20. World War II

A film by Discovery Communications created for educators and schools. This film features four segments that discuss the causes and effects of World War II. Explores how the Nazis coordinated the Holocaust and the types of conditions that Jewish people endured inside concentration camps. Describes the underground bunker of Adolf Hitler and attempts to destroy it. Documents the successful Allied military activity at Normandy that drove the Nazis from France's coastline. Reviews how Americans were affected by the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl prior to the country's involvement in the war.

19. "What did you do in the war Grandma?"

National Park Service

An oral history of the women of Rhode Island in WWII. Created by high school students, provides another chance for students to experience first-hand accounts and learn about different types of sources. Unfortunately, the interviews are not recorded-- you can read thorough transcripts instead (which some students may prefer anyways).

The website can be found here: What did you do during the war, Grandma?

18. Tora! Tora! Tora!

This film depicts the attack on Pearl Harbor and the events leading up to it from both American and Japanese perspectives. Well-liked by historians and movie-buffs alike, this film has action, aviation and history. Other WWII films and television shows have used clips from Tora! Tora! Tora!  because of it's "near documentary accuracy"

17. Flygirl

Ida Mae Jones dreams of flight. Her daddy was a pilot and being black didn't stop him from fulfilling his dreams. But her daddy's gone now, and being a woman, and being black, are two strikes against her.
When America enters the war with Germany and Japan, the Army creates the WASP, the Women's Airforce Service Pilots--and Ida suddenly sees a way to fly as well as do something significant to help her brother stationed in the Pacific. But even the WASP won't accept her as a black woman, forcing Ida Mae to make a difficult choice of "passing," of pretending to be white to be accepted into the program. Hiding one's racial heritage, denying one's family, denying one's self is a heavy burden. And while Ida Mae chases her dream, she must also decide who it is she really wants to be.

16. Elephant Run

Nick endures servitude, beatings, and more after his British father's plantation in Burma is invaded by the Japanese in 1941, and when his father and others are taken prisoner and Nick is stranded with his friend Mya, they plan a daring escape on elephants, risking their lives to save Nick's father and Mya's brother from a Japanese prisoner of war camp.

15. Yellow Star

At the start of World War II, four-and-half-year-old Syvia Perlmutter, her mother, father, and older sister, were among the first of more than 250,000 Jews to be forced into the Lodz Ghetto in Poland. On January 19, 1945, the Russians liberated the ghetto and the Perlmutter's were among the 800 left alive. This story, told in poetry, blends fact and fiction to tell how Syvia and her family struggled to survive the war and their life in the ghetto. Roy is Syvia's niece, and she tells her aunt's story wonderfully in first-person free verse. The quick pace of the poetry make this a great resource for reluctant readers as well as others. Non-fiction introductions to each chapter help to clarify any historical questions, as well as add depth to the reading experience.

14. Domenic's War

Young Domenic and his family, who live on a farm north of Monte Cassino, are helplessly caught in the war. With battle lines approaching, they struggle against all odds. Will they be caught hiding two escaped prisoners-of-war? Will the innocent people sheltering in the monastery survive? This fascinating novel is based on the true story of the fateful events at Monte Cassino during that long cold winter.