Focus Question:

How did U.S.

involvement in World
War II change life on
the home front?
Do Now:
Look at this World War II
era propaganda poster.
What do you think was
the main message? What
was the government
telling American people to
do? Why?

Sum It Up

The government was

trying to get people
to conserve gasoline
by car-pooling in
order to ensure the
military had what it
needed to fight the
war. Anyone who
didnt do their part
was depicted as
helping the enemy
(in this case Hitler).

How did U.S. involvement in World War

II change life on the home front?
The term home front signifies
mainly the idea that people at home
were fighting the war too.
To help the war effort, people were
asked to make personal sacrifices.
When the U.S. is involved in wars
today, are people at home asked to
make sacrifices?
Why or why not?

One important change was RATIONING.

rationing = limits on the amounts of

certain products that people could
buy.
Why? So that soldiers would have
enough of what they needed.
People in US were asked to make
personal sacrifices to help the war
effort.

WW II ration books. Ration

books were intended only for
the family applying for them.
Trading, giving away, or
selling stamps was forbidden.

The government published instructions on

rationing, and on topics such as how to
adjust your cooking recipes.

A government demonstration of how

rationing works.

Important home front actions

the government was
promoting:

How rationing worked, what kinds of

products were rationed
Conserving paper, metals, rubber
Waste fats and grease could be used to
make explosives
People should alter their cooking habits
Everyone should take only their fair share
Rationing/conserving was a patriotic act
Planting Victory Gardens would help win the
war

How Life Changed for one

group of Americans
How did women help support the
war effort?
Volunteered for service: WAC's
(Women's Army Corps)
Served in various production
capacities (building planes, tanks,
and weapons)

 As result of women's participation

in the war effort the expected role
of women in American society
changed. Before the war people
did not think women should work.
After the war women working was
an accepted part of society

Homework
Based on the information in your
graphic organizer, write one FULL
paragraph that answers this question:

How did the government want

people inside the U.S. to change
their living habits to support the
war effort? What did the
government do to encourage this
and what arguments did the
government use to convince people