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American Neutrality
America on the brink of World War II
Planning this mini-unit
American Neutrality is the first mini-unit of Unit 9: World War II. This mini-unit is taught after President Roosevelt and the Great Depression (Last mini-unit in Unit 8: The Great Depression) and before WWII American Homefront (Second mini-unit of Unit 9: WWII). Click 
HERE to get a copy of my pacing guide.
Pacing
Teachers should plan three to five days to teach this unit on a traditional schedule with one-hour class periods. However, for those on a block schedule with 1 1/2 hour classes, teachers should plan for 2-3 days. An effective way to structure this unit includes:
Openers
- Justifications for War
- Aggression Meets Appeasement
- The Munich Pact
- Pearl Harbor Headline
- War Preparation To-Do List
This FREE resource includes 5 openers to use in order to supplement this unit. Begin each class with an opener question. Opener questions can be found on this webpage as an image (see “opener questions” at bottom of this webpage) or free on TpT (see link). Give students 3-5 minutes to complete the opener question and allow 5-10 minutes for class discussion. Instead of openers, teachers may use this as an end of class check for understanding.
see link). Give students 3-5 minutes to complete the opener question and allow 5-10 minutes for class discussion. Instead of openers, teachers may use this as an end of class check for understanding. 
Lessons
After the opener, begin the Google Slides lesson. Students can take notes on paper using the note-taking guide provided with the Google Slides lesson, or they may take notes digitally with the electronic version (also included with the Google Slides).
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- TEACHER TIP: I post a PDF version of the Google Slides to Google Classroom so that students can review their notes if they are absent. To do this, click “File, Download, PDF” on the Google Slide.
- TEACHER TIP: Some teachers post Google Slides in their Google Classroom and digital note-taking guides for students to complete as homework.
- TEACHER TIP: When pressed for time, I will edit the note-taking guides to include answers for some boxes or delete boxes and slides entirely. Teachers should feel free to modify the lesson to meet their students’ needs and individual learning targets.
- After teaching a concept, take a break from the lecture and show a quick review video to reinforce the concepts. Suggested videos to enhance the lesson are on this webpage.
- Mix up your unit by having the students complete the PROP (Point, Reason to lie or distort, Other sources, Public/private) analysis. For a free resource that reviews PROP, click HERE.
- TEACHER TIP: Group students together to complete this activity. This strategy sparks conversation and encourages critical analysis. Discuss as a class.
- Review additional suggested activities found on this webpage:
- FREE: Appeasement from SHEG’s Reading Like a Historian. Free resources with an account.
- FREE: Invasion of Nanking from SHEG’s Reading Like a Historian. Free resources with an account.
- FREE: Nazi Propaganda from SHEG’s “Reading Like a Historian.” Free resources with an account.
- TpT: WWII American Neutrality Reading and Chart Activity
- Print the Prove It activity included in the Google Slides lesson at the end of the unit. Students read statements and determine if they are true or false. If the statement is false, they correct it. This lesson encourages students to review their note-taking guides.
key terms to know
People to Know
- Franklin Roosevelt
- Joseph Stalin
- Adolf Hitler
- Benito Mussolini
- Emperor Hirohito
- Hideki Tojo
- Winston Churchill
Events, Government & Legislation
- Treaty of Versailles
- Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939
- The Munich Conference
- Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
- Invasion of Poland
- Destroyers-for-Bases
- Lend Lease Act
- The Atlantic Charter
- Japan’s invasion of East Asia
- Attack on Pearl Harbor
- U.S. Declaration of War on Japan
Key Terms
- Fascism
- Dictator
- Axis Powers
- Embargo
- Appeasement
- Blitzkrieg
- America First
- Fight for Freedom Committee
Essential Questions
1. What was occurring in Europe that gave rise to dictators in the 1920s and 1930s?
2. Why was Germany angry after the Treaty of Versailles?
3. How did America respond to growing tumult in Europe 1935-1938?
4. What is appeasement and give examples of Great Britain and France appeasing Germany prior to the invasion of Poland?
5. What is the Non-Aggression Pact? Why were both sides motivated to sign the agreement?
6. What officially led to the start of World War II in Europe?
7. What is blitzkrieg and were examples of Germany Blitzkrieg?
8. How did the Battle of Britain affect American neutrality?
9. Compare America First with the Fight for Freedom Committee.
10. What is the point of the Atlantic Charter and why is it significant?
11. What is happening in East Asia and why is the United States concerned?
12. What events led up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor?
13. How did America respond to the Attack on Pearl Harbor?
Google Slides & Note Taking Guides
44 Slides (editable) with graphic organizer note-taking guide and summative assessment worksheet. This Google Slides reviews American Neutrality prior to their participation in World War II.
This Google Slides:
- Editable
- Has checks for understanding/thinking questions throughout the Google Slides
- Interesting and varied graphic design
- A variety of different sources to catch your students’ attention and engage them with the content: maps, charts, primary sources, quotes, newspapers, etc.
- Major Concepts Reviewed:
- Defining key terms: Fascism, Dictator, Axis Powers, Embargo
- Start of WWII Timeline
- Rise of the Dictators: Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini
- Examining Historical Context: The Treaty of Versailles
- American Neutrality Acts: 1935, 1936, 1937
- The Munich Conference
- Appeasement The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
- Germany invades Poland
- Britain and France Declare War
- Blitzkrieg
- Neutrality Act of 1939
- Destroyers for Bases
- Lend-Lease
- The end of the Non-Aggression Pact
- Battle of Britain
- America First and the Fight for Freedom Committee
- Atlantic Charter
- Japanese Aggression in Asia
- America’s embargo on Japan
- Road to Pearl Harbor
- Pearl Harbor
Note-Taking Guide with a Teacher’s Key:
- Works with Google Classroom (students can type in a document, or handwrite)
- Includes ideas on how to use this in your lesson
- Great for IEP, 504, EL students or students who need modifications
- Helps students be accountable for information during lecture
- Comes with print and digital notetaking guides.
Post-Notes Analysis Worksheet with a Teacher’s Key:
- Works with Google Classroom (students can type in a document or handwrite)
- Includes ideas on how to use this in your lesson
- Has a True/False checking for understanding
- Includes a document that connects to information from the slides.
- Comes with print and digital post-notes analysis guides.
- Students are asked to ” Prove It,” “Analyze It” “Personalize It” and “Explore Limitations.”
Helpful Videos for Your Students
Unit Activities
Click on the images below to access these suggested resources
Appeasement
SHEG: Reading Like a Historian
Invasion of Nanking
SHEG: Reading Like a Historian
Nazi Propaganda
SHEG: Reading Like a Historian
American Neutrality Reading &
Chart Activity
Get your students fully engaged in learning about, discussing, analyzing and charting America’s level of neutrality before the official declaration of World War II (1935-1941). CLICK HERE to see this source on Teachers Pay Teachers.
BACKGROUND READING for students. Teachers can use this resource as stand-alone material. No lecture, book, or other source is needed. Though it is a great activity to check for understanding after a lesson on America’s neutrality during WWII.
ANALYZING WORLD WAR II GRAPHIC ORGANIZER for students. Students have a graphic organizer to take notes describing America’s actions between 1935-1941 prior to America’s declaration of war. On this graphic organizer, students will also determine how neutral that particular action was, analyzing how America’s neutrality changed over time.
CHARTING WWII: Students will complete this chart after their graphic organizer as a graphic representation of America’s changing neutrality. Two interpretive questions for additional analysis are also included.
Tips for Using this Resource
- This activity is best done after students have learned about American neutrality during WWII. If you want a Google Slides lesson on this topic, please click HERE.
- As a class, or individually, have students read the “Gathering Context WWII” handout. Students should annotate the handout by highlighting key terms, asking high-level questions, and drawing connections on the worksheet.
- After reading the handout, pass out the “Analyzing WWII” worksheet with “Charting WWII” copied on the back. Students should use their annotated “Gathering Context” handout to complete the table. Students might enjoy working in groups as they complete this worksheet as they can debate, reason, and justify how neutral America is from 1935-1941.
- Once the front is complete, students should chart America’s neutrality by transferring their scores to the table on the back. After the chart is complete, ask students to answer the two interpretive questions at the bottom.
- After the worksheet is complete, ask students to rate each American action by indicating the level of neutrality by showing the correct number on their hands. Students may then engage in a class debate about how neutral America is. Take the average number and replicate the chart on the whiteboard.
- With the chart on the whiteboard, as the two interpretive questions again as a class, using the whiteboard as the evidence used for discussion.
quick links
hey there
Thank you for stopping by Teacher Bistro. I created this place as a resource for educators who wanted a easy way to find resources. In my first ten years of teaching I can’t tell you how many hours I spent gathering lesson plans, video guides and lectures. Hopefully, you have added this site to your bookmarks, and this place can make teaching a little bit easier.