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Military History Club: Tank Spotters Challenge

This One-Time class challenges History Buffs to recognize and name various armored fighting vehicles (TANKS) from WWI, WWII and the Cold War.
Keith (M.A. Military History)
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(354)
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Class

What's included

1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours

Class Experience

US Grade 4 - 7
Beginner Level
Nearly one hundred years ago, on 15 September 1916, fighting tanks went into battle for the very first time and added a new dimension to warfare. Those first tanks were British but they were soon followed by French, German and American tanks so that by 1918, when World War I ended, tanks formed a significant part of most of the combatant armies.

Tanks have changed over the last 100 years, mostly they have grown bigger and heavier with thicker armour plate and massive guns so they need much more powerful engines to move them along, more fuel to power the engine and an ever greater reliance on technology.

Today the tank is in service virtually all around the world and although it has changed shape dramatically compared with those lumbering monsters of 1916, the modern tank still embodies the three main characteristics of all tanks; that is Firepower, Mobility and Protection.

Firepower of course means guns, but not just guns; it includes sights and rangefinders from the crude early telescopes to the laser rangefinders used today.

Mobility is self-explanatory although it includes such things as tracks, suspension and steering systems which are peculiar to track laying vehicles.

Protection in its normal sense means armour but it can also be taken to include speed, height, camouflage, smoke screens and even the use of ground to hide or protect a tank.

Tank spotting is not difficult, they are big, noisy things but it is a lot harder to identify them, to learn to tell one type from another and know which nationality it is. Which is why a class such as this is so useful as a beginners guide. Learn the shapes, count the wheels and study the guns. They are all different and once you have become familiar with the tanks shown here visit a museum and look at the real thing.

Students will be shown pictures/art work of various tanks from the Second World War and the Cold War and then be asked to identify/name the tank. Students are encouraged to share as much information as they know. Since this is a group class, students will be expected to raise their hand for recognition to be called upon and not blurt out answers when it is not their turn. 


Some of the tanks we will spot in class: 
The Mark I

The Mark IV

The A7V

The Mark V

The Panzer III

The Matilda Infantry Tank

The M3 Lee/Grant Medium Tank

The Panzer IV

The Crusader Cruiser Tank

The T-34/76

The M4 Sherman

The Panther Medium Tank

The Tiger I Heavy Tank

The Sherman Firefly

The T-34/85

The Churchill Infantry Tank

The KV-1 Heavy Tank

The Churchill Crocodile Flamethrower Tank

The King Tiger Heavy Tank

The Cromwell Cruiser Tank

The M48 Patton

The Sherman DD Amphibious Tank

The M24 Chaffee Light Tank

The M3 and M5 Stuart Light Tank

The Centurion Universal Tank

The M26/M46 Pershing Tank

The T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks

The M551 Sheridan Tank

The T-62 Main Battle Tank

The IS Heavy Tank

The Leopard I Main Battle Tank

The M60 Main Battle Tank

The Chieftain Main Battle Tank

The T-72 Main Battle Tank

The Merkava Main Battle Tank

The Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank

The Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank

The T-80 Main Battle Tank

The Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank

The M1 Abrams Tank
Learning Goals
Students will learn about various shapes and sizes of tanks
Students will learn to share their knowledge with others
Students will learn about different tank designs over the years
learning goal

Other Details

External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Goldman, Stuart D. Nomonhan, 1939; The Red Army's Victory That Shaped World War II. 2012, Naval Institute Press. ISBN Guderian, Heinz (2001) [1952]. Panzer Leader (Da Capo Press Reissue ed.). New York: Da Capo Press. Hofmann, George F. and Starry, Donn A., eds. "Camp Colt to Desert Storm: The History of U.S. Armored Forces." 1999; University Press of Kentucky. Hunnicutt, R. P. Patton: A History of the American Main Battle Tank. 1984; Presidio Press. Hunnicutt, R. P. Firepower: A History of the American Heavy Tank. 1988; Presidio Press. von Mellenthin, Major General F. W. (1971) [1956]. Panzer Battles: A Study of the Employment of Armor in the Second World War (First Ballantine Books ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. Perrett, Bryan, 1990, Tank Warfare: Combat Development in World War Two, Arms and Armour Press, London. ISBN 0-85368-993-8 Starry, Donn. A, General. Mounted Combat In Vietnam. Department of the Army; First printing 1978. Stockwell, David B. Tanks In The Wire. 1990. Zaloga, Steven J. Japanese Tanks 1939–45. 2007; Osprey. Zaloga, Steven. Armored Thunderbolt, The US Army Sherman in World War II. 2008. Stackpole Books Zumbro, Ralph. The Iron Cavalry. 1998, Pocket Books.
Joined September, 2020
5.0
354reviews
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Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in History from American Military University
Bachelor's Degree in Education from University of Maine at Farmington
Bachelor's Degree in History from Acadia University (Nova Scotia, Canada)
Over the past 30 years I have taught I.G.C.S.E, A-Level, I.B., and A.P. History throughout the Atlantic region in both private and public school settings. During that time I have instructed students in a variety of rigorous exam subjects . I am a strong advocate of "immersion education" (historic setting RPG) in the Social Studies classroom. My passion is Military History, which I have been enthusiastically studying my entire life. My present RPG classes involve a number of embedded lessons learned (empathy, teamwork, problem solving, decision-making, etc.) through the Three Pillars of Adventure: Exploration, Role-playing, and Fantasy Combat. My Battles & Generals classes are akin to an "On-Going, interactive discussion-based documentary" as one student put it not too long ago....and that seems about right.

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Live One-Time Class
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$13

per class
Meets once
55 min

Live video meetings
Ages: 8-13
3-18 learners per class

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