Rationale and learning intentions

Pupils need to realise that events and outcomes in history are not inevitable.  This is emphasised by giving pupils decisions to make at stages in the enquiry.  The focus of the task is to follow a narrative of events and move pupils to an analysis of factors that explain the Allies’ success in the first 24 hours of the invasion.  The end product maintains this focus: pupils must plan the final minutes of a television documentary about D-Day, identifying factors that made the operation a success.

Resources required

• Resource A: The Armada
• Resource B: The Defences
• Resource C: The Chain of Command
• Resource D: Planning and Preparation
• Resource E: Dieppe
• Resource F: Equipment
• Resource G: Secrecy
• Resource H: Pegasus Bridge
• Resource I: The Airborne Landings
• Resource J: The Beach Landings
• Resource K: Casualties
• Resource L: Morale
• Resource M: Reporting D-Day
• Resource O: Map

1 – The challenge

Teacher shows a map to establish the context in May 1944.  Shows picture from Dieppe raid (1942) (Resource E).  Outlines the story of Dieppe.  What might Allied leaders have concluded from Dieppe and why?  Establish in outline the difficulties of a second front in Europe.  Pupils write brief explanation of why Rommel said the first 24 hours of the Normandy landings would be critical – “The Longest Day” (Resources A, B & O)

2 – The planning

Show Eisenhower and Montgomery pictures. (Resource C) Place pupils in role as advisers.  Tell them the leaders want them to come up with as many difficulties facing the invasion as they can.  Establish a long list e.g. locations, gathering troops, secrecy, communications and supply lines, technology, morale of troops. 
Then take pupils through the story of the planning and training stages. Pupils spot issues they thought of (or not) and note what allies actually did and why.  What factors so far help to explain why D-Day was a success? (Resources B, D, E, F, G & L)

3 – The delays

Tell pupils that Eisenhower was full of concerns in the last days before D-Day. Tell story of final days, including the decision to postpone (Resource D).  Pupils make a list of Eisenhower’s worries (e.g. by a series of thought bubbles around him). Which of his worries were most real threats to success? What does this section tell us about why D-Day was a success? Are there any new factors? (Resource A)

4 – The attack

Tell story of paratroopers’ assaults in Normandy (Resources H, I &O) and the landings on the beaches (Resource J) and other support e.g. medical staff for the wounded, chaplains, photographers (Resource K & M).  Ask pupils to summarise under headings: What were the plans? What went right?  What went wrong? What new factors explain the overall success of D-Day?  (NB Courage/Fears of troops and their sacrifice/planning/luck)

5 – The factors

Establish that there were still months of bitter fighting ahead, but that despite heavy casualties the “Longest Day” had been won by the Allies.  Tell pupils they must plan the final 15 minutes of a long documentary that has told the story of D-Day.  Their job is to plan the final minutes where the presenter considers at least five factors that he or she thinks helped the Allies to success on D-Day.  The final sentence spoken by the presenter must summarise what pupils think.