SUBJECT: US History

GRADE: High School

TECHNOLOGY: Internet, Paint Program
BY:
Audrey Rackley, Julie Glover

 

 

Geography of World War II Europe

 

Target Grades/Subject

We will be teaching US History to a group of eleventh grade students. More specifically, we will teach the geographical changes to pre-World War II Europe using a digital map, and Microsoft paint/draw program to show which events leading to the outbreak of the conflict. Because high school upper classmen tend to show apathy toward history, and geography, this hands on activity is designed to cultivate interest and variety in the lesson. This will be done by visually showing the chronological events which led to American involvement in the war. This hands on activity will provide a way for the teacher to increase participation by actively engaging students in the lecture. Because these students are high school juniors, they are capable of formal operational thought, and this lesson will encourage students to analyze the alliances and territorial advances of the European belligerents. The map will provide visual cues for analysis of cause and effect relationships between nations.

Objectives

SOL 11.11

The student will demonstrate an understanding of the origins and effects of World War II, with an emphasis on:

- the rise and aggression of totalitarian regimes in Germany and Italy

-appeasement, . . . and war debates in Europe. . . prior to the outbreak of war

- impact of mobilization for war. . . abroad

Students will recognize the events leading to out break of World War II by marking the alliances and territorial advances in a map of pre-was Europe. Mastery of lesson material will be evaluated with students both individually, and in turn (on the projected map) marking the territorial advances and alliances happening prior to the war, as the lecture is given. Comprehension will be evaluated in a map quiz, in which students will accurately label locations (countries & alliance groups) on a blank map. Students will also be able to color in areas of territorial expansion.

The quiz will test student's mastery of the lecture material by asking them to:

1. In 1939 what countries did Germany occupy?

2. Shade the countries that form the axis powers. Put a star in each country that was a member of the Allies Powers. Circle the countries who attempted to maintain neutrality.

3. List all countries Germany had made territorial advances against by 1940.

4. What country did the Allies Powers allow Germany to take-over in hope of avoiding war? What treaty did this hostile take-over violate?

5. Which European country did the United States primarily support before its declaration of war?

Materials

1. Digital map of pre-World War II Europe from nationalgeographic.com which will be copied and pasted to the Windows 98 paint program

2. assuming 25 students, 25 copies of the map (xeroxes)

3. assorted crayons, enough for each student to have 3 or 4 colors

4. computer and overhead projector

5. projector screen

6. 25 xeroxes of quiz with map

7. assumed students will have their own pens/pencils, note paper

Lesson Description

Teacher will:

1. distribute maps & crayons

2. display the map on the projected screen in the paint/draw program

3. review the names of Allied/Axis/neutral countries

4. lecture about the significant events leading to the outbreak of World War II which students will be expected to have read about in their text books prior to class

5. as events (treaty/alliance/expansion) are encountered in lecture, he/she will call on a volunteer to illustrate the event on the paint/draw map

6. illustrations will be correctly explained, and discussed why/why not it is correct to dispel misleading information

EX: If someone shades in Great Britain as an Axis Power, the teacher will explain why this answer is not true, and corrections will be made accordingly

7. wrong illustrations will be discussed to explore possible implications

EX: If Great Britain had been an Axis Power, how would this have affected the war's outcome?

8. make sure everyone has a chance to illustrate

9. review main ideas and facts to be tested on the quiz

10. at end of review, turn off map program, and distribute quiz to be taken the last 15 minutes of class

Evaluation

The quiz will consist of 2 pages; the first page asking students questions outlined in lesson objectives. The Second page will consist of a map of pre-World War II Europe on which to mark answers and shade (star Allied Powers, shade Axis Powers, circle neutralities). Success of the lesson will be determined by the student's ability to correctly perform these tasks.

Please see the attached quiz.

Answers to the quiz:

1. Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Austria

Allied Powers: Great Britain, France, Norway, Soviet Union, Denmark, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Yugoslavia, Belgium

Neutrals: Spain, Portugal, Sweden

2. Poland, Austria, Czechlosovakia

3. Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Great Britain

4. Poland, Non Aggression Pact with the Soviet Union

5. Great Britain

Name:

 

Quiz: Pre-World War II Europe

 

 

 

1. (Please do this on the attached map) Shade the countries that form the axis powers.

Put a star in each country that was a member of the Allies Powers.

Circle the countries who attempted to maintain neutrality.

 

 

In 1939 what countries did Germany occupy?

 

 

 

3. List all countries Germany had made territorial advances against by 1940.

 

 

 

4. What country did the Allies Powers allow Germany to take-over in hope of avoiding war?

 

What treaty did this hostile takeover violate?

 

 

 

5. Which European country did the United States primarily support before its declaration of war?