Alabama Social Studies SS24.US2.6b
The Standard
- SS24.US2.6
- Trace the progression of events and policies leading to World War II and the United States’ entry into the war.
Critique the evolving United States policy and public attitudes toward Nazi Germany and the growing refugee crisis as the Holocaust began.
2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students trace how U.S. refugee policy and public opinion changed as Nazi persecution grew. They use dated sources to judge when the U.S. acted, what limits remained, and how those choices affected refugees.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can explain what an immigration quota, a refugee poll, and the War Refugee Board each show. They can judge the U.S. response using evidence from at least two sources.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may assume Americans knew the full scale of the Holocaust in 1938, or that everyone opposed admitting refugees. They may think entering the war meant the U.S. immediately opened its borders to Jewish refugees.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Read a 1939 poll about admitting refugee children and the 1944 War Refugee Board order. Explain what each shows about the U.S. response, then judge whether action came early enough.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs printed 1924 quota figures, a 1939 refugee children poll, and the 1944 War Refugee Board order to sort on a timeline.
Ask: Why did the U.S. keep refugee limits as Nazi persecution grew? Have students use the quota figures and poll to support an answer.
Play a source-match game: students pair policy and opinion cards with dates, then explain why each match fits.
Project a current U.S. refugee admissions cap announcement; students compare its limit with a 1930s immigration quota and note one difference.
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