TO BEGIN:
1. Before distributing
project materials, ask students to write three sentences stating what
they know about D-Day.
2. Either call on students for oral responses or have a number of students
write one sentence each on the board.
3. Copy and distribute "Glossary of Selected Terms" and "Historical
Background" to students. As they read the material, ask them to
make note of areas where they have questions. When students finish reading,
they should write down at least three questions they now have about
Operation OVERLORD. Again, call on students to respond orally or have
them write four to six questions on the board.
4. Divide the class into groups of three or four students each. Select
a student to serve as group leader. Ask groups to consider group members'
accumulated questions and, then, choose one question for each student
to answer in detail by the end of one or two research-based class periods.
5. Print off enough copies of documents so that each group has a complete
set. If possible, print them in color.
IN-CLASS RESEARCH:
1. Using the Resource
Center that you have set up in your classroom, allow students one or
two class periods to work within their groups to attempt to answer their
questions as described above.
2. If possible, have separate rooms, or at least separate corners of
the room where they may examine books, view videos, use computer software,
and do Internet research.
3. Each student should write at least a paragraph answering his or her
question. Next, each group will compile paragraphs from group members
and create subheadings. Make enough photocopies of the research results
so that each group will have the other groups' work.
SCENARIO:
A suggested scenario
for a fictitious German intelligence coup might be enacted as follows:
Although tight security
restrictions were imposed throughout England, and especially around
General Eisenhower's headquarters, a German agent is able, through a
combination of luck, stealth, and a brief lapse in security, to enter
General Eisenhower's well guarded personal headquarters at Telegraph
House, near London. On a busy morning in April 1944, a German spy, disguised
as a mail courier, is allowed to enter Telegraph House. During that
morning, General Eisenhower met with his deputies to conduct a comprehensive
review of OVERLORD plans, including deception plans, and intelligence
available on German capabilities and intentions. Consequently, many
documents of the utmost sensitivity were examined during this meeting.
The spy has access to the meeting room and during a brief lunch recess
sees the opportunity to strike. The meeting room is cleared and several
planning documents are left exposed on the meeting room table. The spy
knows that this opportunity will be brief, lasting for perhaps no more
than 20 to 30 minutes, and must move quickly. Which of these documents
should be photographed for transmission to German intelligence? The
spy has film for only six of the documents and absolutely must not be
detected. You are the enemy spy and may select only six documents. Make
your selections and explain your choices.
IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT:
1. Organize students
into their previous groups. Have each group discuss what method will
be used to examine and evaluate the documents they will receive.
2. Separate groups as much as you can. If you have access to additional
classrooms and have someone to time students, that would be ideal.
3. Hand each group a set of documents sealed in an envelope that is
not to be opened until the person doing the timing says "Begin."
4. Set timers for 20 or 30 minutes, and allow students to begin examining
the documents as a cooperative group effort. By the end of the timed
period, students should have selected the six documents they feel are
most important. All documents should be prioritized with the most important
on the top.
5. Next, each group should prepare at least two reasons (for each of
the six documents) to explain why they chose these documents over all
the others.
6. Have each group attach the list of the six documents that they will
use to the packet containing documents that they will not be using in
developing their scenario. Ask student to hand in these packets.
7. Using the "Analyze a Primary Source" handout, ask groups
to examine the six documents thoroughly and to fill out an evaluation
sheet for each document.
8. Next, based on the six documents they chose, each group should prepare
a 250-word narrative describing "What might have been." Some
questions students may want to consider, among others, are:
· Did the spies get the stolen documents safely out and into
the hands of the German high command? If so, how did they respond?
· Did the Allies discover the breach in security? If so, how
did they respond?
· How did the outcome of Operation Overlord affect the rest of
the war in Europe? In Asia?
· What about the Russians on the Eastern Front?
· If Operation Overlord had failed and resulted in huge American
loses, how might the American public have responded?
· Briefly, how did a revised outcome of the war affect American
history for the remainder of the 20th century?
9. Each group should present to the rest of the class the documents
students chose and its "What might have been" scenario.
10. If time allows, students may want to re-examine documents they did
not choose for the project.
NOTE TO TEACHERS: To overcome the time limitation here, students may
want to examine all of these documents copies at their own pace during
one or more class periods. They can take notes, evaluate and assess
the importance of each document. After having conducted this more extensive
evaluation exercise, students can take turns playing the role of the
spy and independently make their own selections and prepare oral or
written reports explaining their choices.
