Introduction
Dear Educator,
If You Don’t Need It, Don’t Buy It: Food Rationing during WWII engages students with primary sources and brings the
museum experience to you! These easy to incorporate activities were designed to supplement your existing curriculum,
inspire inquiry-based learning, and to help teach students how to analyze and interpret WWII food ration booklets and
realize the impact World War II had on the everyday American living on the home front. The contents of this guide are
based on Social Studies TEKS for U.S. History Since 1877 and World History Studies, but can easily be modified for lower
or upper grades depending on your individual classroom needs.
For additional resources and information on ITC exhibits and tours, please visit
http://www.texancultures.com/resources/
If you have any questions or would like more information on materials, resources and services for students and
educators, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Respectfully,
The Institute of Texan Cultures
Education and Interpretation
210-458-2281
[email protected]
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Using This Educator Guide ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
Food Rationing on the Home Front ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Food Ration Book Images ................................................................................................................................................... 5
Food Rationing on the Home Front .................................................................................................................................... 6
How Would Rationing Affect My Life? .................................................................................................................................... 8
Rationing Today: My Daily Meal Log................................................................................................................................... 9
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies ....................................................................................................... 12
Using This Educator Guide
If You Don’t Need It, Don’t Buy It: Food Rationing during WWII features two interactive, inquiry-based activities for
supplementary use in the classroom. These activities, based on Social Studies TEKS for U.S. History Since 1877 and World
History Studies, are designed to help students engage with primary sources and better understand the impact World
War II had on the everyday American living on the home front. These activities will enhance and supplement their
classroom learning experience. Please feel free to modify and/or expand upon the activities provided in this guide to
meet your individual classroom needs.
Essential Questions:
The following essential questions are designed to guide your students in thinking about the impact World War II had on
the everyday citizen living on the home front.
o
o
What is the role of sacrifice by individual citizens in a country’s effort to win a war?
What specific impacts did World War II have on the everyday American living on the home front? What is
rationing? What items were rationed during the War, and why?
Classroom Activities:
Food Rationing on the Home Front – In this activity, students will examine and interpret images of food ration booklets
to gain a better understanding of why rationing was necessary to the war effort.
How Would Rationing Affect My Life? – In this activity, students will examine the impact rationing would have on their
own lives by creating a two-day log of their daily meals. Students will identify the ways in which those meals may have
changed had rationing been implemented today.
Tips for Using These Activities in Your Classroom:
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Introduce World War II topics to your class before using the following activities to supplement your discussion.
Enhance the student learning experience using real-life objects. The activities presented here can easily be
completed using the images provided, but if you have ration books of your own or can borrow them, bring them
to class so that your students may examine them.
Use videos or other media to supplement your students’ learning experience. Several period-appropriate videos
may be found by searching “World War II food rationing” on YouTube. Some of these can even be used to
introduce your students to the subject matter before beginning either of the activities. Visit our Digital
Collections webpage to search, view, and download images related to the Texan experience in World War II.
Be creative! The activities provided here can be easily adapted and modified – the worksheets can be used as-is,
integrated into a classroom discussion, used to create graphic organizers, or guide students in conducting
independent research projects. Use our ideas or create your own lesson or unit based on our ideas.
Document Analysis: Food Rationing on the Home Front
In this activity, students will review what they have learned about rationing on the home front during World War II,
analyze ration books from the Institute of Texan Cultures’ collections, and conduct new independent research on the
specific items rationed during the War.
Before you begin, you’ll need to gather the following materials:
o
o
o
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Board or flip chart paper to display in the front of the classroom for brainstorming
Dry erase or flip chart markers
Enough copies of the “Food Rationing on the Home Front” worksheet to distribute to your students
Images of food ration books (provided below) OR real ration books if available
Directions:
1. Begin by telling students they will be examining images of real food ration books used by Texans living on the
home front during World War II. Introduce or review the topic of rationing. Engage students in a discussion by
posing the following questions:
o What is rationing?
o In what ways did rationing impact the daily lives of Americans during World War II? Why were rations
needed?
o What other sacrifices were made by individual citizens in the United States’ effort to win the war?
2. Review with students the differences between primary and secondary sources. Are ration books considered
primary or secondary sources? Why?
3. Distribute or project onto the board copies of the ration book images. Ask students to closely examine each of
the images as they would examine a primary source document or artifact. Discuss with students the different
components of a food ration book, including:
o Owner name and address: Who owned the book? Where did he or she live?
o Instructions and warning labels: How were the ration books used? Review the instructions provided
below.
o Stamps, colors, numbers, and images: What might these items represent?
o Dates: When might this book have been used? Is there a year listed? Can you infer the age of the
document by looking at its condition?
4. Ask students to think about what each of the items noted above means, making sure they pay careful attention
to detail. Explain to students that each of the stamps provided in the books allowed the holder to purchase
items using the points indicated by the number on each stamp. Tokens were also later introduced for use as
change – red tokens were used for meats and fats, while blue tokens were used for processed foods. Since fresh
fruits and vegetables were not rationed, many families opted to grow Victory gardens to help supplement their
diets. Based on the students’ observations of the ration book documents, what kinds of foods were rationed
during the War?
5. Distribute the ration book images to your students. Have students complete their “Food Rationing on the Home
Front” worksheets individually, with a partner, or in small groups using the strategies outlined here.
Closure:
1. Discuss with students the kinds of foods rationed during the War. Why was it important to ration these items?
2. Ask students to think about the ways in which they lives would be affected by rationing of everyday goods. How
would your meals change if you had to limit sugar, coffee, meats, or processed foods?
The instructions inside ration booklets read as follows:
1. This book is valuable. Don't lose it.
2. Each stamp authorizes you to purchase rationed goods in the quantities and at the times
designated by the Office of Price Administration. Without the stamps you will be unable to
purchase these goods.
3. Detailed instructions concerning the use of the book and the stamps will be issued. Watch for
those instructions so that you will know how to use your book and stamps. Your Local War Price
and Rationing Board can give you full information.
4. Do not throw this book away when all of the stamps have been used, or when the time for
their use has expired. You may be required to present this book when you apply for subsequent
books.
Rationing is a vital part of your country's war effort. Any attempt to violate the rules is an effort
to deny someone his share and will create hardship and help the enemy.
This book is your Government's assurance of your right to buy your share of certain goods made
scarce by war. Price ceilings have also been established for your protection. Dealers must post
these prices conspicuously. Don't pay more. Give your whole support to rationing and thereby
conserve our vital goods. Be guided by the rule: "If you don't need it, DON'T BUY IT."
US Government Printing Office 1943
Extension Ideas:
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Have students conduct an independent research project to explore World War II rationing in further detail.
What other items were rationed during the War, and during what years? Students may create an interactive
timeline image or presentation using Thinglink, Easel.ly, or emaze.
Have students compare and contrast rationing practices in the United States and Europe. What was similar, and
what was different? Have students locate a ration book online that would have been used in Europe, and
compare and contrast those books with the ones they have examined here.
Food Ration Book Images
Name: ____________________________________________________________
Date: _____________
Document Analysis Activity: Food Rationing on the Home Front
Directions: Answer the questions below using the ration book images distributed to you.
1. What is the approximate date or age of the books? How can you tell?
2. What is the condition of the book?
3. Who is the author or creator of the books? For whom was the book intended? How can you tell?
4. What is the content or topic of the book?
5. Describe any unique characteristics of the book. Are there any interesting letterhead? Is the ration book
handwritten or typed? Are there notations? Write or illustrate your observations.
6. List two things the ration book can tell you about life in the United States at the time it was written or produced.
7. What evidence in the document helps you know why it was written?
8. What other outside evidence helps inform you of the function of this document? Where can you learn more
about the topic?
How Would Rationing Affect My Life?
In this activity, students will create a two-day log of all their meals eaten and identify the ways in which their lives would
have been affected by rationing.
Before you begin, you’ll need to gather the following materials:
o
o
o
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List of items rationed during World War II
Board or flip chart paper to display in the front of the classroom for brainstorming
Dry erase or flip chart markers
Enough copies of the “Daily Meal Log” to distribute to your students
Directions:
1. Begin by telling students that they will be creating a two-day log of their meals. Review rationing and other
important concepts with your students. Create a list of items rationed during World War II on the board. If
students have completed one of the extension activities from the previous lesson, they should be able to supply
these. If not, use the list below to guide you.
List of Some Food Items Rationed During World War II: Sugar, meat, butter, cheese, eggs, milk, tea, chocolate, canned
milk, meats, fruits, and vegetables, cooking oil, dried beans, ketchup, baby food.
2. Tell students that they will keep a log of their meals in order to identify the ways in which rationing, if
implemented today, would affect their daily lives.
3. Distribute the logs to your students. The logs may be completed over the course of two days anytime during the
school week or on the weekend. Go over the instructions for completing the logs with your students. Make sure
students pay careful attention to the ingredients in each of the foods used to create their meals – even
processed foods. After logging their meals for two days, students will answer two short essay questions.
4. Have students share their logs and essay responses with the class.
Closure:
1. Engage students in a discussion about their experiences. How difficult would it be for them to achieve a
balanced diet while rationing? Ask students how their meals would change if they had to ration certain foods.
What are some ways in which you could supplement your diet?
2. Review with students the “Essential Questions” outlined on page 3 of this Guide.
3. What modern-day programs or initiatives are similar to the rationing programs of the 1940s?
Extension Ideas:
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Have students create a recipe or plan a weeklong menu using foods that were rationed during the War. You may
distribute a certain number of red and blue stamps and money needed to purchase needed foods for a family of
four to eat for a week. You may wish to use food group chart from the 1940s or today’s food pyramid to
encourage students to plan healthy meals.
Extend the lesson to include other items rationed during World War II, including gasoline. How might the
rationing of gasoline affect students’ lives today?
Have students compare and contrast the World War II rationing program with modern-day recycling or “Green”
programs in the United States.
As a summary activity, have students create a poster or other visual representation detailing the economic,
social, and political benefits of rationing.
Name: ____________________________________________________________
Date: _____________
Rationing Today: My Daily Meal Log
Directions: Use the charts below to record all of your daily meals and snacks for two days. Then, answer the essay
questions that follow. Use additional sheets of paper if necessary.
Part I: Record your daily meals.
DAY ONE: MY DAILY MEALS AND SNACKS
Time
Foods Eaten
Are the Ingredients on the Ration
List?
List of Some Food Items Rationed During World War II: Sugar, meat, butter, cheese, eggs, milk, tea, chocolate, canned
milk, meats, fruits, and vegetables, cooking oil, dried beans, ketchup, baby food.
How many of your foods were on the ration list for Day One? ________________________________________________
Name: ____________________________________________________________
Date: _____________
DAY TWO: MY DAILY MEALS AND SNACKS
Time
Foods Eaten
Are the Ingredients on the Ration
List?
List of Some Food Items Rationed During World War II: Sugar, meat, butter, cheese, eggs, milk, tea, chocolate, canned
milk, meats, fruits, and vegetables, cooking oil, dried beans, ketchup, baby food.
How many of your foods were on the ration list for Day Two? ________________________________________________
TOTAL NUMBER OF FOODS EATEN ON THE RATION LIST FOR DAYS ONE AND TWO: _____________________________
Name: ____________________________________________________________
Date: _____________
Part II: Analyze and discuss.
1. What are some of the most common ingredients found in the foods you eat today? Are they on the ration list?
Describe how your life would be impacted if you did not have unlimited access to these resources.
2. Reflect upon what you have learned about rationing. Why was it important to the war effort? Be sure to address
the ways in which it helped both soldiers on the war front and civilians on the home front.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies
§113.41. United States History Studies Since 1877 (1 Credit), Beginning with School Year 2011-2012. (7) History. The
student understands the domestic and international impact of U.S. participation in World War II. The student is
expected to (G) explain the home front and how American patriotism inspired exceptional actions by citizens and
military personnel, including high levels of military enlistment; volunteerism; the purchase of war bonds; Victory
Gardens; the bravery and contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen, the Flying Tigers, and the Navajo Code Talkers; and
opportunities and obstacles for women and ethnic minorities. (17) Economics. The student understands the economic
effects of World War II and the Cold War. The student is expected to: (A) describe the economic effects of World War II
on the home front such as the end of the Great Depression, rationing, and increased opportunity for women and
minority employment; (29) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use
information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to: (A) use
a variety of both primary and secondary valid sources to acquire information and to analyze and answer historical
questions; (B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing
and contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations, making predictions, drawing inferences,
and drawing conclusions; (C) understand how historians interpret the past (historiography) and how their
interpretations of history may change over time; (D) use the process of historical inquiry to research, interpret, and use
multiple types of sources of evidence; (E) evaluate the validity of a source based on language, corroboration with other
sources, and information about the author, including points of view, frames of reference, and historical context; (G)
identify and support with historical evidence a point of view on a social studies issue or event; and (H) use appropriate
skills to analyze and interpret social studies information such as maps, graphs, presentations, speeches, lectures, and
political cartoons. (30) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is
expected to: (A) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information; (B) use correct social studies
terminology to explain historical concepts; and (C) use different forms of media to convey information, including written
to visual and statistical to written or visual, using available computer software as appropriate. (32) Social studies skills.
The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of
settings. The student is expected to: (A) use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and
consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the
effectiveness of the solution; and (B) use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision,
gather information, identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision.
§113.42. World History Studies (1 Credit), Beginning with School Year 2011-2012. (29) Social studies skills. The student
applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including
electronic technology. The student is expected to: (A) identify methods used by archaeologists, anthropologists,
historians, and geographers to analyze evidence; (C) explain the differences between primary and secondary sources
and examine those sources to analyze frame of reference, historical context, and point of view; and (F) analyze
information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the
main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, drawing inferences and conclusions, and developing
connections between historical events over time. (30) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral,
and visual forms. The student is expected to: (A) use social studies terminology correctly; (B) use standard grammar,
spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation; (C) interpret and create written, oral, and visual presentations of social
studies information; and (D) transfer information from one medium to another. (31) Social studies skills. The student
uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings. The
student is expected to: (A) use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider
options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of
the solution; and (B) use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information,
identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision.