D-Day

Image
Title graphic, American Experience: D-Day
Annotation

D-Day is a companion website to the PBS American Experience documentary of the same name. On Tuesday June 6, 1944, the Allies landed in France in an attempt to end World War II. The PBS documentary consists of archival footage and the commentary of 43 eyewitnesses.

While the film itself is not streaming online, you can read the full transcript, which alternates between narration and oral history.

Special Features includes some trivia points, accounts of D-Day by both U.S. and German soldiers, two breaking news articles of the invasion, statistics on paratroopers, and six letters home written by U.S. soldiers following D-Day.

Other site features include a timeline, short biographies of key figures, a map, and a teacher's guide. The teacher's guide offers four activity suggestions—one each for history, economics, geography, and civics. The history suggestion includes writing alternate histories and preparing oral reports on decisive battles in U.S. history.

All in all, the site provides a decent amount of historical trivia and personal accounts, which could be used to enliven a unit on World War II.

Eisenhower Academy

Description

From the Eisenhower National Historic Site:

"The 13th annual Eisenhower Academy, a summer institute for teachers, presents an in-depth perspective of Dwight D. Eisenhower as president and world leader, and introduces effective strategies for teaching the Cold War era in the classroom. Lectures and discussion cover civil rights, the Cold War, 1950's economics, popular culture, and new scholarship on the Eisenhower Presidency. Field trips include a visit to the Eisenhowers' home and a guided walk through historic Gettysburg to explore Eisenhower's life and times in the community."

Contact name
John Joyce
Contact email
Registration Deadline
Sponsoring Organization
Eisenhower National Historic Site, Gettysburg College, Mount St. Mary's University
Phone number
7173389114
Target Audience
K-12
Start Date
Cost
$725 with room and board; $475 for day students
Course Credit
"Two Pennsylvania Professional Education Credits (60 Act 48 CEUs) are available for attending the Academy. Three graduate credits are available for an additional fee of $1128 through the Mount St. Mary's Master of Education program. To receive credit, students will complete course assignments and lesson plan, and attend all sessions of the Academy."
Duration
Six days
End Date