Title: Should Japan Drop The Atomic Bomb: A lesson in observations, inferences,
and synthesizing information
World History – 9th grade
By: Caleb Clark
Standards: W. 49 Utilize primary and secondary sources to describe the
contributions and roles of leaders during the war including Winston Churchill,
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Emperor Hirohito, Hideki Tojo, Adolf Hitler, Benito
Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Harry Truman, Douglas MacArthur, and Dwight
Eisenhower.
W. 52 Describe the causalities of the war with particular attention to the civilian
and military losses in Russia, Germany, Britain, the United States, China, and Japan.
Estimated Time Required: One 90 minute class period with possible extensions
Lesson Objectives: To instruct students on observations, inferences, and how to
synthesize material from more than one source to produce an opinion to the
question of whether or not the atomic bombs should have been used in WWII.
Opening Activity – (20 minutes) Teaching observing and inferring. Using T-Chart
Use any photograph and display it for all students to see. Instruct students to write
down things they see. After 2-3 minutes have the students share out their answers
and chart them on the board. After you have compiled the words on the board note
which ones are actually observable. For example if a student noted someone was
upset, remind them that you cannot actually see upset, but rather the frown on a
face. Make a careful point here to teach students to only write down what they can
actually observe. Repeat this process with another picture.
Then have the students look at their list for the second picture. Ask them to infer
what their observations might mean. An inference is something that is not
necessarily visible from a photograph but might be indicated from the evidence. In
our case our evidence is our observations. Ask the students to infer upon their
observations. Things that are inferences would be poverty, specific ethnicity or
nationality (in many cases), mood, or motive.
Repeat this process of listing first observations then inferences with a short passage.
I have chosen the end of FDR’s speech to Congress in 1941 the day after Pearl
Harbor because we read it in class previously.
“No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in
their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.
I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only
defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never
again endanger us.
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in
grave danger.
With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain
the inevitable triumph. So help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday,
December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.”
President Franklin D. Roosevelt - December 8, 1941
Important observations might be phrases like, “With confidence in our armed forces, with
the unbounding determination…” and “we will gain the inevitable triumph…” From
these observations you might infer that the speech was patriotic. Though patriotism is not
mentioned it might be inferred from this choice in vocabulary.
Instruct: Taking observations and inferences, and synthesizing the information (60
minutes)
Provide the students with a few Observation & Inference Charts. Let them know the task
they will be completing is to observe evidence, build inferences and then synthesize the
information together to form a complete opinion or argument.
Explain the list of materials the students will have to work with. You may use any
materials you like however, for this lesson I have selected a few photographs, articles and
speeches they students may read. Provide the students time to read the articles, inspect
the photographs, and listen to the speeches while they complete their observation and
inference charts. Once the students have had sufficient time to observe and infer on all of
the information bring them back together and pass out the Observe Infer & Synthesize
chart. Instruct them that to complete any solid opinion one should utilize information
from a variety of sources. Have them practice synthesizing first together as a class by
sharing out observations and inferences while the instructor charts them on the board.
Then pull observations or inferences from two different sources to form a complete
opinion. For example after reading the pictures and seeing a chart of the casualties
caused by the atomic bombs you could synthesize that the effect they had was devastating
to the civilian population. While this piece of information was not observed specifically
from the picture, but rather inferred it was supported with the data from the casualties
chart. Then have the students complete the Observe Infer and Synthesize Chart. One side
should be compiling evidence that the atomic bombs should have been dropped, and the
other side should be compiling evidence that the bombs should not have been used.
Wrap Up: (10 minutes)
Have the students share their synthesis statements with one another looking for
similarities and differences.
Evaluation & Possible Extension:
Have the students complete a short in class argumentative essay using their Observation
Inference & Synthesis charts to formulate the evidence in their body paragraphs. This
could be lengthened with additional days for research and writing in coordination with
the school librarian.
Resources used in this lesson:
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki
http://time.com/3494421/hiroshima-and-nagasaki-photos-from-the-ruins/
http://www.hiroshima-remembered.com/photos/
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/30/books/did-we-need-to-drop-it.html
http://www.asian-studies.org/EAA/EAA-Archives/11/1/687.pdf
Student Handouts: (Observe & Infer T-Chart, & Observe Infer Synthesize Chart)
Observe & Infer
Source
Observe (I See)
Infer (I Think)
Decision to drop the Atomic Bomb
Scenario: Place yourself in President Truman’s shoes. The war in the Pacific is nearing its end.
However, a major decision is looming over your head. Should you use the atomic weapons that have
been developed and tested? Would it be better to use the weapons, or find an alternative?
Task: Students will cite evidence from the textbook, the handouts, and the primary source pictures
on the screen. Next you will use the evidence to formulate a conclusion to argue whether or not
atomic bombs should have been used in WWII. The front side should be for the decision to drop the
bomb, and the reverse side should be against the decision to drop the bomb.
Evidence – Observations & Inferences from Source 1
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+
Evidence – Observations & Inferences from Source 2
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=
Synthesis