This document outlines the origins of World War 2 and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's response to the escalating crisis in Europe and Asia between 1936-1940. It provides context and prompts for students to take on the role of FDR in responding to reporters' questions and drafting 30-second segments of his "Fireside Chat" radio addresses regarding how the US should respond to aggression by Germany, Italy and Japan. The document guides students through FDR's evolving foreign policy as the threat of war intensified year by year on the road to America's eventual entry into World War 2.