Field Trips

"The Great Crusade:" Ike and the Men of D-Day

Grade Level:: High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
Subject:: Social Studies
Common Core Standards:: 6-8.RH.1, 6-8.RH.2, 9-10.RH.1, 9-10.RH.2, 9-10.RH.3, 6.SL.1, 6.SL.1.a, 9-10.SL.1, 9-10.SL.1.a, 9-10.SL.1.b, 9-10.SL.1.c
State Standards:: Grades 6-8
8.1.6-8. A & B
8.3.6-8 A, B, C, & D
8.4.6-8A, B, C & D
Grade 9
8.1.9.A & B
8.2.9.B
8.3.9.A, B, C
CC.8.5.6-8.A; CC.8.5.6-8.B; CC.8.5.6-8.D; CC.8.5.6-8.G; CC.8.5.6-8.J.
CC.8.5.9-10.A; CC.8.5.9-10.B; CC.8.5.9-10.C; CC.8.5.9-10.D; CC.8.5.9-10.I; C

Program Overview

This program allows students to learn more about the 1944 Invasion of Normandy by exploring the lives of several men who took part in it, as well as the leadership of the man who orchestrated and commanded it, General Dwight D. Eisenhower. This program will explore multiple parts of General Eisenhower’s leadership in the D-Day invasion, as well as real stories of soldiers who were killed on D-Day and are now buried in Gettysburg National Cemetery. Pre and post-program activities will reinforce the lessons and will give students the opportunity to write their own “Order of the Day” to the men of D-Day and to gain further understanding of what General Eisenhower meant when he described the invasion as “the Great Crusade.”

This program is offered both virtually and as a site visit to the Eisenhower National Historic Site and Gettysburg National Cemetery.

Theme

The D-Day Invasion, a turning point in World War II, was made possible by the engaging leadership of Dwight D. Eisenhower and especially by the sacrifices of ordinary soldiers who embodied “the Great Crusade” of which Eisenhower spoke in his “Order of the Day.”

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.
Analyze the experience of the American soldier at D-Day.
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.

Grade Level:

6-12

Class Size:

10-50

Program Length:

Virtual Program: 30-60 Minutes
On-site Program: 120 minutes (Program length is dependent on the size of the group, timely arrival on-site, and staffing).