Lesson 1: Introduction to Native American Involvement in WWII

This lesson plan is meant to expose students to how Native Americans contributed to WWII and how that contribution is remembered today. While this lesson plan looks specifically at Native American code talkers, the more traditional war roles (i.e. soldiers) that Native Americans had are not delved into here. Students are asked to analyze sources from standardized textbooks, a New York Times article, and Native American testimonies. By comparing various sources, this unit demonstrates that Native American code talkers are seldom recognized for their vital contributions to WWII. Due to the volume of sources, if you run out of time, you can save the Native American testimonials for Lesson 2.