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

 * A military map of army operations on June 8, 1944 -Alison 11/15 @8:45
 * Formerly top-secret, but declassified in 1979 - Alison 11/15 @8:45
 * Represented on the map: U.S., British, Enemy, Bombline -Alison 11/15 @8:45
 * Outline map in the background - Alison 11/15 @8:45
 * Black "boxes" drawn over the outline map - Alison 11/15 @8:45
 * The coloring of the map is not very good. - Wendy
 * There are rivers, lakes, and other types of waters drawn on the map. -Wendy
 * Outlines of cities. -Wendy
 * Names of some places are French.--Alyssa
 * Prepared by Engineer 12 AG 1944.--Alyssa
 * Many of the areas of attack were along the body of water.--Alyssa
 * Top of the page says, "Sheet 3".--Alyssa

Examine

 * Boxes may represent "units" in the army - Alison 11/15 @8:45
 * More U.S. and British boxes than Enemy boxes -Alison 11/15 @8:45
 * There are numbers next to all of the U.S., British, and Enemy boxes. -Wendy
 * There are question marks next to a few boxes. -Wendy
 * At the top of the map there are a multitude of British and U.S. boxes with arrows pointing down towards many Enemy boxes. -Wendy
 * Bomblines make a long trail going mostly east to west. -Wendy
 * Use of Roman Numerals to mark the boxes.--Alyssa
 * US, British, and enemy forces seem to be within close proximity to one another.--Alyssa
 * Most of the action seems to be happening near the body of water.--Alyssa

Analyze

 * 4 Days after D-Day on Normandy Beach - Alison 11/15 @8:45
 * The U.S. was on the north side of the bombline, advancing towards the German units on the south side. -Alison 11/15 @8:45
 * The allies (U.S. and British) were preparing to continue their offensive against Germany, seeing that they have more units represented on the map than Germany. - Alison 11/15 @8:45
 * This map shows insight to how American troops were going to move in Northwestern Europe during WW II. The boxes depict how the armies positioned themselves on land areas and around water areas. The maps are very specific as to what forces were going where and doing what. -Wendy
 * This map is showing Normandy, France during WWII.--Alyssa
 * Map depicts area two days after the Allied Invasion of Normandy.--Alyssa

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

11/15/11 @ 8:15---This series could be used as a supplement went teaching students about WW II. You could use these to directly show the events of the war. As you study one event or time period, students can refer to these maps to have an authentic experience into the minds of the militaries fighting against one another and their tactics. ~Wendy 11/15/11 @8:45 - It think this series of maps could be used to even teach simple map skills. I also think this series is valuable in studying military tactics, depending on what kind of students you have. - Alison 11/18/11@7:45--This map could be used to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using natural landformations during warfare. Additionally, it could be used in a discussion of the Allied Invasion of Normandy and its role within World War II.--Alyssa //**What prior information would be necessary for students to use these maps effectively?**// 11/15/11 @ 8:15---Students will definitely need to learn about the wars events, the sides of the war, and what the purpose of the war was before looking at these maps. They also will need map skills in order to read these maps (ie. how to use a key, how to locate places, etc). ~Wendy 11/15/11 @8:45 -Students will need to know what the army "shorthand" symbols are. For example, even though the key labels certain "boxes" it still leaves out what the "boxes" represent. - Alison 11/17/11 @ 9:30--I was wondering what everything meant in the boxes too! There are question marks, shaded areas, lines, etc...what does all that mean? --Wendy 11/18/11 @ 7:50--Students definately would need help understanding how to read a map. Students would need to know that they map "key" would help them to understand the symbols. Additionally, students would benefit from knowing that the United States and the British were working together toward the war effort in WWII. Also, it would be important for the students to understand who the "enemy" was.--Alyssa //**Would you use these maps in your classroom? Why or why not?**// 11/15/11 @ 8:15---I would most likely not use these maps in my classroom. I feel they would be a bit difficult for 4th graders to understand. WW II is not a part of the 4th grade curriculum either. They will learn about this war in 6th grade. I will recommend these to the 6th grade teachers. ~Wendy 11/15/11 @8:45 - I am a 6th grade teacher, and even though I do not cover World War II in my curriculum, I still wouldn't use these maps with my kids! I would be hesitant to use them even with my sophomores when I taught this war to them. Of all of the possible primary source maps from World War II I could use to teach the necessary concepts about the war, this series goes into military strategy in a way that is not "worth it" to me -Alison 11/17/11 @ 9:30--Alison, I agree these maps are extremely difficult to read and understand. I struggled! With the time period of WW II there are definitely a lot of other sources that could be used to teach to war. 11/18/11 @ 8:00--I am not sure my 5th graders would understand the complexity of the map. Even with my history background, I still have questions about the map and what its depicting. It would be interesting to see what they "came up with" if I shared this with them in the classroom, though.--Alyssa
 * //How can this series of maps be used in the classroom?//**

==Map Uses Brainstorming==

Students could measure the classroom and make a scaled version of the classroom on grid paper. This will teach them area, perimeter, how to use a scale, measurement, conversions and so much more. []-- This lesson plan offers an introduction to the concepts of maps using a storybook. This is about a little girl in her bedroom and then it expands to her town, her state, her country, her world. Students can then make their own community maps, use stacking cups to represent the world, the continents, our country, our state, our town, our house. [] On this website you can click Google Maps and it gives 15 great ways to explore Google Maps. This is a great way to incorporate technology into your classroom along with maps and cross-curricular activities. One activity deals with choosing an area around the world and creating a story using the map. You can calculate distances from one place to another. Students can create a class log of locations around the world and list factual information about each. Students can join MOLE which explores outdoor learning experiences around the world dealing with social studies, science, art, etc. > If students are reading a story where they main character goes on a journey throughout different places in the world, they can use a map to diagram all of the places they go and plot the route of travel (it may sound cheesy but I was assigned to do it once for a literature circle book I read in high school). > In 8th grade science we were assigned to look at maps to better understand basic meterology and weather patterns. I would assume that any student could use such maps when the science curriculum calls for it. > . . In our fifth grade curriculum, students begin to study the colonization of America. For a fun activity, students can research one of the original colonies and create a "travel brouchure" for their assigned colony. Students would be required to include a map in their brochure, making sure students include the elements of maps that have been studied (key, scale, legend, symbols, etc).
 * **(Wendy) Maps of the Classroom: Math**
 * **(Wendy) Me on the Map: Reading**
 * **(Wendy) Google Maps: All subject areas**
 * **(Alison) Maps in Reading**
 * **(Alison) Maps in Science**
 * (**Alyssa) Maps in Reading**
 * **(Alyssa) Maps in Social Studies**