World War II Tanks (Self-Paced)
In this self-paced STEM-focused military history class we will look at the engineering development of five tanks from the end of World War I to the end of World War II, including their design, construction, and use in combat.
Nelson Dean, M.Ed.
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(304)
What's included
6 pre-recorded lessons
6 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentHomework
1 hour per week. At the end of each class, students will receive an optional homework assignment that will encourage them to reflect on what they learned, often through the examination of primary sources and images from class. The goal of these assignments is to check for understanding, as well as give students a chance to stretch their critical thinking skills. Instructor feedback will be provided to students who submit their assignments within one week of submission.Grading
Grades can be provided for the course upon request and based on submission of optional assignments.Class Experience
In this class, we will look at six different armored vehicle programs from World War II, covering both allied and axis tanks. We will proceed chronologically through the war, and for each program we will talk about how the vehicles were designed, built, used on the battlefield, and modified to meet that battlefield's changing demands as the war went on. At the end of each class, students will receive an optional homework assignment that will encourage them to reflect on what they learned, often through the examination of primary sources and images from class. The goal of these assignments is to check for understanding, as well as give students a chance to stretch their critical thinking skills. Week 1: Early German Tanks Week 2: T-34 Week 3: M4 Sherman Week 4: The Panther Week 5: Italian tanks Week 6: The Tigers
Learning Goals
Students will develop an understanding of how industrial strengths and constraints influence the design of combat vehicles.Students will develop an understanding of how the changing battlefield conditions of World War II influenced industrial design.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum6 Lessons
over 6 WeeksLesson 1:
The Early Panzers
Students will learn about how Germany started their tank program in the 1930s, what they wanted it to do, and how they designed tanks to fit their particular way of war. 1 assignment
6 mins of video lessons
Lesson 2:
T-34
Students will learn about the story of the T-34, and how the Soviets streamlined its production to produce something that could overwhelm the Germans in large numbers. 1 assignment
17 mins of video lessons
Lesson 3:
M4 Sherman
Students will learn about how the US Army's approach to war led to the Sherman tank being designed to focus on easy production, transport, and repair, and how later problems with its performance were fixed. 1 assignment
16 mins of video lessons
Lesson 4:
Panther
Students will learn about how the Panther demonstrated changes in the way the Germans approached armored vehicles late in World War II, and how they solved the new problems this new approach created. 1 assignment
13 mins of video lessons
Other Details
Parental Guidance
While the structure of the course is academic in nature and the instructor avoids graphic depictions of violence, there will be times that the course involves the discussion of military behaviors in a historical context.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
The list below is not intended to be exhaustive and generally will not be directly used in class, but rather lists major primary and secondary academic authors used as a starting point for course preparation by the instructor:
- Robert Citino, The Wehrmacht Retreats
- MacGregor Knox, Hitler's Italian Allies
- Jonathan House, Stalingrad
- Albert Defazio, The Italian Campaign
- Heinz Guderian, Panzer Leader
- Mark T. Calhoun, Leslie McNair: Unsung Architect of the U.S. Army
- David Doyle, Sherman Tank, vol. 1
- Antony James Beevor, Ardennes, 1944
- David Stahel, Hitler's Panzer Generals
- Robert Forczyk, Tank Warfare on the Eastern Front
- Bruno Freisen, Panzer Gunner
- Mansur Abdulin, Red Road from Stalingrad
Joined March, 2020
4.9
304reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Education from University of Georgia
Bachelor's Degree in History from University of Georgia
For the last fifteen years, I have taught in a brick-and-mortar high school including AP World History, AP European History, AP Art History, and AP English Language so I have many years of experience teaching this material to a diverse array of students.
I have also been teaching military technology on Outschool for the last four years, and am thrilled to be on this platform to share my passion for the humanities with new students at a variety of age and experience levels.Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$16
weekly or $91 for all content6 pre-recorded lessons
6 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content
Completed by 5 learners
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Ages: 8-13
