Extension Ideas - Where Do I Go From Here?
You have all these great new resources. Now what? Here are a few ideas for putting this information to work.
Libraries- Sponsor a Theme Month!
Sponsor a theme month centered around the popular Molly books. Provide materials and handouts to help youth learn more about the home front during World War II. Host one evening a week filled with World War II crafts, taken from the materials here. Encourage youth to grow their own Victory Gardens and participate in a rationing challenge. Have a movie night and show the Meet Molly DVD while youth enjoy snacks that kids living during World War II ate.
Middle School Teachers- Supplement a World War II Unit
Teachers, liven up your World War II unit! Show students war propaganda posters and challenge them to critique the posters. Do the posters accomplish their goals? Have students make their own war posters. Assign students to listen to war broadcasts and songs found on the websites provided here. Have students make up their own songs, broadcasts, and news flashes. Bring the World War II home front to life!
Elementary School Teachers - Introduce Your Students to World War II
When I was researching for this pathfinder I found very few helpful World War II resources for young children. Most of the World War II units that I found on school pages were for middle school students and older. Introduce your students to World War II early using the home front as a backdrop. Read them or have them read the Molly books so they find a relatable character. Show the Meet Molly movie and ask students to think about what life would be like if a worldwide war was going on. Have them read the Private Art letters and practice their writing skills by writing letters to soldiers. Teach science through Victory Gardens and numbers with rationing. It is a fun way to bring excitement to a variety of skills.
Parents - Encourage Your Child's Imagination
Give your kids some fun activities to take part in around the house while teaching them a thing or two about life during World War II! Plant a Victory Garden with your children and watch it grow. Follow the recipes in the sources listed in this pathfinder to make snacks that children would have had during World War II. Read the Molly series with them and complete some of the activities Molly and her friends and family do - making homemade Halloween costumes, for example. Have fun with your child while teaching him or her a thing or two about American history!
Kids - Write Your Own Fictional Tale
You have read the Molly books and looked through the resources found in this pathfinder; now write your own story! Ask a parent to take you to get a blank book and come up with your own characters. What challenges would a character living in America during World War II face? What would he or she do for fun? How would life be different? See how your story compares to the Molly series!
