World War II Interactive Web Quest



World War II Interactive Web Quest

The D-Day Invasion of Normandy

With Allied forces closing in on Hitler from the South and the East, the next step was to invade France and attack Hitler’s forces from the West. Return to the WWII Interactive: . Click to explore “Europe and Africa,” then click on the box in the top left that reads “D-Day.” Read the first paragraph.

What was the codename of the operation?

How many troops and vehicles landed at Normandy?

Examine the photo essay on the right entitled “The Battle of Normandy.” Scroll through the pictures & read each caption.

In what state were most of the Higgins boats built?

Click on the asset that reads “Higgins LCVP” and the video clip entitled “Higgins Boat in Action.”

List three key facts about the Higgins boat used during D-Day:

Click this link to learn more about the D-Day landings:

What was Germany’s “Atlantic Wall” and of what did it consist?

Where did the Nazis set up most of their defenses?

What did Allied airborne divisions do the day before the invasion, and why?

How many Allied troops land throughout the day?

Click this link to learn how the Allied forces deceived Hitler prior to D-Day:

What cities were the three best options for where to begin the invasion of France?

What was the name of the plan of deception prior to D-Day?

List some of the ways the Allied forces made Hitler believe the troops were landing at Pas de Calais:

Click this link to watch a short animation about the build up and events of D-Day:

What was the date of the invasion?

What were the codenames of the beaches where most American troops landed?

British and Canadian troops?

When was Paris finally liberated?

Click this link to watch a video clip about the D-Day invasion of Normandy:

What beach faced the most resistance?

Why did many troops die before getting out of the boat?

List the different challenges the troops faced as they attacked the Normandy beaches:

Click this link to watch a short animation about the events of D-Day and the invasion of France:

Approximately how many servicemen are in southern England prior to the invasion?

Why did Hitler keep the German armoured reserves in Paris instead of sending them to Normandy?

How difficult are the early battles after the Normandy landings?

When Paris is finally liberated, how many weeks have the Allied troops been fighting and how many causalities have they suffered?

Click this link and listen to the first audio clip entitled “Hit by a bomb”:

How would you describe the experiences of James Hill?

The Battle of the Bulge

Click this link to watch a video clip about the Battle of the Bulge:

When and where did this battle begin?

What were some of the challenges troops faced by troops during the battle?

Why do the Germans eventually lose the Battle of the Bulge?

Click this link to explore an interactive map: .

Examine the shape of the front lines from Dec. 16, then click on Dec. 17 and note the change.

Where are the German troops pointing most of their troops for this offensive?

As the German advance continues, what has happened to the city of Bastogne by Dec. 25?

Where did the name “Battle of the Bulge” come from?

Click this link to learn more about the Battle of the Bulge and how that event led to the end of the war:



What are some of the things you notice in the films?

What is it important to gather historical information and videos from WWII veterans?

The Holocaust

Click this link to learn about the Holocaust:

What does the term “Holocaust” mean?

What groups were targeted by the Nazis during the era of the Holocaust?

What was Hitler’s “Final Solution?”

For what were the Nazi “concentration camps” used during the Holocaust?

Click this link:

Describe the way in which Jews were killed by 1942:

How deadly was the Auschwitz death camp during the Holocaust?

Click this link to view photos of liberated concentration camps:

Which camp is shown in the first picture?

What do you think the Nazis meant by the phrase “work will set you free?”

What do you notice about the living conditions of the camps?

As Allied troops moved into different parts of Europe, they discovered and liberated numerous concentration camps. Click this link to watch a video clip about the liberation of the camps (please be advised, this video clip is graphic in nature)

Describe what many Allied troops probably saw as they began liberating the concentration camps:

What was the physical state of the many victims who had not been killed?

Fighting Continues in the Pacific – Japanese Kamikaze Pilots

Though the war in Europe was over, the fighting in the Pacific was just heating up. Return to the WWII Interactive: . Click to explore “Asia,” then click on the box on the right that reads “Zero to Kamikaze.” Read the first paragraph.

What new strategy did Japanese fighter pilots begin to employ in the Pacific?

Click on the box to the right that reads “Japanese Zero.”

What were some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Japanese Zero fighter plane?

The Battle of Leyte Gulf

Zoom out and click on the box that reads “Leyte Gulf.” Read the first paragraph.

When did this battle occur?

What was the historical significance of this battle?

What helped the American troops win this battle? How did it affect the war?

The Battle of Iwo Jima

Return to the WWII Interactive: . Click to explore “Asia,” then click on the box on the right that reads “Iwo Jima.” Read the first paragraph, then click on the icon on the right that reads “Raising of the Flag.”

What is significant about the iconic picture taken by Joe Rosenthal?

Click this link to watch a video clip about the Battle of Iwo Jima:

What was the date of this battle?

What are the troop numbers for each side?

When does the battle end?

How many Japanese soldiers surrender?

The Battle of Okinawa

Click this link:

When did this battle begin?

List some of the characteristics of the battle:

When did the battle finally end?

Japanese Interment Camps

On the home front, Japanese-Americans faced discrimination during the war. Click on this link to watch a video clip about Japanese internment during the war:

What was Executive Order 9066, and why was it issued?

Describe the camps and the conditions faced by the Japanese Americans:

How does the U.S. government try to make amends in 1988 for the Japanese internment?

The Manhattan Project

Return to the WWII Interactive: . Click to explore “North America,” then click on the box on the right that reads “Manhattan Project.” Read the first paragraph.

What was the Manhattan Project and what was its goal?

Click on the icon on the right that reads “Manhattan Project Sites.”

Where were the project sites located?

Click on the icon that reads “First Atomic Bomb Test.”

In three words or less, describe the site of the atomic bomb test:

Hiroshima and Nagasaki – Victory in Japan

Return to the WWII Interactive: . Click to explore “Asia,” then click on the box in the top left that reads “The Atomic Bomb.” Read the first paragraph.

How many Japanese were killed after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagaski?

Click on the boxes on the right to view pictures and a video clip.

Describe the physical conditions of the cities after the dropping of the bombs?

Click this link to watch a video clip about the dropping of the atomic bombs (please be advised, this video clip is graphic in nature):

If you were close enough to see the blast but were not killed instantly, how were you affected?

How does radiation poisoning affect the human body?

If you were close enough to the blast to get a lower dose of radiation, but you did not die immediately, how might you be affected several years later?

America on the Home Front – WWII Posters

Click on the following link to explore some posters supporting the American war effort:

What is the main goal of poster 1?

What does the Rosie the Riveter poster represent (poster 2)?

What is the message of poster 3?

What is the goal of poster 5?

What is the goal of poster 7?

What is the message of poster 11?

What is the message of poster 15?

What are some common characteristics found in most of the posters?

World War II Leaders – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Click on this link to watch a video clip about FDR:

What were some of the major challenges FDR faced during his presidency?

How did FDR deal with his disability (polio)?

What were some of FDR’s greatest strengths as a leader?

World War II Leaders – Adolf Hitler

Click this link to learn about the military mistakes made by Adolf Hitler:

Why was the military command structure for the Allies so much more successful than Hitler’s?

What military blunder did Hitler make prior to D-Day regarding his Panzer tank divisions?

Click this link to learn about the controversy surrounding Hitler’s death:

According to eyewitness sources, how did Hitler die?

What do some people believe about Hitler’s last days?

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