Materials

• Statistical information (See Activity 2 below)

Instructional Activities

1. Explain to students that World War II had a major impact on the United States economy. Remind students that before World War II the world suffered from an economic depression. Wartime production corrected this problem in the U.S. and stimulated a healthy economy. This economic improvement continued after the soldiers returned home, took jobs, and started spending.
   
   
2. Have students examine a set of statistics that demonstrates the impact of World War II on the United States economy. This sample set of statistics is taken from the Digital History Web site at <http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/us35.cfm>. These statistics give numbers for Distribution of Family Income, Labor Force Participation, Average Earnings, and Personal Savings.

     

Prompt student thinking by asking the following questions for student discussion, either in small groups or as a whole class:
• What impact did WWII have on women’s participation in the workforce?
• What information can be gathered from the statistics regarding the economic health of the average family?
• What are some possible explanations for the decrease in personal savings over the course of the 1940s?
• How does the information in the text refute or confirm the statistical information?