After completing this series of lesson plans,* students will be able to describe the significance of the Queen Mary, use a timeline to outline the North African Campaign, and identify and explain the role of major political and military leaders (Allies and Axis) during World War II. In this lesson, students will use primary sources to discover this information and will use oral and written skills to write and conduct a skit about life on board the Queen Mary during World War II.
*This series of oral history lessons was created by Curtis Odom, a graduate student Stephen F. Austin State University, as part of his thesis work for a Masters Degree in Public History. The series was edited by Michael Raines, a teacher of Geography at Center High School, Center, Texas.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
§ 113.32 United States Since Reconstruction
(C) Knowledge and skills.
(1) History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in U.S. history from 1877 to the present. The student is expected to: (C) explain the significance of the following dates: 1898, 1914-1918, 1929, 1941-1945, and 1957.
(6) History. The student understands the impact of significant national and international decisions and conflicts from World War II and the Cold War to the present on the United States. The student is expected to: (B) analyze major issues and events of World War II such as fighting the war on multiple fronts, the internment of Japanese-Americans, the Holocaust, the battle of Midway, the invasion of Normandy, and the development of and Harry Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb.
(23) Science, technology, and society. The student understands the influence of scientific discoveries and technological innovations on daily life in the United States. The student is expected to: (A) analyze how scientific discoveries and technological innovations, including those in transportation and communication, have changed the standard of living in the United States.
(24) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to: (C) explain and apply different methods that historians use to interpret the past including the use of primary and secondary sources, points of view, frames of reference, and historical context; (D) use the process of historical inquiry to research, interpret, and use multiple sources of evidence; (E) evaluate the validity of a source based on language, corroboration with other sources, and information about the author; (F) identify bias, in written, oral, and visual material.
(25) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to: (A) use social studies terminology correctly; (B) use standard grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation; (D) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.
Read the full transcript of Perry Bonner's oral history interview here.
Students will produce a skit about what life was like on board the Queen Mary. Students should talk about the lack of space, fears that the soldiers may have felt, and other characteristics of life aboard a ship.
The Queen Mary OverviewPerry Bonner's Oral History audio clips (Coming soon)
Transcript of Perry Bonner’s Oral History interview Computers with Internet Access
