Iwo Jima

After studying the battle of Iwo Jima together as a class we will get into groups of three and look more closely at the island using Google Maps. 

Follow these steps to get a picture of Iowa Jima Island: 

1) http://maps.google.com 

2) Search: Iwo Jima, Japan 

3) Zoom in and click on satellite 

Once your group has found the Island on Google Maps I would like the group to discuss the following;  geographic influences of the battle, where the troops were stationed, which beach was stormed. I also would like the students to discuss why this Island was so important to conquer along with challenges that occurred during the war and how they could have helped conquer those weaknesses based off of the map and information or technology we know today.

By having the students personally look up things on google maps and search out the land they have an opportunity to learn like they are there. They can see the terrain and points of interest on the island. They are taking a virtual tour of the Island without leaving the classroom. Students learn quite a bit from doing online research and this is one activity to help foster that interest in researching the island.

Picture found at: http://www.visitingdc.com/virginia/iwo-jima-picture.htm

                                                                     

Navajo Code Talkers

There was a battle, in World War One, where many Choctaw Indians were communicating by radio in their native language in hopes of fooling the Germans. Their schemes worked, they were losing the battle and because of the code the tide was turned and the Americans won. A victory that Philip Johnston a World War One veteran didn't forget. 

When World War Two broke out Johnston was reminded again of the Choctaw code used to fool the Germans and Johnston decided to take his knowledge to the Marines. They choose twenty-nine Navajo Indians fluent in both Navajo and English, their job was to create an unbreakable code; they succeeded. By the end of the war there was over 400 code talkers, it is said that without them we would have lost the war. Japan has cracked every code except our Navajo code. 

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002073F/thinkquest/Code_talkers.htm 

  

*The Original 29 Navajo Code Talkers*

In the Classroom

Together as a class we will learn about the Navajo Code Talkers, our lessons would include the information stated above but go into more detail to fit the age and learning level of the students. I want the students to see that there are many different aspects of war, there is more than just what you see on the front lines, and a big part of that is the Code Talkers. 

For an activity each student will write a short paragraph including; first name, what month they were born, and an interesting fact. They will use http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq61-4.htm to write their information in the Navajo Code. Once everyone has written their coded message we will mix up the codes and hand them out to a different student to be decoded. 

  Example: 
      *Jenna
      *March
      *I, love, horses.

      *Tkele-Cho-G  Ah-Jah  Tsah  A-Chin Wol-la-chee
      *Tah-Chill
      *Tkin,  Dibeh-Yazzie   A-Kha    A-Keh-Di-Glini   Ah-Jah,   Tse-Gah   A-Kha   Gah   Dibeh
            Ah-Jah  Kilesh.  

-We will use only the alphabet and the months for this project