1. For what reason were the allied paratroopers dropped into France the night before the amphibious assault began on D-Day?

2. How many U.S. paratroopers took part in Operation Overlord?

3. How many allied troops in total landed in Nazi-occupied France on D-Day?

4. What were the names of the 5 beaches Allied troops landed on? - Which were assigned to American troops?  to the British? and to the Canadians?

Check out the links and watch the videos under “Resources” below the questions.

5. What 3 aspects of D-Day do you think every American should know? Explain your answer.

6. How does learning about D-Day inspire you?

7. D-Day is not part of required high school social studies curriculum in many states. Teaching about World War II varies from state to state. It’s often up to  teachers to decide how much time they want to give to individual battles like D-Day. A teacher in North Carolina who spent about an hour and a half teaching about D-Day in 2019 said if it wasn’t the 75th anniversary of the turning point in World War II, she wouldn’t devote that much time to it. (Too many other requirements she needs to fulfill.)
a) Consider the importance to the U.S. and the world of the allies winning the war, and the role D-Day played in making it possible. Why should every high school require teaching about D-Day as part of their curriculum?
b) Ask a parent and also a grandparent the same question.

CHALLENGE: Research one of the following relating to D-Day. Write a 2-3 paragraph summary explaining its significance to someone who has never heard of it:

• Operation Overlord
• Operation Neptune
• Pointe du Hoc
• Bedford Boys
• Portsmouth, England
• Who planned the D-Day landings?
• Role of Eisenhower in D-day
• The Atlantic Wall
• Mulberry Harbors
• Ghost Army
• The use of C-47s and gliders