Lesson Ideas

Inquiry Tasks

• Using the classroom presentation, Oklahoma During World War II, provided by the Oklahoma Council for Social Studies, ask students to examine the various ways that Oklahoma's citizens and soldiers contributed toward victory. Ask student groups to create a T-chart noting contribution on the homefront versus the battlefield. 

• Ask student partners to investigate the courageous acts of one of nine Oklahomans from the 45th who have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in World War II. Ask students to assume the role of children of the serviceman in order to conduct a cafe conversation. Encourage students to share stories of their fathers with one another, providing details about why their parent deserved such recognition for military service. Invite students to extend the lesson by researching other servicemen from the 45th who have been awarded medals from their service in subsequent military conflicts. 

• Ask students to compare the similarities of the Indian codetalkers from both world wars and their contributions as national warriors, using the presentation Choctaw Codetalkers and a Language that Won a War, provided by O.C.S.S. and a narrative entitled, Native Words: Native Warriors. Ask students to assume the role of a state legislator wishing to commemorate the valuable sacrifices made by the codetalkers. Ask students to compose a resolution declaring a day of remembrance. Encourage students to use language and formatting similar to legislative resolutions. Advise students that resolutions include multiple justifications for an action to be taken; such justification should include details of the codetalkers' unique military service.  

• Native Americans in World War II, an extensive unit from The Native History Project, Grinnell College, asks students to investigate how Native Americans contributed to the war effort and how that contribution is remembered today, using the example of the Indian code talkers. Students analyze sources from news articles and Native American testimonies to draw conclusions regarding their vital contributions to WWII.

• Invite student groups to examine the collection of photographs documenting the experiences of the 45th Infantry in World War II, provided by O.C.S.S. Ask groups to draw conclusions from photographs of their choosing, using the QFT brainstorming strategy, developing a series of thick and thin questions. Conduct a class discussion regarding the service of the 45th to the war effort, the regions in which they served, and the contributions they made. Ask students to dig deeper into the experiences of divisions that served in central Europe and liberating Nazi concentration camps, using resources from the U.S. Holocaust Museum. 

Primary Sources 

Secondary Sources 

• Sales Power Comes Through Air Power, Tinker Field Air Depot, newspaper, provide details on military support and personnel.

•  45th Infantry in Italy, France, and Germany Oklahoma Historical Society's online exhibit.

• 45th Infantry Division, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, background information and firsthand accounts.

• American Indian Codetalkers, WWII Museum, summary of the work of Indian military during WWI and WWII.

• Codetalkers, Choctaw Nation, online exhibit. 

• Native Code Talkers, Oklahoma Historical Society, offers an overview of the identity and contributions of the Native Code Talkers. 

• Pearl Harbor Brought Changes to Oklahoma, Oklahoma Historical Society. 

• Prisoner of War Camps, Oklahoma Historical Society, provides overview of prisoner of war camps within Oklahoma during World War II. 

• World War II, Oklahoma Encyclopedia, Oklahoma Historical Society, provides students with an overview of the impact that World War II had on Oklahoma.

• Thunderbird Flies to War, Daily Oklahoman, summarizes  the contributions of the Thunderbirds to the war effort. 

• 45th Infantry, Oklahoma Encyclopedia, Oklahoma Historical Society.