WW2 - Was the U.S. Justified in Using Atomic Bombs?

This lesson contains:

• A starter activity to recap what the students may already know about the atomic bombings from the previous lesson (Why did the US drop the bomb).
• A video to introduce students to the impact of the bombs on some survivors and their lives.
• An opportunity to study on-board sources and quotes from Truman and others to gauge what the intention was behind dropping the bombs, which the students can summarise in their books.
• An activity that sets up the main task by noting that historians have been arguing for years whether it was necessary to drop the bombs at all. Students are given a worksheet with three of the main arguments and space to write for and against arguments underneath each. They then use the information table containing sources to find arguments that go for/against the main issues.
• An opportunity for extended writing to sum up their judgement.
• There is an optional activity to study a source from the Hiroshima bombing and go through planning a usefulness answer.

Attachments:

• 1 x Powerpoint Presentation
• 2 x Powerpoint Files
• 2 x Word Files with an optional source-based activity/assessment