1. This is day in History: 1943: FDR & Winston Churchill meet for Casablanca Conference Learning Target: I can understand the experiences of American soldiers on the Western Front. Opener Brainstorm: What do you know about D- Day?

2. Western Europe and North Africa Britain, Canada, Australia and United States vs. Germany and Italy American/British commanded by General Dwight Eisenhower

3. Predict: Do you think the U.S. was more concerned with fighting Germany or Japan first? Why?

4. Allies focused on Germany But FDR and Churchill want Russia to do most of fighting Get experience for troops in North Africa first

5. September 1943: Allies landed in Italy Successful against Italian troops Hitler sent German troops to help Italians Allied advance stalled

6. Predict: After stalling in Italy, what did the Allies do?

7. 1944: Germany pushed out of Soviet Union On the ropes on Eastern Front Allies don’t want to be left out of peace settlement Ready to invade France

8. Operation Overlord: Land on beaches of Normandy, France June 6 th, 1944 Germans caught off-guard 10,000 Allied killed or wounded https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82RTzi5Vt7w

9. Allies used toehold to land 1 million troops in one month August 1944: Allies liberated Paris

10. Predict How did Hitler respond to the Allies success?

11. December 1944: Hitler desperate Germany launches counterattack to knock Allies out of France American troops stand firm, save the day

12. January 1945: Soviets reach Berlin Americans 50 miles away

13. Review What were the most important points from the lecture?

14. The United States did not enter the fight in Europe until late in the war. United States helped liberate France starting with the D-day landings at Normandy.

15. Connect: How was the fighting in WW2 similar or different than the fighting in WW1?