Materials

• Teacher-generated worksheet
• Internet access
• “The Atomic Bomb Decision” handout (Attachment D)
• Graphic organizer (Attachment E)

Instructional Activities

1. Provide students with some historical background on the ending of World War II. Explain that the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan effectively ended the war.
   
   
2. Have students read the handout at Attachment D; alternatively, paraphrase and discuss this handout with students. After students have absorbed this information, have them consider what options were available to President Truman and what possible pressures and concerns he had to consider. Have students work in small groups, or hold a whole-class discussion on this topic. Have students use the graphic organizer at Attachment E to assist the process. Have students share their work with the class once they have completed their graphic organizer.
   
   
3. Have students compose diary entries expressing reactions to the dropping of the atomic bomb. Various points of view should be used, such as the following:
   • An American GI preparing to invade Japan
   • A Japanese civilian
   • A scientist who worked on creating the bomb
   • An American student at the time
   
   
4. To provide students with a better understanding of these perspectives, have students read personal accounts of atomic bomb survivors. A selection of accounts can be found in the book World War II, A Historical Reader in the Nextext series published by McDougal Littell. (See <http://www.nextext.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=books.view&target=ww2&filetype=int> for information about this text.) Other accounts can be found at <http://www.csi.ad.jp/ABOMB/>, A-BombWWWMuseum. This site also has historical information and photographs regarding the atomic bomb.