Students will create a spider map that represents four leaders of World War II. For each individual selected, students should include the following four aspects of their leader’s life.
For each of the four aspects, students are required to create a visual representation that reflects that period in their life. Students are also required to include a written description below each visualization. Students may summarize the events or include a primary source directly from the leader.
For this extended activity, students will research the full life of one of their researched World War II leaders. Students will use a timeline for this activity that reflects the leader’s childhood, events that lead to their achievement of power, their wartime actions, and if possible the life after the war.
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Student Instructions
Create a spider map that examines a leader in World War II, their rise to power, and their actions during the war.
Foster critical thinking by encouraging students to analyze and debate key decisions made by WWII leaders. Guided discussions help students connect historical events to real-world leadership challenges.
Establish expectations for respectful dialogue and critical questioning. Clarifying objectives keeps discussions focused and productive for all students.
Ask questions like, “Why do you think this leader made that choice?” or “How might history have changed with a different decision?” Open-ended prompts spark deeper analysis and curiosity.
Provide students with speeches, photos, or political cartoons. Authentic materials encourage evidence-based claims and make the history more vivid.
Invite students to consider different viewpoints, even defending a leader they don’t agree with. This builds empathy and helps students understand the complexity of historical decisions.
Wrap up by highlighting main points and relating them to current events or leadership dilemmas. Making connections reinforces relevance and helps students retain insights.
A spider map activity for World War II leaders is a graphic organizer where students visually map out key aspects of a leader’s life, such as life before the war, rise to power, wartime role, and life after the war, using illustrations and written summaries.
To create a World War II leaders lesson for grades 6–8, have students select a leader, research four life stages, and use a spider map with both visuals and summaries. Encourage use of primary sources and creative illustrations for engagement.
The four key aspects to research about a WWII leader are: life before the war, rise to power, role during World War II, and life after World War II.
Great choices for a classroom spider map project include Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Churchill, FDR, Truman, Patton, Montgomery, Hirohito, and Charles De Gaulle. Students can also explore notable WWII veterans like JFK and Ted Williams.
The best way is to create illustrations or scenes for each life stage—using photos, drawings, or digital images—and pair them with concise written descriptions to help students connect visually and contextually.