1. World War II Radio Unit
Cross Disciplinary: English and Social Studies
10-12 Grade Humanities Course
2. Lesson Progression
• WWII Overview and Introduction (S.S.)
• Kurt Vonnegut (English)
• Mother Night (English)
• Radio Broadcasts and Media Significance
during WWII (S.S. and Public Speaking)
3. Objectives
• By the end of the unit, S.W.B.A.T. characterize and
explain the major events of WWII
• After reading Kurt Vonnegut's Mother Night,
S.W.B.A.T. describe the novel, as well as Vonnegut's
writing style and use of literary conventions
• S.W.B.A.T. investigate how forms of public
speaking, such as radio broadcasting, can be used
for greater socio-political purposes while developing
their own ability to speak fluidly and effectively for
a purpose
4. World War II
• Axis Powers
o Nazi Party (Germany)
o Italy
o Japan
• Allied Powers
o America
o Britain
o Russia
• Invasion of Poland 1939
• Bombing of Pearl Harbor
5. Adolf Hitler
• Nazi Party leader
• Chancellor of Germany in 1933
o Created the Third Reich
• Seeked to create Arian nation
• Wanted to gain living space for Germans
• Gifted orator
6. Public Speaking
• Good Posture
• Focus
• Start Strong, Finish Stronger
• Vary pace, tone, and volume
• Punctuate with gestures
• Connect with audience
• Exhibit confidence
8. Hitler as a Speaker
How does Hitler portray the traits of a
powerful/influential public speaker?
Text 409868 and your answers to 37607
(i.e. "409868 he seemed confident")
9. onnegut (1 9 2 2 -2 0 0 7 )
Kurt V
• American writer and humorist
• Author of ...
o Slaughterhouse Five (1969)
o Cat's Cradle (1963)
o Breakfast of Champions (1973)
o Sirens of Titan (1959)
• Commonly used genres and conventions
o Science Fiction
o Absurdism
o Satire
10. Poll Question
1. Have you ever read a novel or short story
by Kurt Vonnegut before? If so, which one?
Reply by txting 40237 and the novel to 37607
(i.e. "40237 Cat's Cradle")
1. Did you read it in a class or individually?
Reply by txting: 404238 if you read it in class,
404241 if you read it individually for fun
404934 for never read
11. Rules for Writing Stories
Ku rt Vonnegut's
1. Time of a total stranger
2. "Give the reader at least one character he
or she can root for"
3. "Every character should want something -
even if it is only a glass of water"
4. Each sentence - either reveal character or
advance the action
12. Rules for Writing Stories
Ku rt Vonnegut's
5."Start as close to the end as possible"
6. Be a sadist
7. "Write to please just one person"
8. Give readers as much information as
possible, as soon as possible
- "To heck with suspense"
• What writing style might you expect from Vonnegut?
13. Mothe r Night Plot
Protagonist: Howard W. Campbell Jr.
Wife: Helga
Setting: 1930's Germany--Nazi power builds
Campbell the Spy
Frank Wirtanen
Idiosyncrasies
14. Campb ell in NYC
Neighbor: George Kraft, spy
White Supremacist: Lionel Jones
Resi
Metafiction
Character introduction
Author omniscient interjections
16. Reacti on to Video
Did this video change/develop to your view of
Mother Night?
Text 37607
Yes (How?) with 403596
If not what similarities? 406232
17. Radio Programming
• Growth or radio broadcasting in the 1920s
o The "Golden Age of Radio"
• Purpose of radio
programs
• 82 out of every
100 American
as radio listeners
18. Rad i o i n WWI I
• Radio during
WWII
• Use of radio in
Vonnegut's
Mother Night
19. Fin al Product
• For their final project, students will take on the
role of either one of the members of the WWII Big
Three -- Churchill, Stalin, FDR -- or of Adolf Hilter,
and write a script responding to Campbell's
propaganda that uses references to Mother Night
and historical facts from WWII.
• Students will then record their script in oral
format using www.ipadio.com to form a podcast
response.
20. mple of Fin al Project
Exa
• New York Radio Broadcast with Franklin
Delano Roosevelt
