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The Cost of Global War

Driving Question: What were the consequences of World War II?

The cost of World War II can’t be measured in numbers alone. This lesson explores the human toll of global war and the birth of nuclear-age diplomacy.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Use the historical thinking practice of claim testing to evaluate global conflict.
  2. Use close-reading skills to analyze claims about the consequences of World War II and the dawn of a nuclear age.
  3. Understand the major economic, demographic, and political consequences of World War II.

Vocab Terms:

  • authoritarian
  • concentration camp
  • fascism
  • ideology
  • militarism
  • nuclear
  • totalitarian
STEP 1

Opener: The Cost of Global War

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 2 of the Lesson 7.6 Teaching Guide Locked .

The Second World War killed more people than any conflict in history. The voices of the survivors offer windows on the true cost of global war.

STEP 2

A Shattered World

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 3 of the Lesson 7.6 Teaching Guide Locked .

See how other teachers use this video in the this thread, World War II External link .

Looking to change up the claim testing activity? Check out A Slightly Different Twist on Claim Testing – Global Conflict External link in the Community Forum.

World War II left behind devastation on a scale the world had never seen. With these materials, you’ll examine the staggering human cost of the war and explore the idea that the First and Second World Wars were part of a single, decades-long conflict.

The Fallen of World War II External link

World War II was devastating on a scale never seen before. This video uses interactive visuals and data to reveal the staggering human cost of the war and how it compares to other global conflicts.

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.
STEP 3

The Bomb

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 8 of the Lesson 7.6 Teaching Guide Locked .

Looking for supports to scaffold articles for your students? The OER Project Reading Guide provides a wealth of ideas.

The United States dropped two nuclear bombs on civilian cities. Were these attacks necessary to end the war?

STEP 4

Closer: The Cost of Global War

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 9 of the Lesson 7.6 Teaching Guide Locked .

Extension Materials
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These resources will expand the lens on the Second War. See how artists responded to the chaos of the twentieth century, and then investigate the military side of this history.
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Art in a Time of War

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 10 of the Lesson 7.6 Teaching Guide Locked .

The world wars didn’t just move borders—they changed how people saw the world. This article offers a creative lens to view how artists processed the loss, nationalism, and resilience that accompanied global conflict.

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Weapons and Warfare

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 11 of the Lesson 7.6 Teaching Guide Locked .

This animated video from OER Project and Armchair Historian offers a fast-paced, visually engaging breakdown of World War II’s key military moments. It’s a chance to reinforce your understanding of the war's scale, timeline, and consequences in a format that truly illustrates some big connections.

The Armchair Historian: Industrialization of War External link

Interested in military history? Check out this collaboration with Armchair Historian, which examines how industrialization transformed warfare from the eighteenth century to the twentieth.