World War II Map Mashup

View Larger Map

This map mashup could be used with a variety of different age levels by adjusting the amount of information and detail provided about the events. However, for the age level I have planned this map mashup would be used with students in either 5th or 6th grade. This map would be used in a social studies class during a unit on World War II.

I think the main idea that students could gain from using this map is the location of each of the major events during World War II to where they live. When I first learned about World War II, especially the attach on Pearl Harbor, I never realized how close Hawaii was to Japan. I think this map will help students see the the proximity of Hawaii to Japan, and Hawaii's distance from the United States main land made the island a prime target. I also think this map helps to show students that the war really was a world war. Too often I feel that students assume the war only took place in Germany because of the emphasis on the Holocaust. In fact, there were many battles in many different countries and there were a lot of countries left damaged and hurting after the war. The links to pictures help to bring the map and ideas to life to give students an idea of the affects the war had on those involved. I also love the link to GoogleEarth because it shows students what the areas where battles took place look like today. Some students may not realize how populated places like Hiroshima, Japan are until they look at the map of the buildings and roads on GoogleEarth. Although there are probably more people in Hiroshima today than there were in 1944, it still helps students to understanding when the dropping of the atomic bombs claimed so many lives. I would use this map to let my students explore where different events took place. It is one thing to talk about different countries across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but once they have a chance to see these places it will help them to connect the information that they are learning.