THE WAR, a seven-part documentary series directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, explores the history and horror of the Second World War from an American perspective by following the fortunes of so-called ordinary men and women who become caught up in one of the greatest cataclysms in human history. Six years in the making, this epic 15 hour film focuses on the stories of citizens from four geographically distributed American towns. These four communities stand in for and could represent any town in the United States that went through the war's four devastating years. Also included is an Educator's toolkit DVD that holds educational materials designed to help teachers use not only the film series and its themes as a teaching tool, but also to bring the powerful medium of storytelling into the classroom. The teaching activities within the kit meet national teaching standards and provide students with the means to go beyond the film to learn about WW II and that period in American history. DVD special features: Commentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, Exclusive deleted scenes, Additional interviews, Biographies, Photo gallery, Educational Resources. (7 DVDs/Viewer's Guide).