A webquest for secondary students
by Michael Pastor
Introduction

In this lesson, we will travel
back in time to June, 1944.
Using a variety of primary
and secondary sources, all
of which are found on the
internet, we will explore the
invasion of Europe by
exploring a series of critical
questions that historians
have pondered for the past
65 years.
Introduction
Evaluation
Task
Critical Questions
Process
Conclusion
Links
Credits
Task

Introduction
Evaluation
Working in groups, you will
use the links that are
provided to address one
critical question (see next
slide). You will use the
information that you find to
create a mini- lesson to
share your findings with
your classmates. All of the
mini-lessons will eventually
be combined into a web
page that can be used to
teach other students about
the Invasion of Europe.
Task
Critical Questions
Process
Conclusion
Links
Credits
Six Critical Questions:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
How did the Allies prepare for the Invasion?
How did the Axis try to thwart the Invasion?
Describe the various ways that the French reacted
to the occupation of their country by Germany and
their liberation by the Allies.
What effect did D-Day have on the War, and what
would have happened if D-Day had failed?
What role did spying and deception play in
determining the outcome of the Invasion?
Describe three technological Innovations that
influenced the outcome of D-Day.
Introduction
Evaluation
Task
Critical Questions Process
Conclusion
Links
Credits
Roles:



Pilot: Sets the overall strategy for searching
the links that have been provided to
address the critical question, and resolves
any conflicts that arise within the group.
Navigator: Determines where the group is in
the mission, reminds the group of the steps
that still have to be taken, and suggests
different courses of action that the group
can follow.
War Correspondent: Reports on the
progress the group has made to date.
Process

Your group will be assigned
one critical question that
must be answered using
the links that are provided
in the credits. You may use
other links to add to your
answer, though you must
assess the value of these
before you include them in
your work. You and your
group will use the
information that you gather
to create a mini lesson for
your classmates.
Introduction
Evaluation
Task
Critical Questions
Process
Conclusion
Links
Credits
Evaluation

You will be evaluated
according to a rubric that
will be distributed in
class. Part of your
evaluation will come from
your classmates
following your
presentation.
Introduction
Evaluation
Task
Critical Questions
Process
Conclusion
Links
Credits
Conclusion

In history, we learn that there is
no easy way of understanding
an event as momentous as the
Invasion of Normandy. Such an
understanding involves asking
questions about the event that
will stir your curiosity and
creativity, and making the effort,
either alone or in a group, to
find the information that you
need to answer these. This
effort stretches the limits of your
understanding, and adds to the
lessons that we learn by
studying events like the
Invasion of Normandy.
Introduction
Evaluation
Task
Critical Questions
Process
Conclusion
Links
Credits
Links:
•Overview of Invasion:
ohttp://www.pathsofmemory.net/1gm/l.asp?ver=gb
ohttp://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-in-europe/westerneurope/western-europe-index-1944.htm
ohttp://www.world-war-2.info/battles/bt_2.php
ohttp://www.strijdbewijs.nl/normandie1/home.htm
ohttp://history.com/shows/wwii-in-hd/interactives/inside-wwiiinteractive
ohttp://www.worldwariihistory.info/WWII/D-Day.html
ohttp://www.backtonormandy.org/
Introduction
Evaluation
Task
Critical Questions
Process
Conclusion
Teacher Page
Credits
Links:

Strategy:

http://home.wanadoo.nl/cclinks/abtf/invasi~2.html
http://www.sproe.com/a/atlantic-wall.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/atlantic_wall
http://www.worldwariihistory.info/WWII



Links
Deception:


http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1997/Wen
dell.htm
http://www.awesomestories.com/history/normandyinvasion/deception
Technology:


http://www.awesomestories.com/history/normandyinvasion/the-weather-breaks
http://www.sproe.com/l/lcvp.html
Links:
France in World War Two
 http://www.worldwariihistory.info/in/France.html.
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Resistance
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_De_Gaulle
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Renault
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maquis_(World_War_I
I)
Introduction
Evaluation
Task
Critical Questions
Process
Conclusion
Teacher Page
Credits
Credits:

Paths of Memory
 http://www.pathsofmemory.net/1gm/l.asp?ver=gb

World War II Timelines
 http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-in-
europe/western-europe/western-europe-index1944.htm

World War II battles
 http://www.world-war-2.info/battles/bt_2.php

Battlefield Normandie – Tour the Beaches
 http://www.strijdbewijs.nl/normandie1/home.htm

History Channel
 http://history.com/shows/wwii-in-
hd/interactives/inside-wwii-
interactive
Credits, cont.

D-Day, The Cross-Channel Attack
 http://www.worldwariihistory.info/WWII/D-Day.html

Back to Normandy
 http://www.backtonormandy.org/

Invasion: The Beaches and Beyond
 http://home.wanadoo.nl/cclinks/abtf/invasi~2.ht
ml

Saving Private Ryan Online Encyclopedia
 http://www.sproe.com/a/atlantic-wall.html

Wikipedia
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/atlantic_wall
Credits, cont.

World War II History

http://www.worldwariihistory.info/WWII

Normandy Invasion: Deception
 http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/repo
rt/1997/Wendell.htm

Awesome stories
 http://www.awesomestories.com/history/norman
dy-invasion/deception