Download Edmonton County School History Department

Edmonton County School History Department
Edmonton County School History Department
Outline of your ISBL:
You are going to build on the work that you have done in class surrounding the dropping of the
atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the Americans in August 1945.
By the end of the ISBL you will have produced a balanced argument about whether or not the
Americans were justified (right) to drop the bombs. You will also have reached your own decision as
to what you think based on the arguments and evidence that you have found out.
You will complete a series of tasks to help you get to this end result.
If you need help
at any stage ask
your history
teacher.
Edmonton County School History Department
Task 1: Background research
You need to answer each of the questions below. Some of the questions you
might already have an idea about as you have covered it in class.
Some questions need longer answers than others.
1. Give at least three reasons why the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
2. What was important to the Japanese about the American naval base at
Pearl Harbor?
3. When did the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor?
4. Why were the Americans unhappy about what Japan had done (other
than the fact they had lost many men and ships)
The attack on Pearl Harbor by
Japanese warplanes.
The aftermath of the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor.
Useful websites:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk
Edmonton County School History Department
Task 2: Factor sorting
Below there are a set of factors that explain why some people argue that the
Americans were justified (right) to drop the atomic bombs whilst other factors
are those put forward by people who think that the Americans were
unjustified (wrong) to drop the atomic bomb.
Use the following key to label each one showing whether it justifies the
dropping of the atomic bomb or argues it was unjustified.
Justified=
Unjustified=
The Japanese treated the Allied prisoners of war
(PoW) very badly.
The Japanese were using kamikaze attacks on
US warships.
The Americans sent no clear warning of the
power of the bombs they meant to drop.
American aircraft could fly over mainland Japan
with very little resistance from the Japanese.
The Americans were fearful of how many men
would be killed if they tried to invade mainland
Japan (estimates ranged from 250,000 to 1
million)
The Americans had to fight hard to capture each
individual island that the Japanese had taken
over, this was called island hopping.
The Japanese had the mindset of the Samurai –
never surrender
After the Battle of Midway where the Americans
beat the Japanese they had control of the Pacific
Ocean and could stop supplies entering Japan,
weakening their war effort.
The Americans were winning the war using
normal bombs – they destroyed the capital of
Japan (Tokyo) in one series of attacks, killing
80,000 people.
The Japanese government under Suzuki, were
trying to send out peace feelers to the US via
Stalin.
Edmonton County School History Department
The Americans captured Saipan which was very
close to Japan, from there they could launch air
attacks without the need to use aircraft carriers.
The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor without
warning.
The American politicians and President (Harry
Truman) felt that by using the bomb they could
scare Stalin and Russia out of Eastern Europe.
The American president Truman believed that it
was his duty to save as many American lives as
possible, the bomb would do this.
Edmonton County School History Department
Task 3: Factor sorting continued
Now that you have sorted the factors into those justifying and those against
the dropping of the atom bomb you will sort them a little bit more.
Decide if the factor is:
 A military factor (to do with the army, navy or air force)
 A moral factor (to do with whether something is right or wrong)
 A political factor (to do with politicians or political will).
Write the factor and then tick the correct box or boxes.
Factor
Political
Military
Moral
Edmonton County School History Department
Edmonton County School History Department
Task 4: Factor research
For each of the factors you have sorted you will need to add more historical
detail. Fill in the table below with more information. Add at least two more
facts.
Useful websites:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk
Factor
The Japanese treated the Allied
prisoners of war (PoW) very badly.
The Japanese were using kamikaze
attacks on US warships.
The Americans were fearful of how
many men would be killed if they
tried to invade mainland Japan
(estimates ranged from 250,000 to
1 million)
The Americans had to fight hard to
capture each individual island that
the Japanese had taken over, this
was called island hopping.
The Japanese government under
Suzuki, were trying to send out
peace feelers to the US via Stalin.
The Americans were winning the
war using normal bombs – they
destroyed the capital of Japan
(Tokyo) in one series of attacks,
killing 80,000 people.
The Japanese bombed Pearl
Harbor without warning.
The American politicians and
President (Harry Truman) felt that
by using the bomb they could
scare Stalin and Russia out of
Eastern Europe.
The American president Truman
believed that it was his duty to
save as many American lives as
possible, the bomb would do this.
Additional facts
Edmonton County School History Department
Task 5: Essay
Was the dropping of the atom bomb justified?
Use all the information you have gathered to help write a detailed response to
the above question. Use the structure below and P.Q.A to help you write your
essay.
Possible Structure
Introduction
 Give some background information (when were they dropped? Why
were they dropped? Who dropped them? Where were they dropped?)
 Outline your argument-Was the dropping of the atom bomb justified or
not? Try to refer to moral, political and military reasons both for and
against the dropping of the bombs.
Main part (one paragraph on each of the following)
 Morally justified “I think that the dropping of the atom bomb was
justified for moral reasons. For example President Truman was
desperate to protect American soldiers as he was worried to many
would be killed if America tried to invade Japan. This made the
dropping of the atom bomb morally justified because................
 Morally unjustified “However some people would argue that the
dropping of the atom bomb was not morally justified
because......................For example........”
 Politically justified P.Q.A
 Politically unjustified P.Q.A
 Militarily justified P.Q.A
 Militarily unjustified P.Q.A
Conclusion
Give your own opinion using all the evidence – were the Americans justified in
dropping the atomic bombs? Explain why you have come to this decision and
make sure you explain that there are two sides to the argument.
Edmonton County School History Department
If you need extra support writing your essay then please speak to your history teacher
who will be able to give you an extra essay writing sheet.
Good luck!