Introduction
In 1939, the world would change forever. World War II would break out across Europe. Hitler's German Army would be unstoppable. First would be the fall of Czechoslovakia in 1939. Looked at as an oversight, the world said nothing. September 1, 1939, Hitler's Wehrmacht invades Poland igniting the start of World War II. The world watches and does nothing. Britain and France declare war on Germany on September 3rd. This begins the Phony War. In April of 1940, Denmark and Norway are invaded and in May 1940, France is invaded. England supports France with troop (BEF - British Expeditionary Force) but it is to no avail. by the end of May, France has collapsed and (BEF) troops are hastily evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk in 'Operation Dynamo'. Over 338,000 troops rescued in a 9-day period. France falls on May 31, 1940. Germany's eyes fall upon Great Britain. This will be their finest hour. Students will explore the Battle of Britain and will discover the effect this battle had on the direction of the war. They will also discover the causes of the battle and the outcome as well.
Task
By the end of the activity, you will:
Explain what caused the Battle of Britain.
Define the type of battle this was.
Explain how the outcome of this battle directly affected the direction of the war.
Explain how Hitler reacted to the outcome of the battle.
Create a simple infographic or poster summarizing what you learned.
Process
Watch three assigned YouTube videos on the Battle of Britain:
The Battle of Britain 1940 (WW2 Documentary)
Battlefield S1/E2 - The Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain: The 13 Hours That Changed History | 13 Hours that Saved Britain| Full Documentary
Read the following articles:
Hangars 3 4 and 5| Things to see and do | London | RAF Museum
Watch the following Podcast:
Battle of Britain | The History of WWII Podcast - by Ray Harris Jr
Answer the guide questions:
What started the Battle of Britain?
Which countries were involved in the fighting during the battle?
What was the overall outcome of the Battle of Britain?
What impact did the outcome have on Germany's plans for European dominance?
Create a simple infographic or poster of the battle.
Give a presentation to the class.
Evaluation
Rubric Points
Research and Accuracy of Information 50 Points
Creativity and Organization of Information 15 Points
Completion of All Given Tasks 15 Points
Presentation of Project to Class 20 Points
Total Points 100 Points
Conclusion
Congratulations on completing the WebQuest! You can now identify what the Battle of Britain was and what impact the battle had on the course direction of World War II! Understanding this battle and its outcome will help you put the entire direction of the war into focus and because of the outcome, Germany would never have a chance again to invade the shores of England during World War II.
Credits
Docs, H. (2025, January 1). Battle of Britain: The 13 hours that changed history | 13 hours that saved Britain| full documentary. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH7TDmJ-FHQ
Harris, R. (2026, January 1). Battle of Britain | The History of WWII Podcast. World War II Podcast. https://worldwariipodcast.net/tag/battle-of-britain/
Luga, V. (2017, January 1). Battlefield S1/E2 - The Battle of Britain. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52YOKT_O10U
Real Time History Staff. (2025, January 1). Why Germany Lost the Battle of Britain. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zbke_Saqds
RAF Staff. (2026, January 1). History of the Battle of Britain | Exhibitions & Displays | Research | RAF museum. Battle of Britain. https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/history-of-the-battle-of-britain/
Roberts, E. (2026, January 1). Battle of Britain. Stanford.edu. https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/ww2/projects/battle-of-britain/bob.html