WWII History: Tanks in the West! World War 2 Armored Warfare in North Africa and Europe - World War Two - WW2
In this 4 part social studies course, students will explore WWII armored warfare in the western theaters of combat: North Africa and France
Michael DiMinno, M.A.T.
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(755)
Popular
What's included
4 live meetings
4 in-class hoursClass Experience
US Grade 4 - 7
Learn all about armored warfare during WWII, but this time in the western theaters of combat! I specifically focus on the war in North Africa and then Northwest Europe (France into Germany.) We will discuss the war in the desert in the earlier part of the war and finish off with the war in Northwest Europe after D-Day. This will allow us to cover early war tanks and late war tanks as well. The structure will include four immersive sessions which will cover armored warfare during the time period of 1939-1945. The sessions will cover: Session # 1 - The nature of tank warfare during WWII The tank war in North Africa 1940-1943 Why North Africa was important to the allies Why North Africa was important to the axis What desert warfare is like Types of ammunition used in tanks in WWII Session # 2 Tanks used in North Africa and Europe 1939-1945 German tanks British tanks American tanks Italian tanks The Battle of El Alamein The Sherman arrives in North Africa Session # 3 - Armored Warfare in Normandy/Germany Percy Hobart and his "Funnies" Preparing vehicles for D-Day Armored vehicles on D-Day Hedgerows - what Allied Intelligence failed to discover Sergeant Curtis Cullen and the Rhino Session # 4 Falaise, Arracourt and into Germany, 1944-1945 Breakout from the Bocage - Falaise "Jabos" The Panzer V - The Panther The Panzer VI - The Tiger The Battle of Arracourt and the 4th Armored Division 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 full WWII uniforms for all sessions. These are historic uniforms ONLY; they are not modern nor do they represent modern service men or women in any way. Rather, they exist to allow the learners to see what service uniforms looked like during the 1940's and to spark interest as well. No insult is meant to servicemen or women of any country; and I am not pretending to be someone specific that I am not.
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.
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 Group Class
$25
weekly or $100 for 4 classes1x per week, 4 weeks
60 min
Completed by 53 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-14
3-10 learners per class
