Lesson Plan WWII Battlefield Medicine
WWII Battlefield Medicine: A Lesson Using Primary / Oral Resources from Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC
by Erin Milam & Rex Mangiaracina, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Overview
This lesson will analyze the personal experiences of Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents deployed to North Africa as part of the U.S. Army 38th Evacuation Hospital during WWII. It will incorporate the use of oral histories, primary source letters, government documents and original photographs relevant to the assignment and WWII in general.
North Carolina Standard Course of Study 9th Grade World History Curriculum
5.03: Analyze the causes and course of WWII and evaluate it as the end of one era and the beginning of another.
Daily Objective
- Describe and analyze the personal experiences of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg medical teams deployed during WWII.
- Evaluate conditions of the medical facilities overseas during wartime.
- Interpret and predict response to various propaganda methods utilized by the U.S. government during wartime.
Suggested Time for Activities
90 Minutes
Materials Needed
Photo #4 (Nurses from Charlotte)
Photo #5 (Doctors from Charlotte)
Photo #6 (Operating on wounded soldiers)
Photo #7 (Portable medical hospital)
FDR Letter to Medical Personnel
U.S. Army Regulation Manual
Computer w/ internet connection and speakers to play oral interview
LCD / overhead projector to display photos and documents
Lesson Plan
Pre-Activities
Students should be able to identify causes of WWII, geographic regions involved in the conflict, define the concept of ‘total war’, and identify key historical figures.
Activity
Warm-Up Options:
Describe/List as many potential roles that an individual might have during a war.
Using Photo #1, infer what were conditions like in a mobile army hospital for the soldiers as well as the medical staff.
Using Photo #3, create a short poem or narrative about the emotions of a wounded soldier during WWII.
Introduction:
Discussion & sharing of warm-up. Introduce lesson topic via brief lecture.
Guided Activities:
Listening Activity – Students will listen to oral history interview of Martha Mitchell describing her wartime experiences as a nurse followed by brief discussion of main points and/or questions. Worksheet
Photograph Analysis Activity – Students will view photographs and analyze experiences of the medical personnel involved (collaborative or individual work assignments). Worksheet
Primary Source Document Activity – Students will view primary source documents and analyze motives, bias, and meaning behind their creation and use (collaborative or individual work assignments). Worksheet
Assessments
- Students will compose a letter home pretending to be a member of the 38th U.S. Army Evacuation Hospital
- Students will create a journal entry from the point of view of the nurses/doctors dealing with injured soldiers, foreign customs, and separation from their families during their deployment in WWII.
- Students will create a propaganda poster utilizing methods similar to those found during WWII.
- After brief introduction to oral histories, students will complete an interview process with family or community member regarding wartime / military experiences (not limited to WWII). NOTE: This would be an extended out-of-school project suitable for an honors level class.
Additional Resources
- Martha Mitchell Oral History full interview & transcript discussing her experiences as a member of the U.S. Army 38th Evacuation Hospital Unit formed primarily with personnel from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. From New South Voices Website.
- Belle Banks Oral History full interview & transcript discussing working in a ship building factory during WWII. From New South Voices Website.
- Gladys Shamblin Oral History full interview & transcript discusses how she has grown to appreciate her mother’s Japanese culture and the challenges her mother faced during WWII as a Japanese American. From New South Voices Website.
- Gladys Kahn Lavitan Oral History full interview & transcript discussing the Jewish experience of the 1930’s and 1940’s in Charlotte-Mecklenburg region during WWII. From New South Voices Website.
- Ernest Miller History transcript only discussing life in pre-war Germany prior to Nazi occupation and experiences in a forced labor camp. From New South Voices Website.
Oral History Instructional Lesson Ideas
1. Oral History Exercises for Students. From UNC Charlotte History Department.
2. Step by Step Guide to Oral History. From the Do History website, created by the Film Study Center at Harvard University and hosted by the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University.
3. History Channel Student Guide to Oral History
4. Veterans History Project, Library of Congress. This website has an extensive collection of oral histories and instructions for completing the interviews.