Ride the Ducks Educational Field Trip

Pre-Trip Information

Get a duck’s eye-view of WWII as you experience riding one of the most innovative transport vehicles in

military history. Rosie the Riveter will introduce your students to the amphibious DUKW vehicle and the

important role that American women played in the creation of this ingenious land-and-water truck with a

classroom presentation, authentic WWII artifacts and a historical video. Climb aboard and learn first- hand

how the DUKW operates as you take a ride and of course, splash in Stone Mountain Lake!

This entire program (including the Duck Ride) runs approximately 60 – 90 minutes.

How to prepare your students for the program and trip:

Students should be learning about WWII. Discuss what a World War signifies. Read and discuss in class the

events that led to the United States’ involvement in WWII. Discuss the impact the war had on the American

people and the huge efforts made by all Americans. Talk about some of the major events during the war such

as Pearl Harbor and the Invasion of Normandy. Ask if any student’s family members fought in the war and

how they were affected. Talk a little bit about the era, what life was like, and how lifestyle changed, etc.

Day of your field Trip:

Schools will arrive by bus at Memorial Hall Museum at least 20 minutes prior to the program start time unless

otherwise instructed. This is where the classroom portion of the program takes place. The class- room portion

of the program runs approximately 30-40 minutes and is interactive and hands-on with several WWII artifacts

to see and touch. Once the classroom portion of the program is over; the students will then board the Duck that

will be waiting for them in front of Memorial Hall. The Duck tour portion runs approximately 30 minutes.

After riding the Duck, the students will be dropped back off in front of Memorial Hall.

** Anyone under the age of 13 years old must wear a flotation device on the watercraft. Flotation devices will be provided for this trip.

**Restrooms are located outside Memorial Hall around the corner of the building as well as inside.

iGeorgia Performance Standards aligned with this program:

SS5H6 (b,e), SS5E1 (a), SSUSH19 (c,d)

GRADE 5:

SS5H6 The student will explain the reasons for America’s involvement in World War II.

b. Describe major events in the war in both Europe and the Pacific; include Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima, D-Day,

VE and VJ Days and the Holocaust.

e. Describe the effects of rationing and the changing role of women and African- Americans; include “Rosie

the Riveter” and the Tuskegee Airmen.

Economic Understandings

SS5E1 The student will use the basic economic concepts of trade, opportunity cost, specialization,

voluntary exchange, productivity and price incentives to illustrate historical events.

a. Describe opportunity costs and their relationship to decision-making across time (such as

decisions to ration goods during WWII).

HIGH SCHOOL:

SSUSH19 The student will identify the origins, major developments, the domestic impact of World

War II and especially the growth of the federal government.

c. Explain major events; include the lend-lease program, the Battle of Midway, D-Day and

the fall of Berlin.

d. Describe war mobilization as indicated by rationing, war-time conversion and the role of women in

war industries.

Ride the Ducks Educational Field Trip

Activity and Discussion Guide – Rationing

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the economy shifted to focus on war production almost overnight.

Factories converted from manufacturing consumer goods to military goods and nationwide rationing began.

In May of 1942, the U.S. Office of Price Administration (OPA) froze prices on practically all everyday

goods starting with coffee and sugar, and the government found it necessary to ration food, gas and rubber.

The Food Rationing Program greatly affected the American way of life.

During WWII, you couldn’t just walk into a store and buy as much sugar, butter or meat as you wanted. You

couldn’t have as much gasoline as you wanted either. All of these goods were rationed; that means that you

were only allowed to buy a small amount even if you could afford more. The government introduced

rationing because certain things were in short supply during the war. The government needed to control the

supply and demand in order to avoid shortages and rationing was the only way to ensure everyone got their

fair share.

Sugar was rationed in 1943 with the distribution of “Sugar Buying Cards”. Only one member of the family

could register and coupons were distributed based on family size. The coupon book allowed the holder to

buy a specified amount of sugar per week, but possession of this coupon book did not necessarily guarantee

that sugar would be available.

Americans had to learn how to utilize what they had during the Food Rationing Program.

American families were also issued War Ration Books and tokens which dictated how much of any one item

a family could buy. Examples of these items were:

Tires, gasoline, sugar, meat, silk, shoes, nylon, rubber, cheese, canned milk, fats

DISCUSSION: Discuss with your students what it would be like to make sacrifices and live without the

kinds of goods that were rationed during the war and how that would affect them today. If they had to stand

in line for a small amount of food they had previously taken for granted, how would that affect their actions

and usage of it today?

Discuss in class if any students’ family members have ever experienced having to wait in line for something

being rationed. Bring up the gas shortages due to hurricanes. Was it the same kind of experience as in

WWII? Why or why not?

Did the gas shortage affect their family’s actions? How? Discuss the inconvenience of not having gas for a

week or two. Once they could purchase did they conserve it? Compare the sacrifices and inconveniences of

a weeklong shortage to several years of sacrifice made during WWII. Would living a certain way for years

have an impact on a person’s life? Would it impact their lives in a good way or a bad way? Discuss how.

ACTIVITY: Ask your parents if they know any stories about your great-grandparents or any other family

member that may have lived through WWII. Long after the war was over did they continue to conserve,

save and reuse items? Make a list and share it with the class. Did they save coupons, reuse butter containers

or foil? Compare your notes with your class. Are there any similarities? Discuss and share your ideas in

class. Do you think that WWII has impacted any actions of our daily lives today?

CRITICAL THINKING ACTIVITY: Do Americans ration or conserve anything today? Make a list and

share it with your class. Are Americans today affected by their conserving the same way that Americans

were affected during WWII?

List at least 3 different things that you hear in the news that your city, state, country or even the world needs

to better conserve. How would conserving these things make an impact on our society? Do you think that

the government should “ration” anything today? Share your ideas in class.

Ride the Ducks Educational Field Trip

Activity and Discussion Guide – Women at Work During WWII

From the very beginning of WWII, American propaganda was aimed at persuading women to support the

war effort by joining the work force. These efforts continued through the war and lead to the creation of the

Rosie the Riveter icon. The government accomplished this through sponsored ads, posters, radio broadcasts

and films. These ads played on patriotism and temporary need for women’s help, as well as increased

economic prosperity.

The advertisements were very successful. At the beginning of the WWII there were 12 million U.S. women

working and by the end of the war there were over 18 million U.S. women working. The government

emphasized that having women in the workforce was extremely important to the war effort; the public

readily accepted the idea of these 6 million “Rosies” pitching in.

Discuss in class what life was like for American women in 1941 and what their primary role was before

the war, during and after. Discuss the kinds of changes women made such as how they dressed and their

everyday activities.

PRE OR POST ACTIVITY: Design and draw your own magazine advertisement or poster that would

encourage women to join the workforce during World War II.

ACTIVITY: Now design and draw your own magazine ad or poster encouraging a present day woman to

find a career in any given industry. Compare the two ads.

FOR DISCUSSION: Discuss how much the ads have changed. How women are perceived in the WWII

ads and how are women perceived in today’s ads? Discuss the changes that women underwent during the

late 1930’s and early 1940’s as far as working, dressing, new opportunities, independence, as well as

discovering their individuality.

Vocabulary for Ride the Ducks Field Trip

Amphibious – Related to or adapted to both water and land.

Canteen – A canteen has a folding handle cup, an insulated cover that attaches to a belt or pack, and an

attachable cap so it could easily be carried around.

Duck – Slang term used by military for the amphibious DUKW (a truck that could swim).

DUKW – Amphibious military vehicle designed by General Motors and the Army used for transporting

soldiers and supplies to the battlefronts across seas during WWII.

DUKW Stands for:

D = Vehicle designed in 1942

U = Utility, amphibious

K = All wheel drive

W= Two powered rear axles

Ferrous – Made of, relating to, or containing iron.

Front Lines – The line or sector in which armed forces engage in combat.

Invasion of Normandy – The invasion and securing of the beaches off of Normandy, France on June 6,

1944 in which the Army Ducks played an essential role.

Mess Kit – Aluminum plate and utensil container that soldiers ate out of during WWII.

Mint – A place where coins, paper currency, special medals, etc. are produced under government authority.

Pearl Harbor – US Naval base in Hawaii where Japan orchestrated a surprise attack on December 7, 1941.

Propaganda – Information, ideas or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group,

movement, institution, nation etc.

Rationing – To use sparingly and distribute equally. Food, sugar, butter, gasoline and various other items

were rationed during WWII.

Riveter – Someone who securely fastens a metal bolt or pin through aligned holes in order to be joined;

then hammering them so as to form a second head (i.e. Rosie the Riveter).

Rosie the Riveter – The symbolic figure of working women of the WWII home front.

Steel Penny – The 1943 penny minted out of steel in order to conserve and reallocate copper towards

ammunition and war supplies.

We Can Do It – Famous slogan used in campaign ads by Rosie the Riveter to recruit women to work on

behalf of the home front during WWII.

Ride the Ducks Educational Field Trip

Post Review Worksheet

1. What company built the DUKW for the army? ________________________________________

2. What does the “D” in DUKW stand for? _____________________________________________

3. What does the “U” in DUKW stand for? _____________________________________________

4. What does the “K” stand for? ______________________________________________________

5. What does the “W” stand for? ______________________________________________________

6. How fast could the Duck travel on land? ______________________________________________

7. The Duck was _____________feet long and weighed _______________tons.

8. How many Ducks were manufactured in the three year span? _____________________________

9. How fast could the Duck travel in the water? __________________________________________

10. How much did it cost to build a duck in 1942? ________________________________________

11. The Duck was the first vehicle to allow the driver to adjust the tire ____________ from inside the cab.

12. What was another name for a “truck that could swim”? _________________________________

13. Why was the Duck called amphibious? ______________________________________________

14. What kind of army truck was the Duck modeled after? __________________________________

15. Why was WWII called a World War? ________________________________________________

16. What historical event did the DUKW’s participate in on June 6, 1944? ______________________

17. Why did the army need a truck that could swim? _______________________________________

18. What happened on December 7, 1941? _______________________________________________

19. Who does Rosie the Riveter represent? _______________________________________________

20. What was the famous slogan used in campaigns ads by Rosie the Riveter to recruit women to work on

behalf of the war efforts? __________________________________________________________

21. What does rationing mean? ________________________________________________________

22. Name three things that were rationed during WWII? ________________________________________

23. How many gallons of gasoline were given out per week? ____________________________________

24. What U.S. coin was used for war efforts? _________________________________________________

25. What was the copper used for? _________________________________________________________

26. Since all copper was being used for the war efforts what did the U.S. Mint make

pennies out of in 1943? ____________________________________________

27. If you have a huge pile of copper pennies and a one 1943 steel penny gets mixed in, name a quick way

to find that that steel penny? __________________________________________________________

28. What kind of metal are magnets attracted to? _____________________________________________

29. What is steel made of? _______________________________________________________________

30. Why will a magnet only pick up only the 1943 steel penny? _________________________________

31. What does ferrous mean? _____________________________________________________________

32. Does copper have iron in it? ___________________________________________________________

33. What is a “Mess Kit”? ________________________________________________________________

34. What kind of metal is not found in the 1943 wheat penny?

(a) Copper

(b) Steel

(c) Zinc

(d) All of the above

35. World War II marked the first time that women worked jobs in U.S. factories that had before belonged only to men. How many women joined the work force at this time?

(a) 60,000

(b) 600,000

(c) 6 Million

(d) 60 Million

36. What was the final invasion during World War II that would not have been possible without the DUKWs, due to sandbars and reefs?

(a) Iwo Jima

(b) Berlin

(c) Hiroshima

(d) Normandy

ANSWER KEY

Ride The Ducks Field Trip Post Review Worksheet

1. What company built the DUKW for the army? General Motors

2. What does the “D” in DUKW stand for? Vehicles produced in 1942

3. What does the “U” in DUKW stand for? Utility/amphibious

4. What does the “K” stand for? Front wheel drive

5. What does the “W” stand for? Two powered rear axels

6. How fast could the Duck travel on land? 50 mph

7. The Duck was 31 feet long and weighed 7 ½ tons.

8. How many Ducks were manufactured in the three years? 21,000

9. How fast could the Duck travel in the water? 6 mph

10. How much did it cost to build a duck in 1942? $10,000

11. The Duck was the first vehicle to allow the driver to adjust the tire air pressure from inside the cab.

12. What was another name for a “truck that could swim”? DUKW or Duck

13. Why the Duck was called amphibious? Because it could travel on land and by water

14. What kind of army truck was the Duck modeled after? 6 X 6 army truck

15. Why World War II was called a world war? Because it involved most of the world’s developed nations

16. What historic event did the DUKW participate in on June 6, 1944? Invasion of Normandy

also known as “D-Day”

17. Why did the army need a truck that could swim? So the military could transport soldiers and equipment from the great sea vessels to the battlefronts and back.

18. What happened on December 7, 1941? The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii

19. Who does Rosie the Riveter represent? American women who went to work to help the war efforts

20. What was the famous slogan used in campaigns ads by Rosie the Riveter to recruit women to work on behalf of the war efforts? We Can Do It!

21. What does rationing mean? To use sparingly and distribute equally

22. Name three things that were rationed during WWII sugar, flour, gasoline, copper, butter, meat

23. How many gallons of gasoline were given out per week? 4 gallons

24. What U.S. coin was used for war efforts? The copper penny

25. What was the copper used for? To make ammunition

26. Since all copper was being used for the war efforts what did the U.S. Mint make pennies out of in 1943? Steel

27. If you have a huge pile of copper pennies and one 1943 steel penny gets mixed in, name one quick way

to find that that steel penny. Use a magnet

28. What kind of metal are magnets attracted to? Iron

29. What is steel made of? Steel is made from iron and other alloys.

30. Why will a magnet pick up only the 1943 steel penny and not a copper one? Because the 1943 penny is made of steel which contains iron and magnets are attracted to iron

31. What does ferrous mean? Ferrous means something that contains iron.

32. Does copper have iron in it? No

33. What is a “Mess Kit”? A mess kit is the metal plate and utensils that a soldier would eat from.

34. What kind of metal is not found in the 1943 wheat penny? (a) Copper (b) Steel (c) Zinc (d) All of the above

35. World War II marked the first time that women worked full force in U.S. factories in jobs that had before belonged solely to men. How many women joined the work force at this time? (a) 60,000 (b) 600,000 (c) 6 Million (d) 60 Million

36. What final invasion in World War II would not have been possible without the DUKW due to sandbars and reefs? (a) Iwo Jima (b) Berlin (c) Hiroshima (d) Normandy

AMMUNITION

CANTEEN

FACTORIES

IRON

PENNY

ROSIE

WOMEN

AMPHIBIOUS

COPPER

FOOD

MAGNET

RATIONING

SOLDIER

ARMY

DUKW

GASOLINE

NORMANDY

RIVETER

STEEL

Ride the Ducks Field Trip Word Search

W J E N I L O S A G I F F T V

E O Y M R A O G Z F B R G W A

W K M N H G M R B M K F O M G

P W N E L Q V X Z F R U M N N

F A Z W N D W X Z L K U S S I

S U O I B I H P M A N N E O N

N E E T N A C Z V I O C I L O

R X G A I W D H T R Y O R D I

I P C O A F Y I M H D P O I T

V S E U N F O A T U D P T E A

E T N N O N N L D E I E C R R

T E D O N D U M Q F N R A S G

E E D U Y Y E I S O R G F V P

R L J Q K H E M F Z X X A H Y

V J T K G W X Z M X E P R M P

AMMUNITION

CANTEEN

FACTORIES

IRON

PENNY

ROSIE

WOMEN

AMPHIBIOUS

COPPER

FOOD

MAGNET

RATIONING

SOLDIER

ARMY

DUKW

GASOLINE

NORMANDY

RIVETER

STEEL

Ride the Ducks Field Trip Word Search – ANSWER KEY

W J E N I L O S A G I F F T V

E O Y M R A O G Z F B R G W A

W K M N H G M R B M K F O M G

P W N E L Q V X Z F R U M N N

F A Z W N D W X Z L K U S S I

S U O I B I H P M A N N E O N

N E E T N A C Z V I O C I L O

R X G A I W D H T R Y O R D I

I P C O A F Y I M H D P O I T

V S E U N F O A T U D P T E A

E T N N O N N L D E I E C R R

T E D O N D U M Q F N R A S G

E E D U Y Y E I S O R G F V P

R L J Q K H E M F Z X X A H Y

V J T K G W X Z M X E P R M P