End of World War II

Grades 6-8: August marked the 64th anniversary of the event that effectively ended World War II—the announcement of the acceptance of the surrender terms by Japan on August 15, 1945—V-J Day. However, the formal surrender occurred on September 2, 1945.

The ceremonies, less than half an hour long, took place on board the battleship USS Missouri, anchored with other United States' and British ships in Tokyo Bay. It was an extensively photographed occasion, and, despite overcast weather, generated many memorable images. The war in Europe end several months earlier when Germany officially surrendered on May 8, 1945—V-E Day.

To help students gain a greater appreciation for the modern cultures of the war's combatants, divide students into groups of three to four, and assign each group to read a CultureGrams World Edition report for a different country: Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, or the United States.

While reading the CultureGrams' reports, students should focus on these categories: History, Language, Religion, Diet, The Arts, Holidays, and Economy. As students read these sections, instruct them to identify how each country's culture, ideas, events, or people may have influenced other countries. This will help the students understand each country's influence on the global culture and facilitate global understanding.

After reading the CultureGrams' report and conducting additional research, assign students to prepare presentations as if they were representatives from their country's travel bureau or embassy. Presentations should focus on two areas:

1. How have the country's culture and people influenced other countries?
   
   
2. Why would others wish to visit the assigned country?

As part of the presentation, assign each student to also make a brochure. The brochure could include descriptions or images from the Photo Gallery of the country's attractions and important historical figures or events.

Following the presentations, hold a vote to see which country the students select as the most culturally influential, and the most desirable to visit. Lead a discussion about the students' choices. What makes a culture influential? Why do people prefer visiting some countries over others?

SPREAD THE WORD | DATABASE TOOLKITS @ PROQUEST