 4: Girls With Guts!

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944” (p. 26-29; 30-33; 38-39; 46-47)
-“Molly Learns A Lesson ”
*You may want to spend more than one day covering all these pages!

*Read More!

Have you been noticing how many bright colorful posters were used during WW2?
We’ve seen posters encouraging families to start gardens and to ration food and other things for the war efforts, and we’ve see lots of very patriotic posters encouraging young men to sign up and join the fight against Hitler!
These posters are part of what we call “propaganda”. It was a very large part of life during WW2. Here are a few links to help you understand what it was, and why we are seeing so much of it!
–What is Propaganda?
–What is Propaganda and Why Do We Care?
–WW2 Propaganda

Now…can you guess what topic we are digging into today?
The posters you’ll see have slogans like “We can do it!”, “This is my fight too!”, and “Join the schools at war!”.

–The Junior Red Cross
–The Red Cross and Donut Dollies
–History At A Glance: Women During WW2
–WW2 Women on the Homefront
–Who Was Rosie The Riveter?
(This site is a great overview of what life was like for women during WW2)
–Rosie The Riveter

–What Was a WASP?
–Who Was Fifinella?

*Watch!

–Rosie the Riveter Song
–Ask History: Who was Rosie the Riveter?
–1940’s The American Junior Red Cross
–American Women During World War 2

–Women Join the Military!
–Who Were the WACs?
–Who Were the WASPs?

–Women of the Red Cross – WW2
–What Were the Clubmobilers?
(Great interview with Barbara Pathe… so interesting!)
–Eleanor Roosevelt and the Red Cross
(NOTE: There are some disturbing images of soldiers suffering mental illness as a result of war- caution if you are watching with the Littles ! About 3 minutes)
–WW2 The American Red Cross
(Real footage of the women serving the troops during WW2)

*Explore More!

–Propaganda- DKFindOut!
-Play this online Propaganda Game

–Rosie The Riveter Activity Book
(You will have to read through, choose, and print the activities you’d like to use!)
–3 Rosie the Riveter Word Search Puzzles
–Rosie the Riveter Worksheet

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

–Children Help The War Effort Coloring Page
–Red Cross WW2 Motor Corps Uniforms Coloring Page
–WW2 Women At Work Coloring Page
–WAC Coloring Page
–WASP Coloring Page
–Rosie Coloring Page

+Day 5: More Brave Battlefield Heroes

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944” (p. 34-35)
-“Molly Learns A Lesson ”

*Watch!

–Who Were The Tuskegee Airmen?
–The Navajo Code Talkers- BrainPop!
–An Unbreakable Code
(Listen to the ACTUAL MESSAGE in Navajo! Fascinating!)
–Creating A Code
(This is a fun animated video to see how you might create a code!)
–Spies In Disguise !
–Virginia Hall: The Most Feared Spy of WW2
–Smoky: Hero Dog
–Amazing Animals- Rip The War Dog

*Explore More!

–Cracking Codes- DKFindOut!
-Listen to the story of the Navajo Code Talkers
or WW2 Navajo Code Talkers Podcast
-Try these Spy Kids: Code Talkers Activities
–Code Talkers Worksheet and Answer Key
–The Tuskegee Airmen BrainPop!
-Podcast all about the Tuskegee Airmen
(Also from Real Cool History For Kids Podcast)
–Wartime Spies- DK FindOut!
–Story of Betty McIntosh
(Podcast)

*TRY IT!
–Mystery Messages
–DIY Communications- Walkie Talkies
–Mission Morse Code

+ Coloring pages and printables to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

–Tuskegee Airman Coloring Page
–Activity Pages & Coloring Pages Tuskegee Airman
(Scroll down to find the coloring pages!)
–Navajo Code Talkers Coloring Page
–Dog and Soldier Coloring Page

*Week 2- World War 2 Daily Life : Hands-On History Activities

*If you are hoping for some hands-on SPIES and CODES fun, you’ll find it in this week’s Science section!

+World War 2 Toys & Games!
-Try making your own Homemade Silly Putty
(Made with just 2 ingredients you most likely already have on hand!)
-Play Monopoly together
(Be sure to talk about some of the names of places on the board. For extra fun, make your own Monopoly Board like many children did during WW2. Can you hide any secret messages into your design?!? )
–Create Your Own Comic Book
(You can use blank paper, choose a template, or you can buy this Comic Book Kit)

+Hollywood Movie and Dinner Family Night
Movies were becoming more and more popular during WW2. People were glad to escape into the cool, dark theaters and enjoy another world for awhile. Try setting up a “home theater”! Choose a movie that came out in the 1940’s. You can make this evening even more fun by making a dinner or snacks that are either from the 1940’s or themed around your movie. Examples below!
–Swiss Family Robinson (There are A LOT of remakes, so pick your favorite!)
Ideas:
You could serve this recipe for 1940’s Swiss Steaks or (Crockpot Version), or simple Grilled Swiss Cheese Sandwiches, and a Tropical Fruit Salad.
OR you could just order a Hawaiian Pizza, find some fruit punch, grab a box of Swiss Cakes, pop some popcorn, and call it FUN! 😀
-National Velvet
*Fun note! I read that Mickey Rooney had to film all his scenes in one month as he had been called up to report for military duty for WW2!
Ideas:
Cheese, Potato, and Onion Pie (Velvet called her horse ‘The Pie’)
WW2 Rations Cottage Pie
Kentucky Derby Dip Board
(Even though this isn’t the Steeplechase as seen in the movie, the horse race theme is the same)
Sweets:
WW2 Mock Apple Pie
Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
Haystacks

+Host A Variety Show
What kinds of talents do members of your family have? Is there a comedian among you like Bob Hope? What about some singers like The Andrew Sisters? Who can play an instrument? After reading about the kinds of entertainment you might find at a Variety Show, could you plan one of your own for a fun family night of entertainment?

+Make Do!
-Start by thinking of something your family needs right now, but doesn’t have.
How could you “make do” with what you already have to meet that need?

Here are a few ideas:
-Do you have a sock with a hole in it? Or a sweater? Or a shirt with a missing button?
Learn a new skill such as knitting or sewing so you can fix things instead of throwing them away!
Find something that needs some sewing repair (a sock, a shirt, a blanket, doll clothing…).
Try “making do” by sewing the hole, or a button, etc.

-What can you make out of scraps? Use your imagination!
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
*Doll clothes or a blanket out of old clothing?
*A craft or a toy out of a broken toy or something discarded
*A game board out of an empty cereal box
*Repurposing Legos

+Propaganda Collages
After learning all about propaganda this week, I bet if you think about it, you’ll start seeing it EVERYWHERE!
Collect a few magazines or newspapers. Flip through. Can you find some examples of propaganda?
Remember that propaganda doesn’t always have to be about war, politics, or your enemies. It is just a way that people (or companies- hint hint!) use to spread information and try to sway you into thinking what THEY want you to think!
Cut out some examples that you find, and make a collage of propaganda.
Now THINK about each sample of propaganda on your collage.
Can you explain what the image is supposed to make you THINK of FEEL?
Is the information TRUE? Is it helpful or harmful?
Were you persuaded at all by looking at it? Why or why not?

*Week 3: A World War!

This is a HUGE topic to cover, and difficult for most adults to even comprehend…BUT, it is important to learn how even one man full of evil and hate, given a little power, can destroy millions of lives and turn the world upside down. In this day’s lesson we will learn about such a man. His name was Adolph Hitler, dictator of Germany, and his followers were called Nazis. Last week we studied about propaganda. Hitler was a master at this, and other Marxist techniques that worked together to turn an entire nation of kind neighbors and friends against one people, one religion… the Jews. Even though it’s hard to listen to some of these terrible times, it’s important to study how one man was able to do this, so it will never be repeated in the future. There is A LOT of information in this day’s lesson. As always, just choose a few things from each section to use, or you could stretch each day for as long as you’d like. If your child isn’t particularly interested in the important battles of WW2 (Day 2), you might like to carry this “Day 1” lesson over into “Day 2” this week.

->For Parents: If you missed this recommendation earlier in the Unit, you might like to read a book by Erwin Lutzer, long time pastor of Moody Church, called ‘Hitler’s Cross’. It is INCREDIBLY relevant for today, and will help you teach this entire unit well, and particularly, the things in this section.

* American Girl Molly Series, Book 3, “Molly’s Surprise ”

+Day 1: Why War?

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944” (p. 4-5; 42-43)
-“Molly’s Surprise ”

*Read!

–Who Was Adolph Hitler?
–Hitler’s Rise To Power
–Life In Nazi Germany
-Hitler’s Axis:
*Benito Mussolini
*Joseph Stalin
*Hirohito

–Judaism and “The Jews”
–What Was The Holocaust?
–Why Did Jews Wear Yellow Stars?
–Who Was Anne Frank?
*The Life of Anne Frank
(includes an entire lesson- online activities, timelines, photos, videos, etc)

*The Helpers-
Fred Rogers (aka Mr. Rogers) was once asked what to tell children about war and all the terrible things that come with it. He shared a quote his mother had taught him-
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
And so even in the midst of the Holocaust, if we look, there were LOTS of helpers. Here are just a few:

–Irena Sendler
–Sir Nicholas Winton
–Corrie ten Boom
–Oskar & Emilie Schindler

*Watch!

–Definition of Antisemitism for Kids
–The Rise Of The Nazis (How It Happened!)

–The Terrible Things
(This is a short story -animated video- that would make an EXCELLENT introduction and conversation starter for most all ages concerning the holocaust)
–The Story of Lala
(Love triumphs over hate! Just an animated story told by a holocaust survivor about his beloved dog)

–Corrie ten Boom’s Story (animated)
–The Story of Elie Wiesel
–Irena Sendler’s Story
–The Story of Sir Nicholas Winton
(Grab the tissues! This is BEAUTIFUL!!)

*Note: I found it difficult to find appropriate videos for families learning together. Reading (text only) allows a child’s mind only to go as far as previous experience (or previous visual images) has taught them…video may give them mental images that they are’t yet ready for. For this reason, I am not including many videos. There are some that are a part of the “Explore section” and many more are available on YouTube, or for purchase such as The Hiding Place and I Am David (listed below). The full length movies tend to not be as graphic in nature. Please preview like always.

*The Hiding Place
(I highly recommend this movie. “Overcome evil with good”)
Click the image below to watch on Amazon Prime, or you can find the
DVD HERE

*I Am David
(Another movie that is good to illustrate this time..including the good that overcomes evil… Rated PG)

*Explore More!

–The Holocaust- DKFindOut!
–Concentration Camps- DK FindOut!
–Artifacts From The Holocaust
–Virtual Field Trip To The US Historic Holocaust Museum
(Scroll down to begin, and you will see a slow pan around each space. You can drag and click to learn more!
There is also a companion Holocaust Worksheet to print and fill out.)
–Anne Frank- DK FindOut!
–Tour Anne Frank’s Secret Annex
–Corrie ten Boom House- Virtual Tour
*The History of the ten Boom Family (Interactive Timeline)
–Stories of Courage

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

–The Axis Coloring Page
–Corrie ten Boom Coloring Pages and Activities
–The Holocaust Notebooking Page
–Anne Frank Notebooking Page
–Anne Frank Coloring Page
-Corrie ten Boom Coloring Pages 1 2 3 4 5
–Holocaust Remembrance Day Coloring Page
–Holocaust Page

+Day 2: Life On The Battlefield

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944”
-“Molly’s Surprise ”

*There were many, many battles during WW2.
Here are a few of the most well known-
–The Battle of the Atlantic
–The Miracle of Dunkirk
(This is a Podcast about the miracle that happened in Dunkirk)
–Battle of Midway
–Battle of the Bulge
–Battle of Guadalcanal

*Watch!

*There are TONS of clips, documentaries, and movies about the battles in WW2, but I hesitated to add too many as the graphic nature might not be suitable for your students. One series is called World War 2 In Color. It isn’t as graphic and is more geared toward education. You can find parts of the series on YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. These are obviously best for your older kiddos who also are interested in learning about World War 2 in greater detail. PLEASE PLEASE watch these BEFORE showing them to your children 😀

–The Little Ships of Dunkirk
–Mrs. Miniver movie clip showing” the little ships of Dunkirk”
–History of World War 2 (In One Take)
-Old Stock Footage of General MacArthur in the Philippines

*Explore More!

–DK World War 2 Interactive Quiz
-Battle In the Atlantic Game
–Color George Patton Online
–Interactive Timeline WW2

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

–General Douglas MacArthur Coloring Page
–Print & Color General Patton
–General Eisenhower Coloring Pages
–WW2 Battle Coloring Page
–WW2 Airplanes Coloring Pages
–Warships from World War 2 Coloring Pages

+Day 3: D-Day!

*Core Reading:
“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944” (p. 44-45; 48-49)
-“Molly’s Surprise ”

*Read More!

–Vocabulary of D Day
(This also includes a very clear mapping activity that is good for even younger students!)
–Where Is Normandy?
–What Was “D Day”?
-Listen to the actual News Cast of D Day
–D Day History
–The History of D Day For Kids
(This is a podcast for kids)
–D Day In Detail
(This would be a great a print out to make into further reading for your older kiddos!)
–The Beaches of Normandy
(Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, Sword Beach, Juno Beach, Gold Beach)
–Interesting Inventions of WW2/D Day
–Fake Tanks and Ghost Armies of D Day
–D Day Overview & Worksheets

*Watch!

–Adventures In History- D Day
(Do you know what the “D” in D Day stands for?)

–D Day History For Kids
–What Is D Day?
(Great video even for your younger kiddos!)
–Kids Interview WW2 Veterans of D Day
(So good!)
–Storming the Beaches
(This is actual footage, but appropriate for children)

–D Day Video Field Trip
(This video field trip from the WW2 Museum is put together and narrated by students!)

*Explore More!

–Normandy Landings- DK FindOut!
–WW2 Timeline Experience
(Click on 1944 and find Normandy to begin!)
–Quiz Yourself On Normandy Knowledge!
–D Day Interactive Images
(Click on the red buttons on each photo to learn more!)
–Internet D Day Scavenger Hunt
–D Day Landings Then And Now
–Interactive D Day Map

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

–Map of France Coloring Page
(Find Normandy!)
–Landing At Normandy Coloring Page
–D Day Coloring Page
–Allied Invasion of France, D Day Coloring Page
–At Normandy Coloring Page
–D Day Landing Coloring Page

+Day 4: VE Day

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944” (p. 50-51)
-“Molly’s Surprise ”

*Note: I’m covering both VE Day and VJ Day here. You may need to explain that these 2 special days of celebration were not the same thing and one occurred before the FINAL end of WW2 fighting, and one after… VE Day celebrating victory in Europe, and VJ Day celebrating victory over Japan, and the final end of the war.

*Read More!

–VE and VJ Days
–All About VE Day
(This is a really great resource! It includes all kinds of VE Day activities, recipes, printable worksheets, and reading!
Note this is a UK website, and the mention of the Queen is sadly now inaccurate due to her passing)
–The Story of WW2 VE Day
(Podcast!)
–What Happened After VE Day?
–VJ Day

*Watch!

– VE Day
–Where Does “V for Victory” Come From?
–VE Day Speech- President Truman
–VE Day In Britain
–Bluebird Belles VE Day Celebration Concert
(This is so fun! Turn it up and have your own celebration!)
–Firsthand Accounts of VE Day
–VJ Day In Times Square
–VJ Day In London
-Actual clip from reporter in London on VJ Day

–The Bear Who Went To War
(You can read The Story of Wojtek here!)

*Explore More!
–VE Day- DK FindOut!
–VE Day In Pictures
–Explore VE Day !!
(Be sure to listen to Churchill’s speech!)
–Print & Play VE Day Game
–VJ Day Activity Page

*You may like to talk to your children at this point about what has happened to the Jewish people we talked about earlier in our studies. I could only find this one resource, but no others that covered the liberation of the Jews from the Nazi concentration camps that I felt comfortable sharing here with a younger audience. If you find any resources, I’d love you to share them with me, and I’ll add them in.
–Allied Forces Free Jews- DKFindOut!

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

–Happy VE Day Coloring Page
–Victory Coloring Page (75 year anniversary was in 2020)
–Color a VE Day Banner
–VE Coloring Pages
–VJ Day Coloring Page
–VJ Day Coloring Pages

+Day 5: World War 2 Is Ended

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Molly’s World 1944” (p. 52-58)
-“Molly’s Surprise ”

*Note: This is A LOT of information on some pretty weighty lessons in history. You may want to stretch this over several days or even weeks. If your child(ren) are interested, I believe it’s quite important to take the time to answer (or find the answers to) as many questions as you can.

*Read More!

–War In The Pacific
–Who Was Admiral Nimitz?
–Map of Pacific Battles
(Look at the map on the right inset… the article is advanced, but the map is really good for all ages!)

–What Was The Battle of Iwo Jima?
–The Story of Iwo Jima
(The article is a good overview of this battle, but the short video interview with a veteran of Iwo Jima, Woody Williams, is an amazing first hand account!)
–The Navajo Code Talkers at Iwo Jima

–President Harry Truman

–Who Was Albert Einstein ?
–What Does Einstein Have to Do With WW2?
–The Atomic Bomb
-The Manhattan Project and the Atomic Bomb

–Hiroshima and the Atomic Bomb
–The Atomic Bombs That Ended WW2
–Why Were Bombs Dropped On Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
–Who Was Sadako Sasaki?
–The Story of Sadako Sasaki
–Peace Memorial Park, The Children’s Peace Monument, and Paper Cranes

–After The War
–What Was The Marshall Plan?

*Watch!
–The Pacific Theatre
(Featuring a kid narrator!)
–Who Was Harry Truman ? (about 1 minute)
–Biography of Albert Einstein (about 4 minutes)
–Einstein’s Escape From Hitler (a clip from NatGeo- about 3 minutes)
–Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the End of WW2 (about 3 minutes)
–Hiroshima- A Survivor’s Story in Animation (about 5 minutes)
–Truman & the Atomic Bomb (about 5 minutes)

–The Story of Sadako And A Thousand Paper Cranes
(Animated story- lovely!)
–How The US and Japan Went From Enemies To Allies
(This article is best for older students to read, but all ages will benefit from understanding the content!)

–The Berlin Airlift

*Explore More!

–Quiz Yourself- Iwo Jima
–Mapping The War In The Pacific Activity
–Interactive Map Of Japan
–The Atomic Bomb- DK FindOut!
–Final WW2- BrainPOP!

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!
–Iwo Jima Coloring Page
– Iwo Jima
–Color & Label Map of Japan
–Atomic Bomb Notebooking Page
–The Manhattan Project and the Atomic Bomb Handouts from the NPS
–6 President Truman Coloring Pages
–Albert Einstein Coloring Page
–Enola Gay Airplane Coloring Page
–Paper Crane Coloring Page
–Sadako Sasaki Coloring Page

*Week 3- World War 2 Hands-On History Activities

+Victory Party!
Since this is the last part of our World War 2 study, this would be a perfect way to throw one big SHOW what you KNOW kind of party! You could do this with just your own family, or invite your friends over for the fun and celebration! Think of the music, costumes, food, games, dancing, and decorations you could make that SHOW all you’ve learned about the 1940’s and life during WW2!

–VE Day Party!!
–Celebrate VE Day
(This is a British site, but EVERYONE was celebrating!)
–Learn to Lindy Hop
(Take this video dance class for beginners!)
–1940’s Playlist For a VE Day Party

+Tanks, Parachutes, and Planes!
–Parachute Jump!
–Make Your Own “Fake Tanks”
-Read a bit about WW2 Aircraft.
Make some of your own with these SUPER printable WW2 Plane Models!
Or you may like to make these Model WW2 Clothespin Planes

+Never Forget!
It is so very important that we LEARN from history! One way we can do that is to make sure we REMEMBER history!
We remind ourselves and others of the bad things that have happened so that we don’t repeat them… and the good things too, so that we can continue to do those things!
Stop and THINK.
What have you learned from WW2?
Make a short list of the bad things, and of the good things.
Try a few of these ways to show others… or make up your own ideas!
–Make a Shadow Box
You could make any WW2 lessons, or you could make Holocaust Day Shadow Box.
You can see ->WW2 shadow box examples.
-Fold some Paper Cranes and pray for peace!
–Memorial Stones
Learn about Memorial Day, Memorial Stones in the Bible, and try making some of your own!

*Language Arts Ideas For Weeks 1-3:

*Reading Comprehension Ideas:

(This is the same list for each week! Choose which ideas you’d like to work on and come back!)

Show what you know about Molly and World War 2!

*Comprehension Questions, Quizzes, & Activities
-You can find interactive quizzes for many American Girl Doll books, including the series of American Girl Molly books.

*Add to your History Notebook, Lapbook, Scrapbook, or Timeline…
–>How To Make A History Binder (I made a video if you’d rather watch than read 🙂 )
-Keep a World War II notebook of History Timeline Binder!
-Design a notebook, lapbook, scrapbook, or folder to show what you’re learning.
-Make divisions of time (5 years, or 10 would be good for this unit) on the timeline in your notebook or history timeline binder.
-Then, add in important people (world leaders, generals, scientists, etc.), important places (Pearl Harbor, Normandy, Stalingrad, Hiroshima, etc.), important events (D-Day, the Blitz, the Battle of Midway, the Holocaust, etc.), and important ideas (rationing, propaganda, new technologies, alliances) as you study this period of history.
-The coloring pages listed each day make great additions too!
-Use these lists later for writing prompts, notebooking, lapbooking, creating a timeline, and more!
-Need some more inspiration? Notebooking , Lapbooking (Free Molly Lapbook), and Folders Templates

* Make a History Timeline!
+Timelines are a SNEAKY way to squeeze in a visual history review every time you look at one! The History Timeline Binders work especially well as every time they flip through to add a page, your children will be seeing what history has gone on before and after!
If you are continuing on with the rest of the American Girl Units, you can just keep adding to your timeline and you will end up with a really solid visual for Early American History!
I wrote a post recently on how to Create Your Own Timeline… there are ideas for pretty much every personality of family… creative, tech loving, small spaces, hands-on, etc…

*Book Reports (made a little more fun!)
Don’t just assign any old boring Book Report… have your students try showing what they’ve learned about their books with a Book Report Cake, a Rainbow Report, or a Pizza Box Book Report! This family made a book report poster from the Kristen series, but you could easily just adapt this by adding to the poster what we study each week for Molly.

*Get Creative! Find whatever creative outlet that excites your kids!
-Try making a diorama.
You could create one for Molly’s neighborhood, Molly’s living room, a mini Victory Garden, or any part you find interesting about the life and times of World War 2…OR you could make several and display the many parts of life during this time in history!
-Create a short video showing what you have learned about some aspect of life during World War 2.
+You could be a kid reporter, reporting on news of the year 1944.
+Print out a small picture of Molly (or other characters you’ve learned about), world maps, aircraft, or whatever else you’d like to focus on, affix them to popsicle sticks, and use the diorama as a background, and film a short video. Get creative!

-Make your own history museum!
This would be a great project to work on throughout this unit study, adding the most interesting parts to your “museum” each week.
Here are some ideas on how to make your own history museum (not history specific, but you’ll get the idea)!

*Vocabulary ideas-

+Teaching multiple ages-

-Start with the lists below taken from each week’s core reading. You could add more words, easier or more difficult related words, or choose a list of words from some of the other Molly or World War 2 History Books that suit your needs best!
You can find a great list of suggested books for this unit American History Book Lists and Early American History Curriculum .

-Choose any list of vocabulary you’d like to use for this unit. I have included a brief list for each week from the core reading.
Try keeping a notebook of your own words!

-Over the course of history, the definitions of some words seem to get quite muddied. Even if some of these words seem too simple, a quick review of their meanings might be helpful.

*American Girl Molly Vocabulary Lists:

1. courage 2. allies 3. abandon 4. patriotic 5. speech
6. empire 7. raid 8. conquer 9. volunteers 10. rationing

1. manufacture 2. rivets 3. scrapping 4. assembly line 5. cinema
6. propaganda 7. civilian 8. bonds 9. independence 10. canteens (clubs)

1. dictator 2. Nazis 3. Axis Powers 4. Holocaust 5. defense
6. corps 7. invasion 8. liberation 9. surrender 10. atomic

*Language Arts/Grammar Ideas-

* You may choose to use your regular grammar curriculum, add just a few of the ideas below into the mix, or use it all. Isn’t homeschooling wonderful? 🙂

**Grammar Practice-

+You may choose to use your regular grammar curriculum, add just a few of the ideas below into the mix, or use it all. Isn’t homeschooling wonderful sometimes? 🙂

+Here’s a website of very short daily grammar reviews

+Fun Grammar offers interactive online games, and Education World has fun editing worksheets.

+Choose a sentence, or photocopy a page of the reading. Depending on what skill you want to emphasize, have your child diagram a few sentences, or find all the verbs, nouns, etc…, or whatever grammar skill needs work.

*Copy Work/Narration ideas-

Below you will find some ideas to choose from for related copy work or narration that goes along with the reading from each week.

*Week 1: Molly’s World

—>You will find lots of printable themed copy work and writing pages in the
World War 2- Molly Printable Power Pack!

*Copy Work From Reading–
Choose a favorite passage from the reading this week to narrate and/or copy

*Quotes

+President Roosevelt’s speech after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
You could choose to copy just this excerpt, or you could add a bit more.
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”

“As a nation, we may take pride in the fact that we are softhearted; but we cannot afford to be soft-headed.”

+From Winston Churchill’s speech “The Few”–
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. “

*Poetry
+Eleanor Roosevelt carried this prayerful Poem at Pearl Harbor Memorial in her purse-

Dear Lord,
Lest I continue
My complacent way,
Help me to remember
Somehow out there
A man died for me today.
As long as there be war,
I then must
Ask and answer
Am I worth dying for?

* This week’s Scripture verses-

–Genesis 1
–Genesis 3
–Psalm 100:5
–Psalm 25:8
–Romans 12:9
–Psalm 107: 1, 8-9
–Romans 5:12
–Proverbs 3:7
–John 18:37
–Proverbs 15:3
–John 17:17

*Week 2: Molly’s Days

*Quotes-

+Jorgen Vig Knudstorp, Inventor of Legos
“Many creative people are finding that creativity doesn’t grow in abundance, it grows from scarcity –
the more Lego bricks you have doesn’t mean you’re going to be more creative; you can be very creative with very few Lego bricks.”

+Bob Hope
“I have seen what a laugh can do. It can transform almost unbearable tears into something bearable, even hopeful.”

“I was there. I saw your sons and your husbands, your brothers and your sweethearts. I saw how they worked, played, fought, and lived. I saw some of them die. I saw more courage, more good humor in the face of discomfort, more love in an era of hate and more devotion to duty than could exist under tyranny.”

*Poetry

+Lyrics from the song ‘Rosie The Riveter’
“All the day long,
Whether rain or shine,
She’s a part of the assembly line.
She’s making history,
Working for victory,
Rosie the Riveter. “

* This week’s Scripture verses-

–Ephesians 1:4-10
–1 Peter 1:18-20
–Isaiah 46:10
–Revelation 13:8
–John 17:24
–John 1:1-5
–Psalm 139:13-16
–1 John 4:8-10
–John 3:16-21
–Colossians 1:19-21
–Titus 2:11-14
–Psalm 33:11

*Week 3: A World War

*Quotes-

+Corrie Ten Boom
“This is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.”

“There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.”

+Douglas MacArthur
“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.”

+Anne Frank
“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.”

+Admiral Chester Nimitz
“Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue.”

*Poetry

+’Normandy’ by Juno Veteran Cyril Crain
(You may like to choose a stanza, or copy the whole poem)

Come and stand in memory
Of men who fought and died
They gave their lives in Normandy
Remember them with pride.

Soldiers, Airman, sailors
Airborne and marines
Who in civvy life were tailors
and men who worked machines.

British and Canadian
And men from USA
Forces from the Commonwealth
They all were there that day

To Juno, Sword and Utah
Beaches of renown
Also Gold and Omaha
That’s where the ramps went down.

The battle raged in Normandy
Many lives were lost
The war must end in victory
And this must be the cost

When my life is over
And I reach the other side
I’ll meet my friends from Normandy
And shake their hands with pride.”

* This week’s Scripture verses-

–John 14:1-4
–Romans 12:21
–Revelation 21:1-7
–1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
–Hebrews 9:28
–Zechariah 14:3-4
–Revelation 17:14
–Revelation 20:7-10
–Revelation 21:1-5

*Creative Writing Ideas-

* Week 1- Molly’s World 1944

+Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
Write the front page news story for December 7, 1941.
You can use this blank newspaper template to create your front page!

+Create a Timeline
At first glance, this may not sound like a WRITING activity, but it totally is! Bullet point timelines are super easy and fun to create, but there are TONS of timelines to try… the Pizza Box Timelines would also be a great choice!
Start by choosing what type of timeline you want to make- Top 10 History Timeline Ideas
Next, gather what you need.
Review what events and people we have covered so far.
Choose which things you want to add to your timeline.
Add each event.
Continue to add to your timeline as you go through this unit.
You’ll be amazed how much you’ve learned when you see everything in one place !

* Week 2- A Day With Molly

+Write A Letter Home or One To The War Front
Imagine you are living during World War 2.
Think about the lives of the people we’ve read about in our studies.
Choose where your person is.
Are you a child scrapping for the war effort on the US Homefront? Or a soldier on a ship in Pearl Harbor? Maybe you want to be a British child on a train headed to safety in the country, or a Donut Dollie bringing sweets and smiles to troops on the European Front.
Write a personal letter to someone you love on the other front.
An example would be if you are a child in Britain heading to the country, you could write a letter to your parents in London, or you could write a letter to your pen pal in America (like Molly and Emily) explaining what that experience was like.

+A picture is worth a thousand words!
You will find a series of REAL photos taken during WW2 below.
Choose one (or more!) of the photographs.
Study the image. You can zoom in and out and pan around the image in each of the links below.
Using what you have learned about World War 2 so far, try to put yourself into the shoes of the person/people in the picture you chose.
What is happening in the photo you chose?
What is the person thinking? How were they feeling?
What do you think happened right before this image was snapped? What do you think happened after?
Be creative and write a short story about your image!
If you would like to see more images you can find a collection on DocsTeach- WW2.

–School Boy
–Code Talkers
–D Day Soldiers
–Prison Camp Liberation
–Kids Help The War Effort
–Lieutenant Brown
–Chow Time
–Women Welders
–Kissing The War Goodbye

* Week 3- A World War

+Creative Biographies
We have studied about some AMAZING people! Courageous, smart, strong, and funny folks!
In this activity, we are going to show what you know!
Choose one of the people you’ve learned about that have really made you think, or inspired you to show a positive attitude!
Some ideas:
President Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Corrie Ten Boom, Elie Wisel, Anne Frank, Irena Sendler, Albert Einstein, Douglas MacArthur, a WASP, a Code Talker, a Spy, or a Tuskegee Airman!
Next, pick one of the creative biography ideas below (or make up your own).

->Interview with a WW2 hero
Write some interview type questions to ask your person about their experiences during WW2. Dress up like your person. Have a parent or friend read you each question and “interview” you. Try to give the answers you think this person would give. You could even make a video of your interview for fun!

->Dramatic Reading
Write a short essay from the first person point of view. When you are done, read your story aloud to a friend or family member with all the feelings you imagine your character having. Depending on what you chose, you could act out an event from the person’s life, or even write a short play!

->Radio Show
Radio was king in the days of WW2. Families loved to gather around their radios in the living room to hear their “shows” just like families today often do with our television sets. After you’ve chosen your person from history, write a short paper telling their story. Record yourself as the narrator of an old fashioned radio program reading the nightly news. Another idea would be to write your paper and make a short history podcast like the ones we have been listening to in our lessons!

->Photo Flip
Choose a more well known character that has photos available online. Print out (or draw) 4 or 5 images depicting your person’s life events. Write a short paragraph for each picture. Present your person from history to someone in your family! You could also do a power point!

+Dark Days Diary
We learned about the young Jewish girl, Anne Frank. Most likely, if she had not kept the diary she did, we wouldn’t know her name today. However, because we DO have her diary, the words she wrote will live on for so many future generations, inspiring, instilling honor and courage, and reminding and cautioning us all against repeating this part of history!
After choosing your person, write a diary entry each day this week from their perspective. You may want to go back and read a few excerpts from her diary. Excerpts From “The Diary Of Anne Frank”

*Bible Study: Overcoming Evil With Good

Week 1: Good and Evil
Week 2: A Problem and A Plan
*Week 3: Good Overcomes Evil

Living, Loving, Learning Together.
While most of these American Girl Unit Studies can (after review) be completed independently by older children, the Bible studies would be most enjoyed together !

I’m glad you’re doing this portion of the Unit today.

War.
What comes to mind when I say that word? Do you think of the warplanes, ships, and tanks? Do you think of the brave men and women who left their homes to fight for freedom for all of us? Do you think about the “sides” that people took?
If you have been working through American History with these units, you will remember that in almost every part of history that we have studied, there have been quarrels and disagreements, and wars.
And people took SIDES!

There were the Patriots and the Loyalists… the North and the South… and now the Axis and the Allies.
Well in this World War 2 unit Bible study, we are going to go back in history even further to see what was the BIGGEST battle EVER! Can you guess what it is? If you’ve studied Ancient History you might be guessing the Punic Wars or the Peloponnesian War, or maybe the Hundred Years’ War… but we are going to go back even farther!

If all this talk of wars and battles, and all the evil and chaos that comes with war makes you just feel sad, this Bible study is for YOU! There was a plan in place LONG AGO, even before you or your parents, or even their parents were born, to set all these things right. I hope you will learn that although the world has a lot of really hard and evil things in it, like what happened during WW2, God has not let a single day go by without His GOOD being here also! Over the next 3 weeks we will learn that we can live safely and with great peace even in troublesome times, looking forward to a time when evil will be done away with forever and everything will be set right again.

**If you’d like a more detailed version of the Story of Good versus Evil, and how God had a plan from the beginning, you can read the more detailed story for families, that I wrote in this FREE post- A Family Journey To Easter. You may like to use parts of this story adding it in to the Bible study below, or you might like to use the whole thing independently. There’s also a unit study to go along with it too for more activities and ideas to tell the most important story ever!

*Week 1: What Is Good & Evil?

This week we’re going to talk about 2 sides… not the Axis side and the Ally side, but the sides of good and evil.
What is “good”? What is “evil”?
Why is there so much evil when everything God made was “good”?
What are the questions that you have about good and evil?
Can you already find some good and evil in your study about World War 2? Can you name some things?

World War 2 was seen around the entire world as a battle between not just the Allies and the Axis countries, but as a battle between good and evil. BUT this battle began WAY before WW2!
There have been many evil rulers and kings throughout all of history, but it goes back even farther than that.
The GREATEST (and longest!) war ever began in that most perfect place.
It began all the way at the beginning in the Garden of Eden! Can you imagine?
There was a battle that occurred between Eve and the serpent. Two sides. Perfect good, and complete evil.
Sides were chosen, and it looked like EVIL won that day.
And a war that would last for thousands of years had begun!
What came of that battle in the Garden?
All the same things that we will see that happened during World War 2.
Sad things.
Hard things.
Confusing things.
And worst of all, death.
Lots of death.
Just like a war.

*Reading/Watching–

+Parents, you might like to view this video “The Satan and Demons” from Bible Project.
You might choose to show parts of this to your kiddos, or the whole thing to older children.

–Superbook- In the Beginning
(Full episode- about 27 minutes)
-Read or Listen to The Story of Creation
–Creation.

-Read The Sad Day
–God’s Story: The Fall
–The Story of the Fall
–The Lie (Object Lesson)
–God’s Creation Is Spoiled
(This short story covers from Adam and Eve’s sin to the consequences, and Cain and Abel)

–Kids Bible Study Romans 12:9-21
(You might like to use parts or all of this Bible Study!)

*Related Scriptures for Further Reading-

–Genesis 1
–Genesis 3
–Psalm 100:5
–Psalm 25:8
–Romans 12:9
–Psalm 107: 1, 8-9
–Romans 5:12
–Proverbs 3:7
–John 18:37
–Proverbs 15:3
–John 17:17

*Ideas to Think About & Discuss-

+You will find most of the answers to the questions below from the Scriptures above.
BUT… ask your own questions! Take the time to really understand how the greatest battle began, and why it has lasted for so many years! It will make the Bible study in Week 3 even more WONDERFUL if you do this now!

-What is good?
-What is evil?
-What did God say about His creation?
-If everything God made was GOOD, where did evil even come from?

-What one rule did God give Adam and Eve?
-What did the serpent tell Eve?
Was what he said true or a lie?
-Eve believed the serpent.
Why do you think she believed a talking serpent over her Creator and friend God?

-What were the 2 “sides” in the Garden?
-Who is on each side?

-What did Eve do?
-Which “side” did Eve choose?

-Where was God?
-What did God do?

-What does the word “consequence” mean?
-What happened when Eve chose to believe the serpent over what God said?
-What were the consequences for Eve?
What about for Adam?
Were there consequences for anyone else?

-How can we know the difference between what is good and what is evil?
-How can we choose what is good?

-What are the questions that you have about good and evil?
-Where might you find the answers to your questions?

*Activities–

+Genesis 3 Object Lesson
+Sneaky Lies Object Lesson
+The Fall (Lesson and Printables)
+Genesis 3 Printables (Older Kids Version)

+Loving God & Hating Evil
(A short puppet video… especially good for Littles)

+Creation Matching Game Online
+Sneaky Snake Decoder Activity

*Songs-

–Good Is Good ALL The Time!
–God Is Good!
–Don’t Monkey Around the Devil
(This one is fun especially for the Littles… but it’s gonna get stuck in your head too!)
–How God Made Everything (And It Was Good!)
–Genesis 3- You’re Out!
–Romans 12:9 Memory Song

* Coloring/Activity Pages-

–Very Good! Coloring Page
–God Saw All He Made Coloring Page
–The Choice Coloring Page
–Genesis 3:1 Coloring Page
–The Consequence Coloring Page

*If you’d like extra coloring pages or printable activities to go along with any of the stories from the scriptures listed above, you can find them here:
– Calvary Bible Curriculum (Scripture, Activities, Coloring Pages, and more!)

*Week 2: A Problem And A Plan

Perfection.
Last week we read about God’s AMAZING creation and just how GOOD it was! And one of the most INCREDIBLE parts of living in the Garden was that God was there too! Did you know that Adam and Eve spent lots of time walking through the fields and forests and chatting with GOD Himself ?!? God was filled with love for His children. Living together in this perfect place with His people was God’s plan all along. He loved being with them, and they loved being with Him. They had so much JOY in spending time together in that beautiful place! EVERYTHING was right and good… until that one very awful day.

Adam and Eve listened to the sneaky, slithering, fast talking serpent, and they SINNED.
They believed the lies the serpent told them and they forgot God’s words to them about ruling over His creation!
Sin means flawed.
Have you ever done something that your dad or mom told you not to do? Yep. Adam and Eve had done it. They disobeyed their “dad” (aka God), and for the first time ever, SIN entered into the perfect world God had made. They did not have “dominion” or control over themselves, and there were some pretty terrible consequences. And when God came walking in the garden like always, calling out to them, Adam and Eve HID from Him!
Things were NOT right!

There were consequences for Adam and Eve’s sin.
That was very, very sad. Consequences of sin never feel very good.
But there was a MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM!

Why? Because God is HOLY… and now Adam and Eve were stained by their SIN.
Holy can be a hard word to describe. Sometimes we can understand a word better by knowing what the opposite of it is. For example, if we understand what “sad” means, we can understand that “happy” is all the opposite of sad. To understand “holy”, we can say that it is the opposite of “sin”. If sin is flawed, holy is completely without ANY (not even a speck!) flaw! The two are like oil and water.
And holiness and sin can’t mix together.

There was a very big problem in the Garden. Can you see it?
God is perfect, He is Holy.
Adam and Eve are flawed as they sinned.
And as we know, those two things can’t mix.

What would happen to Adam and Eve?
Would they be separated from Holy God forever by their bad choices?
What about their perfect, beautiful home?
Would they never get to enjoy living there again?

NEVER FEAR! GOD IS HERE!
God didn’t panic when sin entered into His perfect Creation!
He knew this was going to happen, and He had a PLAN!
We know it is impossible for Holiness (oil) and sin (dirty water) to mix.
How would this ever be made right then?
Want to find out what that plan was?

This week we are going to go back farther in history than last week to find the answer!
Wait just a minute…didn’t we start at the beginning last week? YEP!
But… there was someone who existed even BEFORE the beginning of time!!!
Want to guess who that might be?

*Reading/Watching-

+The Problem!
–Sin… What Is It?
–What Is Sin and What Can We Do About It?
–Why Is Sin A Big Deal?

–The Holiness of God
(Zoe Kids- this has the video below included in it… and then an explanation!)
– The Holiness of God
(Bible Project video- please preview and help younger kiddos understand that the sun being holy, is an example, or just watch the video above together )
–Our God Is Holy
(Bible talk and creative, fun stories all about holiness!
–What Happened To Creation?

+The Plan!
–God’s Story: Jesus
–Jesus Our Rescuer!
(This is a simple explanation and good for Littles to understand)
–The Miracle of Easter
(I know… it’s probably not Easter today. BUT this story is for EVERY DAY!)
–Jesus Is My Lifeline
–What’s Up? God’s Rescue
–Jesus, Sin, and YOU!
(Cool visual object lesson!)

–God’s Story
(The whole story… the problem and the plan!)

*Scriptures-

+You will find most of the answers to the questions below from the Scriptures above.
BUT… ask your own questions and find the answers!

*Ideas to Think About & Discuss-

-What is sin?
-What is holiness?
-Why can’t sin and holiness mix?
-Why is this a problem for all humans?

-Do you think God knew that people would sin in the Garden, and then keep on sinning?
-How did God create us to be? Holy or sinful?
-Have you ever sinned?
-What makes you sin?
-How long has God known and loved YOU?

–Why did God make a way for all things to be made right again?
–When did God make a plan to rescue us from sin?
-God used many men and women throughout history to show the way to His PLAN!
Who did God choose to use to fix the BIG problem of sin?
–How long has Jesus existed?
-How did Jesus’ death solve our problem of separation from God?

-If Jesus fixed the problem of sin, why do we still keep sinning?
-Will there ever be a day when sin will not exist anymore?
-How can we be sure that God will keep His plans?

*Activities-

–Sin & Holiness
(Science Experiments that highlight the separation of sin and holiness)
–Rotten Egg Object Lesson
–Oil & Water “Lava Lamps”
–God is Holy Mosaic
–Oil & Water Painting
–God Is Holy Science Experiment
–Oil & Water Object Lesson
–Holiness Games
–Sin Wrecks Stuff!
–Getting Next to God
(Fun object lesson showing God’s plan!)
–Fingerprint Cross

–How Jesus’ Righteousness Makes Us Right Too

-Be creative and have a “holey” snack:
(donuts, Swiss cheese, pretzels, pizza bagel bites, cheerios, funyons, pineapple rings, gummy
savers, spaghetti O’s, apple rings, etc…)
-The Sweetness of Holiness
You could talk to your family about the sweetness of a holy life, and end the fun with this over the top treat!! Try slicing a donut in half (like a bagel). Fill it with some softened ice cream. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles!

* Songs-

–God Is A Holy God!
–Holy Is the Lord
–God Is Holy
(Song with sign language!)
–Holy, Holy, Holy

–God’s Awesome Rescue Plan
–The Jesus Song
–God Forgave
–His Great Love
–The Story of the Cross

*Coloring Pages-

–God is Holy Coloring Page
–Holy, Holy, Holy Coloring Page
–Water and Oil Coloring Page
–Jesus Rescues Coloring Page
–For God So Loved… Coloring Page
–John 3:16 Coloring Page
–Your Sins Are Forgiven Coloring Page

– Calvary Bible Curriculum (Scripture, Activities, Coloring Pages, and more!)

*Week 3: Good Overcomes Evil

You may think that the story of God’s great plan to rescue us from sin was the END of the story.
But… IT’S NOT!!
We learned WHY we have been separated from God… and we learned HOW Jesus came to fix that BIG problem.
There are so many GOOD things to be thankful for every single day of our lives, our families, beautiful flowers and trees, oceans and mountains, and especially that through JESUS, we are FORGIVEN and don’t have to live apart from God forever!

BUT… are you wondering why there is STILL so much sin, sadness, death, and evil in the world?
This is because the story is not QUITE over.

This week we aren’t going back in time… we are going into the FUTURE!
This is one of the most exciting parts of our study! This week we will learn that God’s plan isn’t just for now, but it is FOREVER! When Jesus left the earth, do you remember what He said?
He told all His friends that He would be COMING BACK!
And we know that Jesus ALWAYS keeps His promises.

What is Jesus coming back to do?
He is going to set ALL things right again just like they were intended to be when He created them!
People and even the earth will be made PERFECT… FOREVER!
How is He going to do this?
By overcoming EVIL with GOOD!

And guess what else?
YOU are in this part of His story too!
Let’s find out how!

*Reading/Watching-

–Jesus’ Victory Over Sin!
–Jesus Rose From the Dead
–One Day Jesus Will Return
(Good for Littles too!)

–Revelation 21- Hope!
–The Book of Revelation
(What happens next in the story and how do we know this?)
–Book of Revelation- All Things New
–Christ Defeats The Armies of The Beast
–Superbook: The Final Battle
(This might be scary for littles)
–Chronicles of Narnia- The Last Battle
(This is a well done audio abridged version!! If you’d like to listen to an equally as good full version read aloud, you can find that here- The Last Battle )

–God’s Story: Re-Creation
–The Scoop On Heaven!
–What Is Heaven like?
–A New Heaven & A New Earth
–Story of New Heaven and Earth
–God Makes All Things Right Again

*Related Scriptures for Further Reading-

–John 14:1-4
–Romans 12:21
–Revelation 21:1-7
–1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
–Hebrews 9:28
–Zechariah 14:3-4
–Revelation 17:14
–Revelation 20:7-10
–Revelation 21:1-5

*Ideas to Think About & Discuss-

+You will find most of the answers to the questions below from the Scriptures above.
BUT… ask your own questions and find the answers!

-What changed when Jesus died and rose again?
-Do you still see sin in the world? Why or why not?
-Have all things been set right yet?

-How did Jesus (good) overcome sin (evil)?
-Which side won the battle? Good or evil?
-How do you know?
-How do we know what is going to take place in the future since nobody has been there?
-Where will the final battle between Good and evil take place?

-Who will fight on each side?
-What part do YOU play in this story?
-How does Jesus tell us to overcome evil in our lives?
-What is going to happen after this final war?

-What good news did Jesus tell His friends when He went back to Heaven?
-Why is this good news for us too?
-When is Jesus coming back?
-What will happen when Jesus comes back?
-It has been a very long time since Jesus went back to Heaven.
How can we know He’s really going to return?

-What will the new Heaven and the New Earth and the new YOU be like?

*Activities–

–Now & Then Object Lesson
–Revelation 21:4 Activity
–Heaven Word Puzzles
–Heaven Craft
–God Is Eternal Object Lesson
–The New Heaven and the New Earth
–Heaven
–New Creation Printables
–Born Again Fun

*Songs-

–He’s Coming Again
–Jesus Is Coming Back Soon!
–Jesus Is Coming Back
–Heaven Is A Wonderful Place
–When We All Get To Heaven
–Lord I Lift Your Name On High
–Revelation 21:4-5 Song
–One Day

*Coloring & Activity Pages-

–A New Heaven & Earth
–I Come Quickly
–E is For Eternal
–New Creation
–Heaven and Earth Made New Coloring Pages

*Calvary Bible Curriculum (Scripture, Activities, Coloring Pages, and more!)

*Science Ideas:

Week 1: Sound and Radio
Week 2: Spies: Cryptology and Gadgets
*Week 3: Albert Einstein

*Week 1: Sound and Radio

* Read-

*What Is Sound? DKFind Out!
*What Are Sound “Waves”?
*Why Can’t I See Radio Waves? (audio)
*Fun Kids Digital Radio and Online
(Podcast series all about the Radio and How It Works!)
*The Road To Radio (audio)
*Sound To Radio- How Does It Work?

*Who Invented Radio?
*Marconi Biography
*Marconi’s First Radio Broadcast
(Including some history about the Titanic!)

*What Were Crystal Radios?
*Radio During WW2

*Top 10 Facts About Radio For Kids

*Watch-
*Waves- Brainpop!
*What Is Sound?
*The Magic School Bus- Inside the Haunted House
(Magic School Bus kids explore SOUND! Full episode)
*How Do Radio Waves Work?
(This is a really good explanation with lots of real life examples!!)
*Field Trip To A Radio Station
*How Radio Broadcasts Work
*Marconi And The Radio
(Animated- good intro for the Littles)
*How Do Radios Work?
(More advanced for older kiddos- includes some super simple hands-on examples you can try in seconds!)

* Discovering & Doing-

*Make Your Own Harmonica

*Seeing Sound Experiments:
–Seeing Sound Video
–Seeing Sound Experiment and Explanations
–Tuning Fork Sound Experiments For Kids
(A tuning fork would be really fun to SHOW sound waves that we can really see!)

*Take this Online Sound Quiz

*Radio Head Radio Experiments For Kids
(Scroll to the very bottom to see several more sound/radio related experiments)
*Build Your Own Radio!
OR you could purchase this Snap Circuits Build A Radio Kit)

*Make Your Own Crystal Radio Kit

* Coloring Pages-
*Radio Invention Coloring Page
*Sound Coloring Page
*First Radios Coloring Page
*Crystal Radio Coloring Page
*First Radio Station Coloring Page
*Radio In History Coloring Page

*Week 2: Spies: Cryptography and Gadgets

* Reading-

*Real Life Spies
*Spies From History
*The Culpepper Spy Ring
*American Revolution Spies
*WW2 Spies
*Spy Dogs?
*Espionage Facts
*Vocabulary of Spies!
(From the Spy Museum)
*Spy Gadgets
*SPY Kids Briefing from the CIA

*What Is Cryptography?
(Be sure to scroll to the last page for a Decoder Wheel Activity)
*7 Secret Codes
*What was the ENIGMA Machine?
*Codes & Ciphers

*Watch-

*Cryptology: The Science Of Code
*How Did The ENIGMA Machine Work?
(Short version)
–The ENIGMA Machine
(Longer Version)
*Cracking The Uncrackable Code
*Learn Encryption
*How To Write Secret Codes Using Ciphers

*America’s First Spy Master
*5 COOLEST Spy Gadgets
*2 Brave Spies!
(Spies have been around for a LONG time!!)
*Who Was Agent 355?
*A Surprising Spy
*Virginia Hall
*29 Secret How To Spy Videos and Activities
*International Spy Museum Quick Tour

* Discovering & Doing-

*Explore a 3D ENIGMA Machine
*Crack the Code Online Game
*Try Cracking These Codes
*Ciphering Printables & History
(These are super cute!)
*Try A Caesar Cipher
*WW2 Decoding Activity

*Spy At Home: Invisible Ink
–Invisible Ink Formulas
*Operation Code Cracker & Speaking In Code
(Printable Activities from the Spy Museum)
*Explore the real declassified Navajo Code Talkers Dictionary from WW2!
*Spy Game Online
*Spy Test

*13 Spy Gadgets You Can Make Yourself
*Spy Museum Gadget Lab
–Design Your Own Spy Gadget Printable
(8 different spy gadgets to make! From Spy Museum)

* Coloring Pages-

*Spy Coloring Book
*Spy Kids Coloring/Activity Page
*Top Secret Coloring Page
*Spies In Disguise Coloring Pages
*Spy Gadgets Coloring Pages

*Week 3: Albert Einstein

* Reading-

*Albert Einstein Biography
(Easy read version! Love Garden of Praise!)
*10 Quick Facts About Albert Einstein
*Einstein’s Timeline

*This is a very complete Albert Einstein Biography from Ducksters:

*What is Physics?

*Watch-

*Albert Einstein Short Biography
*Listen/Read The Story of Albert Einstein For Kids
(From Bedtime Stories)
*Einstein & The Theory of Relativity

*Swings, Slides, and Science- Physics For Kids
*What Is Physics?
*What does E=mc2 mean?
(This is an advanced idea, but this short video is a nice, simple explanation)

*Einstein Song
(Animated song all about Einstein and his discoveries)

* Discovering & Doing-

*Einstein & Physics
(All kinds of games and experiments to try!)
*Albert Einstein BrainPop! Game
*Play the Think Like Einstein Game!
*Try these Einstein’s Mind Puzzles

**EXTRA Challenging Task for Kid Einsteins!
Can You Solve Einstein’s Riddle? (video version)
Einstein’s 5 House Riddle (Print version)

* Super Fun Physics Experiments
(Try some of these simple experiments mostly with things lying around your house!)
*Explore some different Topics of Physics
(Just click on what you’re interested in to read a short intro to that topic!)
*Can you solve this online Physics Crossword Puzzle?

* Coloring Pages-

*Albert Einstein Coloring Pages
*7 Einstein Printable Activities
(Word searches, Crossword Puzzles, etc…)
*Physics Coloring Page
*E=mc2 Coloring Page
*Energy Coloring Pages

*World War 2 Study: Geography ideas-

Week 1: Hawaii
Week 2: Germany
*Week 3: Japan

*Week 1: Hawaii

Hawaii was not a US state in 1941! Hawaii was a US territory until it became our 50th state in 1959!

+Reading-

*Quick Facts About Hawaii
*The 8 Islands of Hawaii
*History of Hawaii
*You might like a mini intro to volcanoes, or you can skip to Hawaii’s Volcanoes-
+What Is A Volcano?
+All About Volcanoes
*Hawaii’s Volcanoes
(Check out the Kilauea eruption in 2018!)
*Virtual Volcano Field Trip- Hawaii
*Take a Virtual Field Trip To Hawaii

*What Was It Like To Live In Hawaii in 1941?
(This is a really nice resource pictures and TONS of activities including a cookie recipe!)

+Watch This!

*Watch/Listen to History of Hawaii For Kids
(Bedtime Story Podcasts)
*Flying Over Hawaii
(This is just scenery with instrumental music, but the images give a good idea of the geography there!)
*Hawaii Geography Song
(Learn about each Hawaiian Island and some facts… all by song!)
*Hawaiian Culture Field Trip
*Hawaii Volcanoes-Travel Kids
*Fun Hawaii Facts
(For your kiddos who love Ryan’s World)

*Take a virtual tour of the Pearl Harbor Memorial

+Mapping-

*Try this Interactive Map of Hawaii – Play and Learn!
*Hawaiian Islands Quiz Yourself
*Hawaii Map Activity

+Hands On-

*Make a Lei
+DIY Lei for Littles
*Celebrate Lei Day
(This is a National Holiday celebrated every May 1st! You could cook some traditional foods, make homemade leis, and try to learn a hula!)
*Learn the Hula
(For Littles)
*Twinkle Twinkle Little Star In Hawaiian
(You can find lots of other Hawaiian learning songs to choose from too- Makaʻiwa Keiki YouTube Channel)
*Learn How To Draw A Hibiscus
*Hawaii Learning Games Online

*Try Some Traditional Hawaiian Recipes
+Chicken Long Rice
+ Haupia
+ Spam Musabi
+ Tastes of Aloha (Lots of great recipes!)

*Host A Luau
Put together everything you’ve learned about Hawaii and host a luau! Greet your friends and family with ALOHA! and homemade leis, serve a traditional Hawaiian meal or snack, play some music and games… and have FUN!
+Luau Party Games and Music

+Coloring Pages-

*Hawaii Coloring Page
*Hawaii Facts Coloring Page
*Hawaii State Quarter Coloring Page
*Hawaii Statehood Stamp Coloring Page
*Color Hawaii’s Flag Printable
*Hawaii Volcano Coloring Page
*Hawaii Map Worksheet
*Aloha Coloring Page
*LOTS of Hawaii Coloring Pages

*Week 2: Germany

+Reading-

*Fast Facts About Germany
*Do You Know Germany?
*The Geography of Germany
*All About Germany
*Germany For Kids
+German Food, Music, and Fun
+Cool Cities
*Explore Castles of Germany
+School
*Practice Speaking German
(This is such a fun site with all kinds of games to practice German!)

*What Happened To Germany After WW2?
*Two Germanies

+Watch This !

*Quick Tour of Germany
*Journey To Germany
(Learn all about Germany from a kid who lives there!)
*Birdseye View of Germany
(Drone footage with instrumental music)
*10 Places To See In Germany
*Neuschwanstein Castle
(Bedtime History Podcast)
*Learn A Few Words In German
*National Anthem of Germany
(With lyrics in English!)
*The Rise & Fall Of The Berlin Wall (For Kids)
*Famous Folks From Germany

+ Mapping –

*Map of Germany Coloring Page
*Germany Label Me! Map
*Map of Germany Activity

+Hands On-

*Fold A German Alpine Hat
(You can even wear these!)
*Make a German Back To School Shultute

*Host a German Fest!
(You could do this as a party at the end of the week of study, or you could just try some of the activities without the party, just for fun!)

+Start by making some invitations to your special dinner (or lunch!)
These Cuckoo Clock Cards would be super fun!

+Make a German meal!
*Soft German Pretzel Recipe
*German Potato Pancakes
*Oktoberfest Red Cabbage
*German Pork Chops & Apples
*Oma’s Apfelkuchen
*Lebkuchen

+Play Traditional German Games!
(Try Schokoladenessen !!)

+Create your German Fest Setting
*Pretend you’re IN Germany with this playlist of German Folk Music with beautiful scenery !
*Label all your dishes with the German names for the foods
*Use the colors of the German flag for your decorations!
You can print out this free banner template and color the triangles red, black, and yellow

+Coloring Pages & Printables-

*Get To Know Germany Activity and Coloring Book
(This is a great resource! It is the perfect overview!)
*German Child Coloring Page
*Germany Flag & Map Coloring Page
*Printable All About Germany Mini-Books
(Scroll to the bottom of the page to print these!)
*Learn German!
(Lots of fun, free German worksheets to print!)

*Week 3: Japan

+Reading-

*Fast Facts About Japan
*3D Geography- Japan!
*Explore the Regions of Japan
(Click to explore each region of Japan by it’s specialty cuisine!)
*Great Landmarks of Japan
*History of Japan Timeline
*Japanese Culture
*What Is Living In Japan Like?
*What Is Going To School In Japan Like?
*Japanese Language
*Japanese Government
*The History Of Samurai For Kids

+Watch This!

*A Kid’s Guide To Japan
*Japan For Kids- Quick Guide
*Learn 10 Words In Japanese
(From Ryan’s World)
*Traditional Japanese Music
(Set to views from all over Japan)
*Japan Song
(Learn this song all about Japan!)
*Learn how to singTwinkle Twinkle Little Star in Japanese
*Listen to some Japanese Children’s Songs
*Top 10 Places To Visit In Japan
*What Is Origami?

+Mapping & Printables-

*Color a Map of Japan
*Maps of Japan to Print/Label
*Interactive Map of Japan
*Japan Map Game

+Hands On-

*Learn How To Speak Japanese
(Numbers, Colors, and Foods always seem to be the ones that stick first!)

*Sudoku Online Games

*Japanese Paper Folding & Crafts
+Origami
+Origami Downloads
+Listen to ‘The Story of Sadako And A Thousand Paper Cranes’
+Japanese Paper Crafts
(Super fun printable templates to make some beautiful Japanese paper crafts!)

*Japanese Art Projects
(These are beautiful ART projects from The Crafty Classroom!)

*Try writing a Haiku

*Try Family Karaoke!

*Japan Dinner and A Movie Family Night
+Movie Ideas
(as always PLEASE preview these movies for YOUR family!)
–Ponyo
–Big Hero 6
–Scooby Doo and the Samurai Sword
–Lego Ninjago Movie
–Pokemon: The Movie
–Karate Kid 2

+Dinner Ideas
–5 Japanese Recipes To Make With Kids
-Try making Vegetable Rainbow Sushi
OR Order from your favorite Japanese Restaurant ! If your kids aren’t very picky, definitely try real SUSHI!
–Japanese Snacks!
(This is a Japanese snack box to buy- all ready to eat for a night at the movies!)
-Sushi not your thing? Try making Frushi together!

+Coloring Pages-

*Japanese Flag Coloring Page
*LOTS of Japan Coloring Pages
*Japan Coloring Pages (For Littles)

*WW2 ART- Norman Rockwell

*Reading-

*Who was Norman Rockwell?
*Short Biography of Norman Rockwell
*Norman Rockwell Art Collection
(Take a virtual tour of Rockwell’s art for the Norman Rockwell Museum)
*Art of Norman Rockwell
(These are 238 of Rockwell’s pieces with the dates he created them)

*Explore this entire Norman Rockwell Art Appreciation PDF
(Stories, LOTS of activities, art history, and more from the Norman Rockwell Museum)

*Watch-

*Norman Rockwell Storytime
*The Art of Norman Rockwell
*Norman Rockwell Art Lesson
(Good for younger kiddos)

* Discovering & Doing-

*Design your own Saturday Evening Post Cover
*Norman Rockwell Collage Art Lesson
*Photorealism- Sketch Like Rockwell Activity
*Norman Rockwell Word Search (printable)
*“The Four Freedoms” Art Activity
*Norman Rockwell Multimedia Art Project

*Coloring-

*Classic Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post Covers Coloring Pages
*Norman Rockwell Coloring Pages
*Norman Rockwell Note Page

*Misc. Recipes, Crafts, Activities, and other Fun Stuff

Remember these unit studies are designed so that your family can enjoy them for FREE anywhere there is internet access ! There are so many wonderful books that you could add to these studies, please by all means use as many as you have access to.

Check out my favorite books for each of the unit studies HERE or you can check my Pinterest “EXTRAS” for the American Girl Molly Unit HERE. IF you are using this unit during the holidays, I also have Christmas Ideas for each American Girl Unit on Pinterest as well. You can find the Molly’s Christmas Ideas Board —> HERE

If you decide to purchase any of these extra books, I would appreciate it greatly if you could click directly from my links. Amazon will pay me a small commission for it, and it will NOT cost you anything additional. THANKS FRIENDS !!

*I hope you have enjoyed the
World War 2 – American Girl Molly Unit Study !

This unit took me about 6 months to create, and I’m SUPER excited to share it!
If you have been blessed by these FREE unit studies, would you share some love and help me keep offering them to other homeschooling families for free? Many thanks friends!

*Other FREE American Girl History Units from Fields of Daisies~

*Overview of All American Girl Unit Studies
(An outline of the scope and sequence covered in each of the AG Units)

*FREE Native America Unit Study- AG Kaya
+Kaya Printable Power Pack (Free!)
+Native America (Kaya) Unit Study- PDF Version
+Native America (Kaya) Printable HISTORY Cards and Bingo Game
+Native America Books and Resources List
+Kaya Native America Pinterest Board

*FREE Colonial America Unit Study – AG Felicity
+Felicity Printable Power Pack
+Colonial America (Felicity) Unit Study- PDF Version
+Colonial America Books and Resources List
+A Colonial America Christmas- Hands-On History (Free)
+A Colonial America Christmas- Printable Power Pack
+Felicity- Colonial America Pinterest Board
+Colonial America (Felicity) Christmas Pinterest Board

*FREE Southwest Frontier America Unit Study – AG Josefina
+Josefina Printable Power Pack
+Southwest Frontier (Josefina) Unit Study- PDF Version
+America’s Southwest Frontier (Josefina) Books & Resources List
+Christmas Southwestern Frontier- Hands-On History (Free)
+Josefina’s Southwestern Frontier Christmas POWER Pack
+Josefina’s Southwestern Frontier Christmas PDF Version
+Josefina- Frontier America Pinterest Board
+Southwestern Frontier (Josefina) Christmas Pinterest Board

*FREE Pioneer America Unit Study – AG Kirsten
+Kirsten Printable Power Pack
+Pioneer America (Kirsten) Unit Study- PDF Version
+FREE* Kirsten’s Swedish Pioneer Christmas Unit
+A Pioneer Christmas- PDF Version
+Kirsten- Pioneer America Pinterest Board
+Pioneer America (Kirsten) Christmas Pinterest Board

*FREE Civil War America Unit Study – AG Addy
+Addy Printable Power Pack
+Civil War (Addy) Unit Study- PDF Version
+Civil War Unit Book and Resources List
+Addy- Civil War America Pinterest Board
+Civil War (Addy) Christmas Pinterest Board

*FREE 1900 Turn of the Century America Unit Study – AG Samantha
+Samantha Printable Power Pack
+Turn of the Century (Samantha) Unit Study- PDF Version
+Turn of the Century Books and Resources List
+Samantha- Turn of the Century Pinterest Board
+Turn of the Century (Samantha) Christmas Pinterest Board

*FREE The Great Depression Unit Study- AG Kit
+The Great Depression (Kit) Unit Study- PDF Version
+The Great Depression (Kit) Printable Printable Power Pack
+Great Depression Books and Resources List
+Kit- The Great Depression Pinterest Board

*FREE World War 2 Unit Study- AG Molly
+World War 2 (Molly) Unit Study- PDF Version
+Molly Printable Power Pack
+WW2 File Folder Game
+World War 2 Unit Study Printables BUNDLE!
+World War 2 Books and Resources List
+Molly- World War 2 Pinterest Board

*American Girl Christmas School- Homeschooling Through the Holidays

–> Check out all the American Girl Printables in the Book Store!

If you loved this Unit Study, check out the Printable Power Packs and the live PDF Versions of the American Girl History Units all in a neat BUNDLE!
And nicely DISCOUNTED of course!

2 Comments

G. Nelson

May 7, 2023 at 8:54 pm Reply

AMAZING! I purchased the PDF, as well, but I am so impressed with this unit study. It is so incredibly thorough and thought-out. Thank you so much for sharing it. My daughter is going to love learning alongside her AG dolls.
- willowchenoah
  
  May 7, 2023 at 9:01 pm Reply
  
  Hi!
  Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. They are always such an encouragement to me ☺️. I know I say that about every unit, but this is my all time favorite unit I think! I have learned so many new things about World War 2 as I was writing. I hope you and your family enjoy learning along with these lessons as I have writing them!
  I am ALMOST done with the companion Printable Power Pack too. Can’t wait to hit publish !!
  Wishing you guys a great study! 🙂

World War 2 ?!

Molly couldn’t believe her ears! This couldn’t be happening!

Welcome to Molly’s World 1944!

*World War 2- American Girl Molly Unit Study*

*Week 1: Molly’s World 1944

+Day 1: Meet Molly McIntire

+Day 3: War! War!

+Day 4: War At Home

*Week 1- World War 2: Hands-On History Activities

*Week 2: A Day With Molly

+Day 2: Wartime Fun

+Day 5: More Brave Battlefield Heroes

*Week 2- World War 2 Daily Life : Hands-On History Activities

*Week 3: A World War!

+Day 1: Why War?

+Day 2: Life On The Battlefield

+Day 5: World War 2 Is Ended

*Week 3- World War 2 Hands-On History Activities

*Reading Comprehension Ideas:

*Language Arts/Grammar Ideas-

*Bible Study: Overcoming Evil With Good

*Week 1: Good and Evil *Week 2: A Problem and A Plan *Week 3: Good Overcomes Evil

*Week 1: What Is Good & Evil?

*Week 2: A Problem And A Plan

*Week 3: Good Overcomes Evil

*Science Ideas:

*Week 1: Sound and Radio *Week 2: Spies: Cryptology and Gadgets *Week 3: Albert Einstein

*Watch-

* Discovering & Doing-

* Coloring Pages-

*World War 2 Study: Geography ideas-

*Week 1: Hawaii *Week 2: Germany *Week 3: Japan

*Week 1: Hawaii

+Watch This!

*Week 2: Germany

*Week 3: Japan

*WW2 ART- Norman Rockwell

*I hope you have enjoyed the World War 2 – American Girl Molly Unit Study !

*Other FREE American Girl History Units from Fields of Daisies~

–> Check out all the American Girl Printables in the Book Store!

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Civil War Books, Movies, and Resources List For Kids!

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2 Comments

G. Nelson

willowchenoah

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World War 2- American Girl Molly Unit Study

Week 1: Good and Evil
Week 2: A Problem and A Plan
*Week 3: Good Overcomes Evil

Week 1: Sound and Radio
Week 2: Spies: Cryptology and Gadgets
*Week 3: Albert Einstein

Week 1: Hawaii
Week 2: Germany
*Week 3: Japan

*I hope you have enjoyed the
World War 2 – American Girl Molly Unit Study !