Kurt Huffine
Introduction
Standards
Objectives
Activities
Assessment
Results
Resources
Introduction
Just after 8:00 a.m. on August 6th, 1945, a few of the citizens of Hiroshima, Japan looked toward the sky as a single plane flew over their city. Most of the people thought nothing of the American plane flying overhead since there was only one bomber. Perhaps it was a photo reconance mission. A bombing mission would have meant that many planes would be converging on their city. So most of the citizens only glanced above and went on with their business little knowing that they were about to experience an event that would change the world forever. An atomic bomb was dropped from the Enola Gay. Everything within four square miles was devastated. 
Three days later another atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. 
It contained the equivalent of 21,000 tons of TNT. Another city was vaporized.
Subject: World War II
Topic: The decision to drop the atomic bomb
Grade Level: Eleventh grade
Student Lesson 
Standards Addressed
11.7 Students analyze America's participation in World War II.
     7. Discuss the decision to drop atomic bombs and the consequences of the decision 0
            (Hiroshima and Nagasaki). 


Instructional Objectives

The students will debate the ethical issues concerning the decision to drop the atomic bomb. They will demonstrate their ability to formulate a persuasive argument verbally as well as through a written report outlining their premise. 

    THINGS TO CONSIDER:

 1. What possible options to using the atomic bomb could have been
     considered? ... Could the leaders of the United States have devised a 
     more humane, less devastating manner of demonstrating the power of
     the atomic bomb? 

 2. Was the use of the atomic bomb excessive? ... Should atomic warfare 
     be considered a war crime? 

 3. Was the decision to drop the bomb an act of racism? ... Would the 
     bomb have been used against Nazi Germany? 

 4. The impact of the atomic bomb on Japan:
     The deaths, immediate injuries, and the long-term effects of radiation.

 5. The effect of atomic warfare on the world: 
     The birth of the atomic age. 
 

Student Activities
Insert brief summaries of your introductory, enabling, and culminating activities. Insert links to online resources in your text and insert links to activities on your student lesson web site.

In addition to the text, the students will read brief summaries of the issues 
surrounding the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. The students will then form groups. The four groups will choose one of the five topics above (there is an extra topic). Each group will focus on their topic for presentation to the class. Each group will also counter the position of another group (counterpoint chosen at random). Also each student will choose a topic to write an essay on the merit of their position. 

Introductory Activity
First the students will read information (in addition to their text) which sheds light on each of the five considerations above. The students will be instructed to consider which topic they want to concentrate on for their presentation. 

Enabling Activity
Place the students into four equal groups. Instruct the members of each group  to choose a leader, a recorder, and a panel of four presenters. Have each group decide which topic they will present to the class along with a second and third choice in case two groups choose the same topic. Instruct the students that each group will be responsible for presenting a persuasive argument to the class. Each of the presenters will prepare a five minute presentation stating their portion of the topic. Each group will also prepare a counterpoint to another groups' position. The roles need to be rotated so that the leader and the recorder present a portion of the counterpoint.  Their goal is to convince the class that their position is the best choice; as an ethical decision and from a military perspective. 

Culminating Activity
Each group will present their position on the ethical decisions surrounding the choice to drop atomic bombs on Japan. During the debate another group will play devils advocate and will counter their arguments. 
The first presenter should introduce the premise of their group. The next two presenters (or three depending on class size) will present the main points and the last presenter will conclude their opinion. After each position is presented by one of the four presenters, the other group will take their turn countering their position. 


Assessment
Prior to the debate, the students will vote on five different methods for using the atomic bomb. The students will use the same questionnaire that was used by the scientists who were working on the atomic bomb during World War II. 

Pre-Test / Questionnaire:
Vote for the method of using the bomb that you feel is best. Consider which method would be the most effective and most humane. 

___ Use the bombs in the manner that, from a military point of view, is most effective in bringing about prompt surrender at minimum human cost to U.S.

___ Give a military demonstration in Japan to be followed by renewed opportunity for surrender before full use of the weapon is employed.

___ Give an experimental demonstration in this country, with representatives of Japan present; followed by a new opportunity to surrender before full use of the weapon is employed. 

___ Withhold military use of the weapon, but make a public experimental demonstration of its effectiveness. 

After the debate have the students vote again on which method is most desirable. The results should change somewhat based upon the effectiveness of the debaters. Also reveal the original tally of the atomic bomb scientists.

ORIGINAL RESULTS: 23, 69, 39, 16, out of 150 scientists polled. (3 didn't answer)
Therefore over 82% of the scientists polled felt that a demonstration of the bomb should have been employed. After subtracting the 16 atomic scientists who believed that the bomb should not be used as a military weapon, 72% of the scientists believed that there should have been a demonstration along with a new opportunity for the Japanese to surrender before the bomb was used militarily.


Results
 


Web Resources & Supplementary Materials

Introductory Activity
List and link the web resources for this activity here. Also link supplementary materials such as PDF files and /or document files.

http://www.atomicarchive.com/AAHisDocs.shtml

http://library.thinkquest.org/27629/chronicle/1945bomb.html

Enabling Activity
List and link the web resources for your learning activity(ies) here. Also link supplementary materials such as PDF files and /or document files.

http://wings.buffalo.edu/philosophy/faculty/smith/courses98/rules.htm

Culminating Activity
List and link the web resources for your culminating activity here. Also link supplementary materials such as PDF files and /or document files.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

School Name (link to your school's homepage if you have one.)
School Location
Your Name and e-mail address khuffine@hotmail.com
Last Revised: 02/24/2001 (insert and update last revision date every time you work on this page.)