Teacher Candidate Caitlin Teetor

Date April 20, 2015

School____________
Grade/Subject: 11th grade 21st Century
History
Lesson Topic: Japan and America Interaction during WWII Title: What if?
PURPOSE: The purpose of this lesson is to wrap up all the information that was
included in the previous four lessons.
BACKGROUND: This lesson will serve as a basis for utilizing critical thinking to
examine the issues between Japan and the United States during World War II and if
there could have been different outcomes as to what really happened.
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE/ STUDENT OUTCOMES
1. Students will utilize critical thinking to determine if the decisions made during
World War II by the United States and Japan was justified.
2. Students will determine if authority and power was abused by the leaders in
Japan and the United States.
3. Students will examine the consequences of decisions made by Japan and the
United States during World War II.
4. Students will come up alternatives to the decisions made by Japan and the United
States during World War II and how those alternatives may have altered the
outcome of World War II.
5. Students will determine alternative endings to the war had Japan been able to
successfully create and use a nuclear weapon.
6. Students will be assessed to see how much was learned during the unit (posttest).
BIG IDEAS: Students will examine power and authority in a war setting and see if
these two elements was abused in decisions made throughout the war by Japan and
the United States.
GUIDING QUESTIONS
1. Why did the United States develop an atomic bomb?
2. Why did the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor?
3. Is there any justification for dropping the bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima?
WV CSOs
SS.11.H.CL4.3
assess the ambitions of the Japanese in their decision to attack
Pearl Harbor and its influence on the outcome of WWII.

SS.11.H.CL4.4
examine and identify the penalties of war faced by the Japanese
in the United States and their homeland.
NATIONAL STANDARDS
1. Theme 2, Time, Continuity, Change- Students will examine the consequences of
some of the events surrounding the interaction between the United States and
Japan and how they may have made different decisions, possibly altering the
consequences of said decisions.
2. Theme 6, Power, Authority, Governance- Students will examine the authority
used in the attack on Pearl Harbor as well as the Nagasaki and Hiroshima atomic
bombings. Students will determine if power was used correctly in these historical
events.
3. Theme 7, Production, Distribution, and Consumption- Students will look at what
outcomes could have happened had Japan been able to successfully create and
deploy a nuclear weapon.
4. Theme 8, Science, Technology, Society- Students will examine the justification of
the development of the atomic bomb.
5. Theme 9, Global Connections- Students will inspect the connections between the
United States and Japan and how this interaction affected people at the local,
national, and international levels.
6. Theme 10, Civic Ideals and Practices- Students will look at the individual during
World War II and how some may have seen supporting Japanese-American
internment camps and the atomic bombings as part of their civic duty as a United
States citizen.
WV 21ST CENTURY LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Information and Communication Skills

Thinking and Reasoning Skills
Personal and Workplace Skills

FACTS/ CONCEPTS

Nagasaki
Hiroshima
Atomic bomb
Pearl Harbor
Japanese-American internment camps

MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
Overall Time- 50 minute lesson

Time Frame- 10 min. teacher intro and view of information covered in previous
lessons
25 min. group discussion
15 min. quickly share of answers, post-test, unit closure
STRATEGIES
Group discussion, group presentation.
CONTEXTUAL TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES
Strategy: Group Learning
Students will work together to come up with alternatives to decisions made by
Japan and the United States during World War II.
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION/ADAPTATIONS/INTERVENTIONS
This lesson will meet auditory, hands-on, and visual learners. Auditory learners will
benefit from the group discussion. Hands-on learners will benefit from writing down
the answers to the questions. Visual learners will benefit from reading the answers
and from the teacher compiling a list of possible alternatives to decisions made.
Multiple intelligences addressed (check all that apply):
___ X___ Verbal/linguistic

______ Naturalist

______ Spatial

___X___ Interpersonal

___X__ Logical/mathematical

______ Intrapersonal

______ Bodily-kinesthetic
______ Musical

______ Existential
______ Others (explain):

The multiple intelligences that are addressed in the lesson are those checked
above. Verbal/linguistic intelligence is addressed as the students complete the
group discussion. Logical/mathematical intelligence is addressed as students have
to critically think of alternatives to decisions made and by students determining if
power and authority was abused at all by the Japanese and/or Americans.
Interpersonal intelligence is addressed by the students working together with the
goal of thoughtfully completing the assignment.
PROCEDURES
Introduction/Lesson Set

The teacher will go over the topics from the previous four lessons as an introduction
to the assignment for this lesson. Teacher will verbally assess students to see how
much is remembered as they start the new assignment,
Body and Transitions
1. Students will get into groups of two to three.
2. Students will thoughtfully answer the questions.
3. After the students are done, a compilation list will be wrote on the board by the
teacher for all students to see.
Closure
Teacher will give the post-test and unit closure.
ASSESSMENT
Diagnostic
Diagnostic assessment will be met as the students are verbally assessed on the
different topics at the beginning of the lesson. It will also be met with the post-test
at the end of the lesson/unit (objective 5).
Formative
Teacher will walk around room observing students as they discuss the questions
(objectives 1, 2, 3, 4)
Summative
Teacher will ask students questions about the unit to see if what the students have
learned about the interaction between Japan and the United States (objective 5).
MATERIALS
Assignment sheet
EXTENDED ACTIVITIES
If Student Finishes Early
If a student finishes early, he or she can write a paragraph about what they have
learned in the unit and what their favorite assignment was.
If Lesson Finishes Early
If a group of students finishes early, they can start writing some of their answers on
the board.

If Technology Fails
There is no technology used in this lesson.

ASSIGNMENT
Instructions
You and your fellow group members will thoughtfully and critically answer the
following questions.
1. Was the United States justified in its development of an atomic bomb? Why?

2. What would serve as alternatives to dropping bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

3. Do you think the United States used power and authority correctly by placing
Japanese-Americans into internment camps? Why? Are there any similarities
between the internment camps and the concentration camps in Europe?

4. Did Japan abuse power and authority by attacking Pearl Harbor? Why or why not?

5. Had Pearl Harbor not been attacked by the Japanese, do you think that the United
States would have entered into World War II? Why?

6. Was the United States action of dropping the bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima
justified?

7. If the economy of Japan could have supported a nuclear weapon program, how
might that have change the outcome of the war?

8. Do you think individuals in the U.S. went along with the internment camps and
atomic bombings because they felt it was their civic duty as citizens within the U.S.?
Explain.

9. How would you have reacted as a U.S. citizen at that time? Do you think that
news would have swayed your opinion one way or another?

POST-TEST
Instruction: Answer each of the questions to the best of your ability.

1. What is a Japanese-American Internment camp?

2. Why did the United States enter into World War II (WWII)?

3. What year did the United States enter into WWII?

4. What event caused the United States to enter into WWII?

5. What two cities had atomic bombs dropped on them?

6. Why were these two cities bombed?

7. What was the purpose of Japanese-American internment camps?

8. What was the Manhattan Project?

9. What was the purpose of the Manhattan Project?

10. What effect did the bombings have on the outcome of World War II?