Rationing: What is It?

Read about rationing from the following link to get an idea about what it is:

Rationing: What is It

Here's a little more information about rationing: 

During the Second World War, you couldn't just walk into a shop and buy as much sugar or butter or meat as you wanted, nor could you fill up your car with gasoline whenever you liked. All these things were rationed, which meant you were only allowed to buy a small amount (even if you could afford more). The government introduced rationing because certain things were in short supply during the war, and rationing was the only way to make sure everyone got their fair share.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor dramatically ended the debate over America's entrance into the war that raged around the world.  As eager volunteers flooded local draft board offices ordinary citizens soon felt the impact of the war. Almost overnight the economy shifted to war production. Consumer goods now took a back seat to military production as nationwide rationing began almost immediately.  In May of 1942, the U.S. Office of Price Administration (OPA) froze prices on practically all everyday goods, starting with sugar and coffee.

War ration books and tokens were issued to each American family, dictating how much gasoline, tires, sugar, meat, silk, shoes, nylon and other items any one person could buy."

Text taken from: http://www.ameshistoricalsociety.org/exhibits/events/rationing.htm 

Questions

Big picture questions to answer at the end of the activity:


1. What is rationing?


2. What was being rationed?


3. Why was the U.S. rationing food?


4. Was it fair to force people to ration even if they didn't support the war?


5. Can you imagine a need for us to ration today? 

6. How was rationing help to fight the war overseas?

 

Rationing: Analyze the Sources

1. How old do you think these kids are?

2. What do you think they're doing? 

3. Where are their parents?

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http://worldwartwozone.com/forums/index.php?/gallery/sizes/16-sugar-rationing/small/

4. Who are the children with?

5. Why do you think these people are in line?

4. How long do you think they have been in line? What evidence supports your theory?

5. What do these people have in common with each other? How are they different?

6. What situation do you think would bring all of these people together during a period of segregation? 

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Food: A Munition of War

 

Image from: http://highfields-arc.co.uk/recipes/war/foodfacts.htm

1. Who was this written for?
2. How would conserving food help fight the war?
3. Who sets the price on food?
4. Why are we being reminded that food is a "munition of war"?
5. Why would  U-boats attack food ships?
6. Why would the reader need to be reminded to cheerfully accept something else when a particular food is not available?

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Clothing Ration

 http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/war/rationing3.html

1. How much does it cost for a pair of shorts?
2. Why do you think an adult pair of socks cost so much more than a tie?
3. Is there anything missing from the list?
4. How many coupons is an entire outfit?

5. What would you buy with your 60 clothes coupons to last you a year?

6. What do think would happen if you grow during the year and your clothes don't fit you anymore?

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Your Victory Garden

http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition-pictures/delicious-propaganda-fascinating-government-food-posters.aspx#/slide-1

 


1. What is this advertisement for?
2. Do you think that the vegetables are representative of something else?
3. Why is the garden called a "Victory Garden"?
4. Who is this advertisement directed towards?
5. Where might you have seen this ad?
6. How would people today react to this advertisement?

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Grocery Store Shelves

http://homefront.yuku.com/topic/569

 

1. Where is this picture taken?
2. How many cents is a can of tomatoes?
3. What do you think the circled numbers are?
4. How do you think the price in stamps are determined?
5. Why do you think that some things cost more in stamps than in cents?
6. If you had 50 stamps, what would you buy?

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http://www.genealogytoday.com/guide/ww2/clipping_6.html

1. What is this chart tell the reader?
2. How much would it cost for a can of fruit salad?
3. What categories are missing from this list? Why do you think they are missing?
4. Name three places where you might find this food ration chart?
5. Why do you think pears cost more ration stamps than peaches?
6. Why would limiting the amount of canned asparagus someone buys help the war effort?

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Ration Book Instructions

 

http://www.genealogytoday.com/guide/ww2/book_three.html

 

1. What is a stamp?
2. Who wrote this?
3. What are these instructions for?
4. Why do you think the government was so strict about making sure that people had their books?
5. Who is the "enemy"?
6. Why were price ceilings put in place?

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http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/exhibits/ww2/services/ratfair.htm 

1. What is this an advertisement for?
2. According to this picture, what would happen if there wasn't rationing?
3. How are they making rationing look fun?
4. If you were to find this picture in a magazine, what would the title of the magazine be?
5. Do you think the lady on the left is actually happy to be rationing? Why or why not?
6. Why would taking more than one is allotted be considered wrong?

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http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/ww2-rationing/5914

1. Who is in the car?
2. Where might you find this advertisement?
3. What is the advertisement trying to accomplish?
4. What does the advertisement mean when it says, "When you ride Alone, you ride with Hitler!"?
5. This is an advertisement for conservation. What can be conserved by "car-sharing"?
6. We are currently in a conflict that deals with oil. Do you do think this advertisement applies today?

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Watch the following video clip:   Video Clip
Video taken from PBS

1. What was this film clip about?

2. What was the A-Car? Who designed it? Why did people trade their cars in for the A-Car?

3. What is the tone of this video?

4. If this film clip was made today, would there be some things that the narrator might not say?

5. How do you get to school? What would happen if you had to come up with an alternative?

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http://www.ameshistoricalsociety.org/exhibits/events/rationing.htm

1. The "I" is referring to who in this advertisement?
2. What is the woman in the picture doing?
3. What does the woman and the soldier have in common?
4. What do you think the soldier is doing with the oil?
5. How is the woman helping fight the war?
6. How might this ad be adapted to the present day?

Wrapping it up

Can you come up with your own rationing poster? What would you say to your audience to convince them of the value of rationing? What would your illustration depict? Draw your own advertisement on an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper that has an illustration and a caption that promotes rationing.