Distance Learning

Ike and the Men of D-Day (Virtual Program)

Grade Level:
High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
Subject:
Literacy and Language Arts,Social Studies
State Standards:
Pennsylvania State Standards 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4

Program Overview

This program allowes students to learn about the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France during World War II by exploring the lives of several individuals who participated in it, as well as the leadership of General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Students will examine Eisenhower's leadership style and decisions, using them to understand how the D-Day invasion took place and why it was successful. They will also have the opportunity to learn about stories of real soldiers who were killed on D-Day and are now buried in Gettysburg National Cemetery. This program includes primary source kits for these D-Day casualties, giving students a chance to work with primary source documents to discover their stories. 

Pre and post program lesssons provide opportunities for students to write their own "Order of the Day", as General Eisenhower did in 1944, and to gain further understanding of what General Eisenhower meant when he described the invasion as "the Great Crusade".

Theme

The D-Day Invasion of Normandy, France, a turning point in World War II, was made possible by the engaging leadership of Dwight D. Eisenhower and the sacrifices of ordinary soldiers who embodied the spirit of the "Great Crusade" of which Eisenhower spoke in his "Order of the Day" on June 6, 1944.

Essential Questions

General Eisenhower wrote of a “Great Crusade” in his pre-invasion “Order of the Day.” What did he mean?
What role did General Eisenhower’s leadership play in the success of the D-Day invasion?
What can we learn about sacrifice and service from those who fought on D-Day?
What qualities are essential to being a good leader, and in what ways can we be leaders in our communities today?

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Define at least three of Eisenhower’s leadership qualities.

  • Understand the importance of D-Day, why it occured, and the major components of planning that went into the invasion.

  • Examine the cost of war by discovering the story of at least one of the soldiers who died on D-Day.

  • Contextualize and explain the importance of D-Day for 20th Century American history and World history.

Program Length

This program lasts 40-60 minutes. 

How to Schedule

This program is free of charge. Email us at eise_education@nps.gov to set up this virtual program for your class. When contacting us, please provide the following:

  • Name of your school
  • Grade level of your students
  • Approximately number of students
  • What virtual program platform do you prefer (We use Microsoft Teams)
  • Do you have a set up that will allow us to see and/or hear from your students during this program?
  • Please provide suggested dates for scheduling the program

Tags: primary source d-day eisenhower world war ii social studies american history world history

Last updated: March 7, 2025