Emily Hill

Date of Lesson: 3/20/2018

Institution: ECSU
Grade Level: 6
Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Common Core Standard(s):

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.7
Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively)
as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

Social Studies Framework Standard(s):

D2.Civ.6.6-8. Describe the roles of political, civil, and economic organizations in shaping people’s lives.

Prior Knowledge/Connections:
Prior to the start of this lesson, students will have some understanding of World War II,
having learned details such as when it occurred, who was involved, and potentially what some of
the repurcussions of that war were. Students will know some of the major events that occurred
during the war as well, such as the Holocaust, Japanese internment in the U.S., the bombing of
Pearl Harbor, the dropping of two atomic bombs over Japan, and so on. Students will also have
read, either in the form of a whole-class read aloud or in guided reading groups, Sachiko: A
Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story.

Student Learning Objective(s):

Students will integrate information learned by reading Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s
Story with the information they are able to gain from analyzing President Truman’s press release
to determine the role of government in the event and the moral implications of dropping an
atomic bomb, constructing their own argument either supporting or opposing future action
involving atomic bombs.

Vocabulary:
Atomic Bomb
Nuclear Warfare
Radiation
Hypocenter
Radiation Poisoning
Denotation
Mushroom Cloud
Casualties
Allies
Axis Powers

Assessment – Essential Key Question:

 Essential Key Question: What are a government’s responsibilities during war? Is their
first priority preservation of human life?
 Summative Assessment: Collect letters written to summarize learning and draft an
argument about nuclear warfare.
 Formative Assessment: Observation of discussions with whole class and in small groups,
t-chart created online by whole class.

Materials/Resources:
Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story
Press Release after releasing of Nuclear Bomb

Technological Resources:
Chrome Books/Laptops/iPads
Smart Board or Projector
Google Document with t-chart (able to be accessed by students)

Learning Activities:
Instructional Strategies:
o Modeling
 Show students how to generate questions and engage in critical thinking
 Demonstrate good reading skills
 Provide multiple examples for each activity
o Think-Aloud
 While reading and generating questions, utilize think aloud protocol
 Show students how to find important details and reflect on these to
determine significance
o Discussion
 Encourage students to become expressive learners
 Active participation from every student, allowed to contribute all thoughts
and questions during sharing time
Grouping Strategies:
o 20 Minutes Whole Class Instruction
 Reviewing information from initial book reading
 Generating costs of atomic bomb (from Sachiko’s perspective)
o 25 Minutes Small Group Work:
 Reading key sections of the book.
 Reading Press Release
 Generating reasons in favor of use of nuclear warfare
o 15 Minutes Independent Work:
  Drafting and writing persuasive letters describing opinions about
implications of nuclear war, costs vs. benefits
Initiation:
Ask students to share what they have already learned about World War II, with a specific
focus on relations between Japan and the United States. What were struggles and challenges
faced on both sides? What happened with Nagasaki and Hiroshima? Ask students to recall what
some of the negative effects of dropping a nuclear bomb are, according to Sachiko in her
experience? Create a t chart online (Google documents) with two sides: arguments for and
against nuclear warfare. What can students add to the “against” column, based on what they have
already read about Sachiko and her family?

Lesson Procedures:
 After students have filled out one side of the t-chart, break students into randomized
groups of 2-4 students each.
 Give each group a copy of the Press Release regarding the release of the atomic bomb
over Hiroshima and Nagasaki from President Truman, August 6, 1945. Instruct students
to read the press release as a group.
 After students have finished reading, ask them to discuss and answer the following
questions:
o Who wrote this document?
o What is the purpose of the document?
o What date was this document published?
o Why is the name of the city not included?
o What reasons does President Truman give to justify the use of the nuclear bomb?
o President Truman advocates for the use of the atomic power to fulfill world peace.
How does he plan to do this? How does this differ from Sachiko’s ideas for world
peace?
o How did President Truman plan to end the war? Did he accomplish this by
dropping the atomic bomb over Japan? Why or why not?
 Once students have finished their investigation of the document, pull up the previously
created T chart and ask students to share items that they can put on the “positive” side, in
favor of nuclear warfare. What reasons did President Truman give to support the use of
nuclear warfare?
 Once the T-char has been completed, tell each student that they must now write a
persuasive letter stating their position concerning the topic of nuclear warfare and atomic
power – are they for it or against it? Give students the following prompt to guide their
thinking:
o It is the year 2026 and the United States and Australia have been at war for
several years, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives on both sides, and extreme
debt due to the cost of war. The U.S. is winning, but Australia refuses to
surrender. The President of the United States proposes the idea to drop a nuclear
bomb in Sydney to push Australians into surrender. Write a letter to the President,
 either supporting or refuting his idea. Use at least three supporting facts or
statements from the Press Release and/or the book in your letter.
Closure:
Invite students to share what they wrote about in their letters, and what evidence they
used to support their answer. Ask the class why it is important to look at documents, such as the
press release they examined, from major events in the past and analyze them? What are the
present and future implications for the information students gained from reading the book and
analyzing the press release?

Intervention:
 Give students a fill-in-the-blank letter format to use when constructing their
argumentative essay to the President of the United States. (“I believe that the United
States should/shouldn’t drop the nuclear bomb because _________”)
 Allow students to listen to audio version of book so that they are able to fully grasp all of
the concepts if they are not comprehending it by reading it independently.
 Highlight key sections of Press Release for students to look at to find answers to
questions.
Enrichment:
 Ask students to find a third article or resource online to support the argument that they
present in their letter. What other resources may be helpful in proving their point?
(Pictures, videos, interviews with survivors, statistics on projected casualties, etc.)

Resources Used:
Atomic Bomb-Truman Press Release-August 6, 1945. (2017). Retrieved from
https://www.trumanlibrary.org/teacher/abomb.htm#source.

Stelson, Caren. (2016) Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story. Minneapolis, MN:
Carolrhoda Books.

The White House, Office of the Press Secretary. (1945, August 6). The Atomic Bomb and Atomic
Energy. [Press Release]. Retrieved from
https://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/documents/inde
x.php?documentdate=1945-08-
06&documentid=59&studycollectionid=abomb&pagenumber=1.