----

##  Using Historical Statistics To Teach about World War II. ERIC Digest.        

World War II was a turning point in global history, an event that               had a large and lasting impact on many people and places across                 broad areas of the earth. Compared to other wars, World War II                  involved the largest armed forces, the longest battle lines, the                most destructive weapons, the most casualties, the most destruction             of cities and other human assets, and the highest monetary                      expenditures.  Thus, World War II deserves a prominent place in the             middle school and high school social studies curriculum. 
Using                historical statistics is an often neglected but potentially fruitful            way to teach about the causes, conditions, and consequences of World            War II.  This Digest presents a rationale for using historical                  statistics to teach about World War II, discusses instructional                 methods for doing so, and recommends World Wide Web resources to                facilitate teaching and learning with statistics about World War                II. WHY TEACH WITH STATISTICS ABOUT WORLD WAR II.The study of             history conjoins content with processes, subject matter with                    cognitive skills.  It involves reflection and judgment based on                 evidence, including statistical data. Teachers who use World War II             statistics can enable their students to integrate historical                    knowledge with inquiry skills, such as the organization,                        interpretation, and evaluation of data, in making warranted                     conclusions. 
Using statistical tables and graphs allows teachers              to make history more interesting to students, to teach it more                  effectively, and to break away from total reliance on the textbook.             Indeed, an innovative teacher who uses statistics can easily adapt              his or her curriculum to better meet the needs of                               students. 
Another argument in favor of teaching with statistics is            that standards for teaching and learning history emphasize skills in            using historical statistics about World War II and other topics.                The "National Standards for History," for example, stress the                   importance of such skills as using quantitative data to clarify,                interpret, and compare events and developments.  These standards                also call for students to employ quantitative analyses in their                 inquiries and to support interpretations with historical evidence,              including statistics.  Thus, students using statistics in the                   classroom would "construct closely reasoned arguments rather than               facile opinions" about key topics in the curriculum, such as World              War II (National Center for History in the Schools 1996, 68). 
In              addition, by using historical statistics about World War II and                 other topics, teachers can prompt students to be more actively                  involved in learning, improve student participation, and enhance                student understanding. Finally, by using statistics, teachers can               systematically engage students in such higher order cognitive skills            as analysis and synthesis of data. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS FOR USING            HISTORICAL STATISTICS.There is an abundance of statistical data             readily available to teachers and students engaged in inquiries                 about World War II.  World Wide Web sites and references listed in              this Digest are rich and reliable sources of information on such                topics as soldiers on active duty, casualties, production of                    weapons, war costs, shipping losses, and aircraft losses for the                United States and other major powers involved in the war. 
Several             strategies using statistics allow students to develop their data                interpretation skills, improve their understanding of World War II,             and progress to higher order, critical thinking skills.  An integral            component of this strategy is questions about statistical tables and            graphs. 
The teacher's questions can be divided into three levels:             level one involves students accurately reading and interpreting                 statistical data charts; level two requires students to make                    comparisons using data; level three includes analysis, judgments,               and applications.  At this level, students must analyze data within             a historical context, make historical judgments, and apply the data             to new circumstances.  For example, students might be required to               interpret data about the size of the United States armed forces from            1939 through 1945.  Or they could comparatively analyze a                       statistical table about the peak strengths of armed forces of                   various countries on different sides of the war from 1939-1945.                 Tables and graphs on the war costs of various nations, from                     1939-1945, also offer opportunities to develop skills in comparative            analysis of data. 
Students' skills in synthesizing data can be                developed by requiring them to systematically organize raw data by              constructing tables and graphs. Their reflective thinking skills can            be honed by using statistical data as evidence from which to                    construct and defend generalizations or with which to support or                refute statements of others in books or in classroom                            discussions. 
Historical statistics lend themselves to a variety of            teaching strategies depending upon the educational needs of the                 students. The teacher is limited only by his or her creativity.  For            example, teachers can use World War II statistics in a variety of               classroom situations including group discussion, homework,                      cooperative group activity, or classroom lectures. WORLD WIDE WEB             RESOURCES.Students can sharpen their research skills by                     formulating questions about World War II, which they then answer by             seeking and compiling statistical data.  Teachers can, for example,             direct students to gather information from the following World Wide             Web sites, which are a sampling of the many that include statistical            data on World War II. 
HYPERWAR: HYPERTEXT HISTORY OF THE SECOND               WORLD WAR. This site includes data about all aspects of World War               II, including military campaigns, personnel, and command structures             of the United States armed forces, in all theaters of operations in             World War II. www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/index.html 
THE HISTORY                 PLACE: STATISTICS OF WORLD WAR II. This section of The History Place            Web site provides a variety of data about military forces and                   operations of World War II, such as total deaths for the war in                 Europe and the Pacific.  It also includes information on African                Americans and other minorities in the United States armed forces.               www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/statistics.htm 
NATIONAL               D-DAY MUSEUM. This site provides statistical data and related                   information about the D-Day invasion of Europe by Allied forces on              June 6, 1944. www.ddaymuseum.org 
HISTORY CHANNEL ON WORLD WAR II.             This Web site, which is associated with the History Channel cable               television network, provides data on all aspects of World War II.               www.historychannel.com/wwii/ 
WORLD WAR II CASUALTIES. This page,              part of the Navy Historical Center Web site maintained by the                   Department of the Navy, provides comprehensive statistical                      information on U.S. Navy and Marine Corps casualties in World War               II. www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq11 1.html 
U.S. ARMY WOMEN'S                  MUSEUM WAAC/WAC WORLD WAR II STATISTICS. This site features various             statistics on both the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) and the              Women's Army Corps (WAC), which replaced the WAAC in 1943.                      www.awm.lee.army.mil 
WORLD WAR II: INFORMATION AND STATISTICS ON              THE GERMAN ARMED FORCES. Statistics and other information about the             German armed forces and comparative data about the armed forces, war            costs, and military losses of all countries in the war are available            here. www.violentpeace.com/ 
REFERENCES AND ERIC RESOURCES 
The               following list of resources includes references used to prepare this            Digest.  The items followed by an ED number are available in                    microfiche and/or paper copies from the ERIC Document Reproduction              Service (EDRS).  For information about prices, contact EDRS, 7420               Fullerton Road, Suite 110, Springfield, Virginia 22153-2852;                    telephone numbers are (703) 440-1400 and (800) 443-3742.  Entries               followed by an EJ number, annotated monthly in CURRENT INDEX TO                 JOURNALS IN EDUCATION (CIJE), are not available through EDRS.                   However, they can be located in the journal section of most large               libraries by using the bibliographic information provided, requested            through Interlibrary Loan, or ordered from commercial reprint                   services. 
Boas, Jacob.  WORLD WAR II AND THE HOLOCAUST.  San                  Francisco:  The Holocaust Center of Northern California, 1989.  ED              388 556. 
Bradley Commission on History in Schools.  BUILDING A                HISTORY CURRICULUM: GUIDELINES FOR TEACHING HISTORY IN SCHOOLS.                 Washington, DC: Educational Excellence Network, 1988.  ED 310                   008. 
Crabtree, Charlotte and Others.  LESSONS FROM HISTORY:                   ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDINGS AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES STUDENTS SHOULD            ACQUIRE. Los Angeles: National Center for History in the Schools,               1992.  ED 348 321. 
Goralski, Robert.  WORLD WAR II ALMANAC,                   1931-1945: A POLITICAL AND MILITARY RECORD.  New York: G. P.                    Putnam's Sons, 1981. 
Harrison, Mark.  THE ECONOMICS OF WORLD WAR              II: SIX GREAT POWERS IN INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON. Cambridge, UK:                Cambridge University Press, 1998. 
Howlett, Peter.  FIGHTING WITH              FIGURES: STATISTICAL DIGEST OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR.  London: Great             Britain Central Statistical, 1995. 
Keegan, John.  THE SECOND WORLD            WAR.  New York: Penguin, 1990. 
National Center for History in the             Schools. NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR HISTORY.  Los Angeles: National                 Center for History in the Schools, 1996. ED 399 213. 
Ruddiman,                Joan.  "World War II: A Research/Presentation Project for Eighth                Graders." ENGLISH JOURNAL 86 (September 1997): 63-71.  EJ 556                   659. 
Schneider, Donald and Others. EXPECTATIONS OF EXCELLENCE:                CURRICULUM STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL STUDIES.  Washington, DC: National              Council for the Social Studies, 1994.  ED 378 131. 
Siler, Carl                S. "Teaching about World War II."  INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL              EDUCATION 10 (Spring 1995): 59-65.  EJ 522 221. 
USA 50th                      Anniversary Commemoration Committee. WORLD WAR II INFORMATIONAL FACT            SHEETS.  Washington, DC: The Pentagon, 1995.  ED 406                            277. 
------ 
This project has been funded at least in part with              Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education under contract              number ED-99-CO-0016.  The content of this publication does not                 necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of             Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or              organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.  ERIC                   Digests are in the public domain and may be freely reproduced and               disseminated. 
------ 
Carl R. Siler is an Associate Professor of             Education and Director of Field Experiences at Taylor University in             Upland, Indiana.                                                             **Title:** Using Historical Statistics To Teach about World War II. ERIC Digest.        **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education, 2805            East Tenth Street, Suite 120, Bloomington, IN 47408-2698. Tel:                  800-266-3815 (Toll Free); Fax: 812-855-0455; e-mail:                            [email protected]. For Full Text: http://ericso.indiana.edu.                **Descriptors:**  Data Analysis, High Schools,  Historical Interpretation, History               Instruction, Middle Schools,  Modern History, Primary Sources,                  Social Studies,  Statistical Data, War,  World War II                        **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests                                                                 
###
[Return to ERIC Digest Search Page]