We Were There at the Normandy Invasion

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Back in the spring of 1940, toward the beginning of World War 2, Germany had invaded and seized control of France.  Four years later, in 1944, the Allies took it back…

In one of the best-coordinated military operations of modern history, General Eisenhower (later to be President Eisenhower) commanded ‘Operation Overlord’ to take back France.  Based in Britain, the Allies began the invasion by landing a huge army in Normandy, located on the northwest coast of France.  They landed on five beaches in the area – Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword – on the morning of June 6, 1944.

Before arriving by ship, the Allies came by plane, attacking the Nazi defense and dropping paratroopers behind German lines.  They were assisted by local French Resistance fighters, who helped to communicate and to sabotage Germans in the area.

There is no exact count of how many men died, but it is estimated that 425,000 (including both Germans and Allies) were killed, wounded, or missing after the D-Day campaign.  Hitler lost control of France, however, and it was a major turning point in the outcome of World War 2.

Though its code name was ‘Operation Overlord,’ this event is often referred to as D-Day.  The D actually stands for "day."  Typically, any important military invasion was dubbed D-1, and the days after were D+1, D+2, etc.

Our spine novel is We Were There at the Normandy Invasion

Access the complete unit in the 'We Were There' Novel Studies Bundle!

Includes THIRTY-SIX unit studies covering World & American History. Each unit addresses a new topic, spanning the the ancient world through post-WW2.  Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand.

• There are photographs and illustrations, and we have also included primary documents when available.
• After this text, there are featured videos, which augment the background information and help make the topic more accessible for more visual students.
• You will also find a short list of reading books, including a featured novel that the unit builds upon.
• There are vocabulary words, places, and people to identify.
• Reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, and writing assignments are included.
• We add fun with hands-on activities and extra videos to watch that will bring the era to life.

These studies are directed toward upper grades students, but some have resources for younger students so that the whole family can work together. Our family has used unit studies as curriculum for many years, and we hope that your family will enjoy these, too!

Product Samples:

• We Were There with Richard the Lionhearted in the Crusades
• We Were There with Byrd at the South Pole
• We Were There at the Opening of the Atomic Era

Get the entire World War 2 Bundle!

Includes:

• 
  The Book Thief
• We Were There at the Battle of Britain
• Number the Stars
• The Winged Watchmen
• We Were There at Pearl Harbor
• We Were There at the Battle of Bataan
• Island War
• Red Stars
• The Night Witches
• Mare’s War
• We Were There at the Normandy Invasion
• Code Talkers
• We Were There at the Battle of the Bulge
• The Light Between Us
• We Were There at the Open of the Atomic Era
• A Merry 1940s Christmas

Product samples:

• We Were There at the Opening of the Atomic Era
• Have Yourself a Vintage Little Christmas