The War at Sea
and in the Air

HMCS Assiniboine vs U-Boat U210 by Thomas Beament Source: Courage Remembered

Grade: ten
Time: Two periods (140 minutes)

Digital Collections Used:

Pieces of Paper: Japanese Air Balloon Bombings Against North America During W.W.II

Handouts:

• Handout 1 - "Japanese Balloon Bombs"
• Handout 2 - "The War in the Air"
• Handout 3 - "The War at Sea"

Evaluation

"Canadian Achievements Self Evaluation"

"Canadian Achievements Peer Evaluation"

Expectations:
Students will:

• use the Internet as a research tool.
• work together in small groups.
• become experts in a subject and teach it to their classmates.
• record notes on the contributions of the RCAF and the Navy.
• define terms: Battle of Britain, The Blitz, Convoy, Operation Sea Lion, U-boat, Spitfire, Lancaster, RCAF, Bomber Command.

• Ensure that Internet access is available for entirety of first period.
• Make a copy of Handouts 1, 2, & 3 for every student in the class.
• Form class into groups of 3 students who can work effectively together.
• Bookmark "Valour Remembered: Canada and the Second World War, 1939-1945" on all the computers to be used.

Lesson Plan:

1. Divide class into Home Groups of three students. Each group member will then join one of three Expert Groups in a jigsaw fashion. The expert groups are:
   1. Japanese Air Balloon Bombs (Digital Collections)
   2. The War in the Air Valour Remembered (Battle of Britain, War in the Air)
   3. The War at Sea Valour Remembered (Battle of the Atlantic, War at Sea)
      The Expert Groups will work together to decide which data is important enough to be copied onto the handout. Every group member must take the relevant notes.
2. The Home Groups re-form and each expert shares their research. The other two members record the notes onto their handouts.
3. Students add to their "World War II Glossary":
   • Battle of Britain
   • The Blitz
   • Convoy
   • Operation Sea Lion
   • U-Boat
   • Spitfire
   • Lancaster
   • RCAF
   • Bomber Command
4. Teacher concludes experience by reviewing each subject to ensure that class has complete notes.

Teaching Strategy:

Jigsaw - The jigsaw is one of the most common methods of co-operative learning. It encourages students to become experts in one aspect of a topic, as they must explain it to some of their classmates. By the end of the exercise, students will have complete notes on multiple topics and be especially knowledgeable on one third of the material.
Each student will be a member of two groups: a "Home Group" and an "Expert Group."
In the expert group, students work together as a team to master their assigned material.
They then go to their home group and explain the material to the others, who record it in their notes.
For example:

Home 1	Home 2	Home 3	Balloon	Air War	Sea War
Bill	John	Bill	Jenny	Chris
Jenny	Marika	Michelle	John	Marika	Pat
Chris	Pat	Kelly	Sam	Michelle	Kelly

Evaluation Opportunities:

• informal assessment of small group participation.
• peer evaluation of student's appropriate contribution to group.
• self evaluation of student's appropriate contribution to group.
• completeness mark for notes on all three sections.