Just for Teachers
Introduction:
This project was developed as a part of a history and English cross-curriculum lesson about the preparation, dropping, and after effects of the atomic bomb on the Japanese towns of Nagasaki and Hiroshima as a result of America's reaction to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Students will gain a comprehension of the factors involved in the decision to drop the bomb as well as the resulting effects. The end product will be group wikis discussing different aspects of the controversy. The end assessment will be a classroom debate in which students either argue for or against the dropping of the atomic bomb using the information from the wiki.
Learners:
This lesson has been established for an 11th grade collaboration class of English and History that will cover the dropping of the atomic bombs. This lesson can be made to use in any high school grade level or even be made to work in a middle school classroom. Prior to this webquest students will be given a lesson on the end of WWII and the atomic bomb droppings. What students will need to know prior to this lesson are appropriate research skills, how to use the library of congress, how to use wikis, how to formulate an argument, and have appropriate writing skills.
Standards:
English:
2.A.4a Analyze and evaluate the effective use of literary techniques (e.g., figurative language, allusion, dialogue, description, symbolism, word choice, dialect) in classic and contemporary literature representing a variety of forms and media.
2.A.4c Describe relationships between the author’s style, literary form (e.g., short stories, novels, drama, fables, biographies, documentaries, poetry, essays) and intended effect on the reader.
2.A.4d Describe the influence of the author’s language structure and word choice to convey the author’s viewpoint.
2.B.4a Critique ideas and impressions generated by oral, visual, written and electronic materials.
2.B.4b Analyze form, content, purpose and major themes of American literature and literature of other countries in their historical perspectives.
2.B.4c Discuss and evaluate motive, resulting behavior and consequences demonstrated in literature.
3.C.4b Using available technology, produce compositions and multimedia works for specified audiences.
5.A.4a Demonstrate a knowledge of strategies needed to prepare a credible research report (e.g., notes, planning sheets).
5.A.4b Design and present a project (e.g., research report, scientific study, career/higher education opportunities) using various formats from multiple sources.
5.B.4a Choose and evaluate primary and secondary sources (print and nonprint) for a variety of purposes.
5.B.4b Use multiple sources and multiple formats; cite according to standard style manuals.
5.C.4a Plan, compose, edit and revise information (e.g., brochures, formal reports, proposals, research summaries, analyses, editorials, articles, overheads, multimedia displays) for presentation to an audience.
5.C.4b Produce oral presentations and written documents using supportive research and incorporating contemporary technology.
5.C.4c Prepare for and participate in formal debates.
History:
16.A.4a Analyze and report historical events to determine cause and-effect relationships.
16.A.4b Compare competing historical interpretations of an event.
2.A.4a Analyze and evaluate the effective use of literary techniques (e.g., figurative language, allusion, dialogue, description, symbolism, word choice, dialect) in classic and contemporary literature representing a variety of forms and media.
2.A.4c Describe relationships between the author’s style, literary form (e.g., short stories, novels, drama, fables, biographies, documentaries, poetry, essays) and intended effect on the reader.
2.A.4d Describe the influence of the author’s language structure and word choice to convey the author’s viewpoint.
2.B.4a Critique ideas and impressions generated by oral, visual, written and electronic materials.
2.B.4b Analyze form, content, purpose and major themes of American literature and literature of other countries in their historical perspectives.
2.B.4c Discuss and evaluate motive, resulting behavior and consequences demonstrated in literature.
3.C.4b Using available technology, produce compositions and multimedia works for specified audiences.
5.A.4a Demonstrate a knowledge of strategies needed to prepare a credible research report (e.g., notes, planning sheets).
5.A.4b Design and present a project (e.g., research report, scientific study, career/higher education opportunities) using various formats from multiple sources.
5.B.4a Choose and evaluate primary and secondary sources (print and nonprint) for a variety of purposes.
5.B.4b Use multiple sources and multiple formats; cite according to standard style manuals.
5.C.4a Plan, compose, edit and revise information (e.g., brochures, formal reports, proposals, research summaries, analyses, editorials, articles, overheads, multimedia displays) for presentation to an audience.
5.C.4b Produce oral presentations and written documents using supportive research and incorporating contemporary technology.
5.C.4c Prepare for and participate in formal debates.
History:
16.A.4a Analyze and report historical events to determine cause and-effect relationships.
16.A.4b Compare competing historical interpretations of an event.
Process:
This lesson will take a week to complete and will be worked on in the student's English and History classes.
-First you will be assigned a group of 5 team members. Groups will be determined randomly by pulling names out of a bowl and being placed in a random group.
- Each group number will be assigned one topic:
TEAM ONE For the bomb
TEAM TWO Against the bomb
TEAM THREE The dropping of the bomb
TEAM FOUR After effects of the bomb
TEAM FIVE Japanese literature
-Teams may all use the PathFinder and links listed under the Resources tab which can be utilized towards finding background information.
((Create a link to your PathFinder Page here.))
-Teams will have a week to organize the information they have gathered as a group to put in their part/page of the wiki.
-Once they have completed their page, they will present to the class their findings.
-The next day there will be a classroom discussion. The class will be split into two groups randomly and have to argue either for or against the dropping of the bomb.
-First you will be assigned a group of 5 team members. Groups will be determined randomly by pulling names out of a bowl and being placed in a random group.
- Each group number will be assigned one topic:
TEAM ONE For the bomb
TEAM TWO Against the bomb
TEAM THREE The dropping of the bomb
TEAM FOUR After effects of the bomb
TEAM FIVE Japanese literature
-Teams may all use the PathFinder and links listed under the Resources tab which can be utilized towards finding background information.
((Create a link to your PathFinder Page here.))
-Teams will have a week to organize the information they have gathered as a group to put in their part/page of the wiki.
-Once they have completed their page, they will present to the class their findings.
-The next day there will be a classroom discussion. The class will be split into two groups randomly and have to argue either for or against the dropping of the bomb.
Resources:
1. Set of classroom textbooks.
2. Wiki accounts for all students
3. 25 Laptops with internet access, one for each student. So that while students are working in groups, everyone can look up information to add to the wiki.
Websites Needed:
Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/index.html- This website will be used by the students to find research material and pictures to put in their group wiki.
Wiki Spaces: http://www.wikispaces.com/content/teacher- This website will be used to by the students to make their actual wiki.
Library of Congress Professional Development: http://www.l\oc.gov/teachers/professionaldevelopment/- This website will be a helpful tool for teachers to gain and work on getting professional development credits.
Human Resources:
For this lesson, only one teacher is needed to teach and explain the project to the students. This lesson could be taught by more than one teacher if need be, by each teacher going over their specific part in the project and to provide the students with time in class to work on their wiki.
2. Wiki accounts for all students
3. 25 Laptops with internet access, one for each student. So that while students are working in groups, everyone can look up information to add to the wiki.
Websites Needed:
Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/index.html- This website will be used by the students to find research material and pictures to put in their group wiki.
Wiki Spaces: http://www.wikispaces.com/content/teacher- This website will be used to by the students to make their actual wiki.
Library of Congress Professional Development: http://www.l\oc.gov/teachers/professionaldevelopment/- This website will be a helpful tool for teachers to gain and work on getting professional development credits.
Human Resources:
For this lesson, only one teacher is needed to teach and explain the project to the students. This lesson could be taught by more than one teacher if need be, by each teacher going over their specific part in the project and to provide the students with time in class to work on their wiki.
Evaluation:
The teacher will know that the lesson has gone accordingly after watching the debate between the two groups. If both sides formulate well-informed arguments from the information they learned from the class presentation of the wiki pages, the project has been successful!
Individual evaluations will be used to evaluate group members' efforts towards the creation of the group wiki.
The group rubric is what students need to follow to do well on this assignment. It is what will be used to grade their work.
Individual Evaluation:
Individual evaluations will be used to evaluate group members' efforts towards the creation of the group wiki.
The group rubric is what students need to follow to do well on this assignment. It is what will be used to grade their work.
Individual Evaluation:
Group Rubric:
Conclusion:
This wonderful lesson on the atomic bomb will give students: the use of new technology skills that they can use in the future, the opportunity to work on their presentation skills, as well as an abundance of information on the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This lesson will also help students work on skills such as the formation of an argument, research, and improvement of their writing.