WWII History: Obscure # 2: Even MORE Obscure Subjects and Interesting Facts About World War 2 - World War Two - WW2
I created this social studies class due to the popularity of the original! In this one-time class, students explore several little known but extremely interesting facts about the Second World War.
Michael DiMinno, M.A.T.
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(755)
Popular
What's included
1 live meeting
1 in-class hoursClass Experience
US Grade 4 - 7
Learn about several different fascinating stories about the Second World War! These are little known tidbits that are very interesting and have earned their place in WWII history. The structure will include one immersive session which will cover 8 different topics. They are: Operation Himmler Wojtek the bear The St. Nazaire Raid The SS Vienna Konstanz, Germany Navajo Code Talkers Operation Vengeance The Story of PT-109 I teach by using slides, original photographs, video clips, discussions and more. There will be several question/answer periods during the session to address questions and comments. Some prior knowledge of WWII helpful, but not a must. As the teacher, I will be dressed in an original WWII uniform for the session.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
I have been teaching military history to elementary students since 2001 and parents have appreciated the approach I use given the age of the students. I try to keep our study away from the more age inappropriate topics, such as The Holocaust, harsh treatment of POW's, etc. It is not that these topics aren't important, it's just that the age range for these lessons (8-14) is a bit on the younger side, so I feel that they are better left to teachers of older grades. When I do get questions about the more disturbing aspects of the war, I might answer along the lines of, "these soldiers went into this country and did not treat the people there well," instead of giving specifics. Having said this, please be aware that these classes are about warfare and military history. One aspect of this is to talk about weapons from the corresponding era, and to discuss advancements in military technology. I don't handle any firearms personally, but we do discuss weapons and technology and I show pictures and videos when appropriate.
If your learner is sensitive to this kind of subject, and may get frightened or upset upon seeing a picture of a rifle, cannon, tank or bullet, then this may not be the class for them. This is a class about military history, and there is no way to avoid this, so please take this into account before signing up.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
This particular area of study is varied, i.e. we are not focusing on one particular aspect of WWII. But one book that covers a few of these obscure subjects is entitled, "The Secret War with Germany," by William B. Breuer. As an example, it covers the St. Nazaire Raid and Operation Himmler. I also used,"Code Talker," by William Bruchac to reference the Navajo Code Talkers. Finally, I used "PT-109 - JFK in WWII," by Robert Donovan.
Joined April, 2020
5.0
755reviews
Popular
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Education from Manhattanville College
Bachelor's Degree from State University of New York College at Fredonia
Hello, my name is Michael DiMinno and I have been teaching for over 20 years. I hold a Master's degree in Elementary Education and spent most of my tenure as a classroom teacher. Over the past 3 years I have shifted to remote small group instruction and tutoring. At this point, I have taught well over 1,000 students on Outschool and have attained the level of Star Teacher. While I enjoyed being a classroom teacher and tackling multiple subjects, my real passion is teaching history. I believe that being a teacher is the greatest vocation in the world and in order to reach young people effectively, you have to work to make connections with the students and make the material engaging and accessible. I use humor, as well as my vast collection of military uniforms and artifacts, to bring history to life for my students. Outschool learners from all over the world have enjoyed seeing these period uniforms while learning about topics surrounding WWII, WWI, the Civil War, and the American Revolution. I don't handle any firearms, and there are no inappropriate uniforms or symbols.Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$25
per classMeets once
60 min
Completed by 80 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-14
3-10 learners per class
