TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT YEARBOOKS:
Yearbooks and the High School Experience on WWII's Home Front
Yearbooks are a great way to find out how the everyday lives of high schools students were impacted by World War II. Full of messages of hope to one another, tributes to classmates who were serving overseas, and images of war bond sales and scrapping drives, yearbooks provide a fascinating look at the culture of America at war. World War II infiltrated nearly every aspect of the high school experience; with the draft an accepted part of life, many of your male classmates would have been off to war almost immediately upon graduating. Alumni who had perished in the line of fire were often featured prominently.
While the United States was fighting fascism abroad, there were troubles at home that can also be seen in these images. How do you think people felt about race and ethnicity? What ideas about gender can we see? From segregated homecoming kings and queens to contests naming the "most beautiful" female students, a lot has changed for the average high school student since 1945.
Let's take a closer look at these yearbooks from the Education Department's collection, and see what else has changed since the War Years.
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EDUCATION PROJECTS:
Student Travel – WWII Educational Tours
High school and college students, learn the leadership principles that helped win WWII on a trip to France or during a weeklong residential program in New Orleans. College credit is available, and space is limited.
See You Next Year! HS Yearbooks from WWII
Collected from across the United States, the words and pictures of these yearbooks present a new opportunity to experience the many challenges, setbacks and triumphs of the war through the eyes of America’s youth.
The Victory Gardens of WWII
Visit the Classroom Victory Garden Project website to learn about food production during WWII, find lesson plans and activities for elementary students, get tips for starting your own garden and try out simple Victory Garden recipes!
The Science and Technology of WWII
Visit our new interactive website to learn about wartime technical and scientific advances that forever changed our world. Incorporates STEM principles to use in the classroom.
Kids Corner: Fun and Games!
Make your own propaganda posters, test your memory, solve puzzles and more! Learn about World War II and have fun at the same time.
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