Feed a fighter

In this lesson students will examine “Additional Helps for the 4-H Mobilization for Victory Program,” a Cooperative Extension Work document from the Green 'N' Growing collection at Special Collections Research Center at North Carolina State University Libraries. The document will help students understand the efforts civilians underwent to support military efforts in World War II.

A lesson plan for grades 9–12 English Language Arts and Social Studies

By Lisa Stamey

Provided by North Carolina State University / D.H. Hill Library and Special Collections

(Provided by the Green 'N' Growing Collection (The History of Home Demonstration and 4-H Youth Development in North Carolina), Special Collections, North Carolina State University Libraries. More about the photograph)

Learn more

• Green 'N' Growing The collection provides valuable information about women, children, race relations, education, agriculture, and rural life in North Carolina during the twentieth century. Users will be able to access digital reproductions of over 10,000 items, including photographs and pages from pamphlets, reports, and other materials, that document the history of 4-H and Home Demonstration in North Carolina from the 1900s to the 1970s.

Related pages

• Effects of civic action: In this lesson, secondary students will analyze primary source materials to investigate how 4-H clubs made an impact on the home front in completing projects that supported the war effort during World War II. This lesson should be taught at the end of a World War II unit.
• World War II at home: Victory Gardens: Students will learn about home front activities during World War II. Using primary source documents and photographs, students will discover how children their own age participated by growing Victory Gardens. They will design their own gardens and propaganda posters.
• World War I - The impact of WWI on Mecklenburg County: This is a fun and engaging computer activity designed to help students understand how a war in Europe can effect a town in North Carolina. This lesson is part of a unit on World War I. This lesson may be used in a World History class or United States History class. It will deals with the creation of Camp Greene in Mecklenburg County and the impact the camp had on the inhabitants of Charlotte. The lesson will also focus on changes that occurred in Charlotte during WWI.

Related topics

• Learn more about 4-H clubs, American history, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, United States, World War II, active citizenship, civil action, economics, history, oral histories, social studies, victory gardens, war, and war effort.

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Learning outcomes

Students will be able to answer the following essential questions:

• What effects did World War II have on American civilians?
• How did the 4-H program contribute to the war effort?
• What impact can volunteerism have on society?

Students will:

• examine and interpret a primary source document
• analyze cause and effect relationships
• gain a deeper understanding of community service

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2–3 90-minute class periods

Materials/Resources

• one copy of Roosevelt’s Message to Congress on the Food Program for each set of partners
• two copies of the written document analysis worksheet from the National Archives and Records Administration for each student
• an overhead transparency of the image of children with their Victory Garden posters
• one copy of the “4-H Victory Garden” pamphlet for each student (This can be used as a supplemental resource to help students with their processing activity.)
• one copy of the background information from the Green ‘N’ Growing collection on 4-H and home demonstration during World War II for the teacher to use to facilitate instruction

Technology resources

• overhead
• computer with internet access

Pre-activities

Before this activity, students should have background knowledge of:

• the causes of United States involvement in World War II
• how United States industry, labor, and media mobilized for defense
• propaganda tools

Activities

Preview activity

Project the image showing children displaying their Victory Garden posters. Have students answer the following questions:

• What do you see in the image?
• Who are the children?
• What are the children doing?
• How do you think they feel?
• What do you think is the purpose of their “signs?”
• What do you think is the date of this image?
• How might this picture relate to World War II? Why?

Facilitating a discussion based on these questions will allow students to gain the conceptual information necessary to understand how the 4-H program contributed to the war effort through the Feed a Fighter campaign.

Activity

1. Place students in groups of two.
2. Give each partnership a copy of both Roosevelt’s Message to Congress and the “4-H Victory Garden” pamphlet. Also give each student two copies of the written document analysis worksheet.
3. Students will read the documents and complete a written document analysis worksheet for
   each document. (This will take more than one class period to complete.)
4. When students have finished, pull the class back together to discuss the documents. Facilitate a discussion based on the analysis worksheet by having each partnership share responses to at least one of the document information questions.
5. As a processing activity, have each student develop their own Victory Garden poster that illustrates the main ideas/goals of Roosevelt’s food program and the 4-H Feed a Fighter. The poster will demonstrate understanding of the program and its contributions. Tell students their poster should:
   • illustrate the goals of the program
   • utilize techniques of propaganda to convey your message
   • use correct spelling and grammar
   • include historically accurate information for the time period

Assessment

As an educator in an alternative school, I like to use alternative assessments whenever possible to allow my students an opportunity to demonstrate their depth of knowledge and ability to relate content to their lives or current events/issues. This assessment will have two components:

1. Students will each identify a need in the community and develop a plan of action to address the need and/or bring attention to it. Each student will log a minimum of five hours community service to address the identified issue. Students will document their volunteer work by keeping a journal that includes photos accompanied by written entries to show their progress.
2. The second component is an essay based on the following prompt:
   

   The year is 1942 and President Franklin Roosevelt has proclaimed the week of April 5–11 as National Mobilization Week for farm youth. He said, “Let your Head, Heart, Hands, and Health truly be dedicated to your country which needs them now as never before.”

   • What is the meaning of the quote?
   • What was the response to the quote?
   • How does it relate to today?

Supplementary information

Modifications

This lesson has been used with students in an alternative setting with students at risk of dropping out due to academic issues. It may only need minor adjustments to meet the individual needs or special circumstances of your students.

Critical vocabulary

rationing

Establishing fixed allotments of goods deemed essential for the military.

extension agent

A consultant that is employed by the federal and state governments to give information about agriculture and home economics.

Victory Gardens

Gardens planted in response to the United States government’s request for individuals to provide their own fruits and vegetables to reduce the demand on the public food supply.