For this activity, students will create a spider web map that outlines a major turning point in WWII during 1942-1945. A turning point is a decision, action, or change that greatly impacts the direction or outcome of a situation. Once students have researched a turning point from the war, they should create a three panel storyboard that responds to the following questions:
Extension Activity
For this extension activity, students will create an additional component to their storyboard that theorizes what they believe could have happened if their event occurred differently. For example, a student may argue that the war may have had a drastically different outcome if Hitler never invaded Russia, if Truman never dropped the Atomic Bomb, or Alan Turing did not “crack” the German Enigma machine. Students should share with their classmates their theories and have their peers share with them how credible they believe their theories were.
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Student Instructions
Create a spider map analyzing a turning point in WW2 between 1942 and 1945, asking what the event was, what the outcome was, and how it changed history.
Foster critical thinking by organizing a structured debate where students argue how history could have changed if a major WWII turning point had a different outcome. This activity encourages research, perspective-taking, and respectful discussion.
Select key WWII events and assign students or groups either the historical outcome or an alternative scenario. Clear roles help students focus their research and arguments.
Instruct students to gather factual evidence and historical context to support their positions. Encourage use of primary sources, textbooks, and credible websites.
Set ground rules for civil discourse and let each side present, rebut, and respond. Rotate roles so everyone experiences both perspectives.
Lead a class discussion on what students learned about historical causality and the complexity of world events. Encourage students to connect debate insights to today’s world.
Major turning points of World War II (1942-1945) include the Battle of Stalingrad, Battle of Kursk, D-Day, Operation Mincemeat, Battle of Midway, the Manhattan Project, and the use of the Atomic Bomb. Each event significantly shifted the momentum of the war and influenced its outcome.
To create a spider map, students should pick a WWII turning point, answer these questions in separate branches: What was the event? What was the outcome? How did it change history? Add summaries and relevant images to each section for a clear visual analysis.
A storyboard is a visual sequence of panels that tells a story or explains a concept. Students can use a three-panel storyboard to illustrate the event, its outcome, and its historical impact, making complex WWII events easier to understand and remember.
Analyzing turning points helps students grasp how specific events changed the direction of WWII, clarifies cause and effect, and deepens understanding of how history could have unfolded differently.
Alternate history theories include ideas like: What if Hitler never invaded Russia? What if the Atomic Bomb was never used? Or if Alan Turing didn’t crack the Enigma code? These theories help students think critically about how single events can alter world history.