Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's The War is the story of the Second World War, through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four American towns. The war touched the lives of every family on every street in every town in America and demonstrated that in extraordinary times there are no ordinary lives.

Learning Objective:

• Students will understand how World War II defined the concept of "total war."

About the Author: 

Classroom activities created by Eden McCauslin, a Social Studies and English teacher in Chicago Public Schools. Eden previously taught in the District of Columbia Public Schools.