Group+B+6-B-1+Workspace

= Home > Learning Activity 6-B-1: WWII Maps > Group B 6-B-1 Workspace=

SEA Record
Record your observations below for each stage of your primary source analysis.

Scan

 * The map includes positions of American, British, and German forces. RS
 * The map details a section of Northern France. RS
 * The information displayed on the map is from midnight on June 8th, 1944. RS
 * The American forces take up the western side of the Allies' line. RS
 * The British forces take up the eastern side of the Allies' line. RS
 * There are quite a few more Allied forces than Nazi forces. RS

-The map is from June 8, 1944. CC -There is a key for the U.S., British, Enemy, and Bomb Line. CC -The map says Situation - 2400 hours which is 12:00 midnight. CC -There is a good amount of rivers on the map. CC

Examine

 * The map details Allied and Nazi positions leading up to an Allied offensive into northern France. RS
 * June 8th, 1944 was during WWII. RS
 * The map was created to help the Allies prepare a plan of attack against Nazi forces in France. RS

-The U.S. and British have more troops then the Enemy. CC -June 8, 1944 is during World War II. CC -The map is some kind of plan in which the U.S. and British are going to attack the enemy. CC -The U.S. and British troops are crossing a waterway to their landing point. CC

Analyze

 * This map was made two days after D-Day. After the Normandy invasion began, the Allied forces were attempting to mover further south into France. RS
 * The Allied forces have created a line to the north of the Nazi forces. RS
 * The large force used by the Allies indicates that they were trying to make a push far into France to finally defeat Nazi Germany. RS
 * The smaller Nazi force possibly indicates that they were becoming unable to fight a war on several fronts. RS

-June 8, 1944 is two days after the launch of the D-Day invasion which was the largest invasion force in history. CC -The map is Northern France where D-Day took place. CC -This map is a plan of attack which shows the Bomb Line from which the U.S. and British (Allied forces) are going to attack the enemy which is Germany (Nazis). CC -The D-Day invasion enabled the Allies to move much needed troops and supplies into France to retake it from the Germans and move into west Germany to ultimately meet the Russians in Berlin to officially end World War II in Europe. CC

Discussion Area
Discuss and answer the following questions about the series of maps.

I think that this series of maps would obviously be used when teaching about World War II. These maps could be used to supplement lessons dealing with battles in France starting with the D-Day invasion on June 6th 1944. The maps could present a visual to students after learning about the battles taking place. RS
 * //How can this series of maps be used in the classroom?//**

Maps and visual aides are a great way to grab the attention of students. I usually like to show maps early in the lesson and have them analyze what they see. Once we discuss the events that took place like the D-Day invasion students get a good idea of what is going on in the map itself. When discussing wars especially World War II these are great maps to utilize in the classroom. CC

Caleb,

It is interesting to see that the way you use maps is quite different than my approach. I like to provide background information first while you like to use the map as an anticipatory set. I think that both methods can be successful. I think that your method would work better with high school students while my method would work better with elementary students. Ray

Ray,

I agree with that assessment about the levels each strategy would be more effective in. Even in the middle school you never know what students might know from maps so I like to gauge and see what their level of knowledge may be. Afterwards, you kind of plug in the holes that they might not know. Caleb

//**What prior information would be necessary for students to use these maps effectively?**// I think that the students would need to know about the planning and reasoning behind the D-Day invasion. I think it would be hard to study this large scale invasion without understanding why it was necessary and how it was planned. For example, if students are unaware of the reasons why Normandy was selected, then they are missing important information. I think that understanding the "why" is just as important as the "who" and "what." Plus, I think the students would benefit from knowing about events in WWII prior to the D-Day invasion and the battles that followed. At the same time, deciding what information to share could be a very difficult undertaking. I sometimes struggle wih finding the right amount of information to share. Sometimes I finish a lesson wishing I had included more or cut out a little more. I also think that some information that is directly related to the maps would be beneficial. First, I think the students would need to know what all of the numbers and symbols stand for. At this time I do not know and it is kind of bothering me. I am sure some students would feel the same way. Next, I think the students would benefit from looking at other maps of France to get a better understanding of the general area that they are looking at. I think that these maps are a little difficult to read. That may be because I don't have a good map viewing program, but I would want to make sure that my students were not confused with the general area depicted in the map. RS

Students would have to have an understanding of World War II as a whole. They would have to have an understanding of the causes of World War II and why the United States is fighting in Europe and the Pacific. For these maps specifically students would have to understand the map of Europe, where France is located, and where the Allies were launching their attack from. Students would have to have some understanding of what the D-Day invasion was all about and why this massive large scale invasion took place in the first place. They would also need to know the status of both armies and where things were headed before the invasion. I guess students would also need to know how to read a map as well. They would need to be able to recognize physical features like land, water, mountain, etc. Reading maps can be difficult at times, but having the basic understanding would definitely help reading complex maps such as the D-Day invasion plans. CC

Caleb, I see that we both agree that a great deal of background information would be necessary when using this map. That is probably the biggest obstacle I see in using maps. I use them occasionally but not too often. I think that maps often times create more questions than they answer. I could probably spend half a year teaching lessons dealing with the background information of this map. Ray

Ray,

I definitely agree that maps create more questions than they answer. At the middle school level we try to implement more map skills type work within subject areas. I constantly am pointing my to world map in the classroom as I am teaching different historical topics.

Caleb

//**Would you use these maps in your classroom? Why or why not?**// I don't think that I would use these maps in a sixth grade history class. I think that they would create more questions than they answered. I think that I could find other maps dealing with the Normandy invasion that could present the information more clearly. I did a genera search using "Normandy invasion maps" and found several maps that I think would be more effective with a sixth grade audience. However, I do think that I would consider using these maps with a high school class because I think they would be able to better understand the maps while completing a more in-depth study of World War II. RS

I agree with Ray in that these maps are a little to complex and require and advanced skill level like high school. I teach middle school history and these maps would be interesting to show them, but they would struggle with the basics of the map. I also don't teach this part of U.S. History so I wouldn't be teaching World War II. As mentioned before, it would be difficult to show this type of skill level map, but it would be interesting to see what they had to say about them. CC

==Map Uses Brainstorming==


 * Maps could definitely be used in math class. Students could use the scale of a map to determine distances between locations as well as to solve and create word problems related to the map they are using in class. I recently taught several lessons dealing with the Transcontinental Railroad. Students could use railroad maps from [] in math class to solve and create word problems dealing the the building of Railroads in our country in the second half of the 19th century. RS
 * Students in science class could use maps to study watersheds of their home state or region. The students could learn how waterways are classified. This could lead to students doing hands-on research with their local waterways. Students could test for water quality among other things. The following link provides a watershed map of PA as well as how the various waterways are classified. [] RS
 * Students in a language arts class could write an essay describing how an area has changed over time. For example, students could be given various maps of the United States ([], [], and []) that deal with the history lessons. The student could analyze the maps and then write a compare-contrast essay describing the similarities and differences in two of the maps. The students could also use a triple Venn diagram to show the similarities and differences in all three maps. RS
 * Maps could be used in Health or Science class. For example, the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) website provides a world map where you can click on different areas and learn about alerts and updates from around the world. It offers travel notices and updates. Students can create a made up vacation and research and write about the different health and disease issues in the world. [] CC
 * Teachers that teach Reading can have a world map somewhere in the classroom that can have push pins put in them. During the course of the school year students will be reading stories from all around the world. As students read different stories they can put a push pin in the map to identify where the story takes place. An example of a map that can be used in the class would be this one. [] Another interesting idea for this would be using Google Earth and typing in an area and it will take you directly to the area on the map. You could use both the push pins to keep track, but also Google Earth, [], to add a different element to the maps and being able to fly to different areas of the world. CC Very well done, very strong interaction and well organized use of the wiki spaces in completing this group project.
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