To Drop the Bomb, or Not to Drop the Bomb? That is the Question.

1. To Drop the Bomb, or Not to Drop the Bomb? That is the Question. WWII Webquest Miss Warner American History Northwestern High School Table of Contents

2. Table of ContentsClick on the links to navigate through the webquest. • Objective • Background • Your Task • Task 1 • Task 2 • Task 3 • Evaluation • Resources

3. Background • On August 6, 1945, a U.S. B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, dropped a 9,700 pound uranium bomb, “Little Boy” on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The aim of this action was to convince the Japanese government that it would not be worth it to continue the war and unconditionally surrender to the Allied forces. NextTable of Contents

4. Background • On August 9th, a plutonium bomb, “Fat Man” was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. NextTable of Contents

5. You are an advisor to President Truman. Your job is to research options on ending the war. You will be working with officials from the War Department as well as scientists who are working on the Manhattan Project. In a couple of days you will present your findings to President Truman to help him make a decision on ending the war. Each member of your group will have a different role. You will research the pros and cons of using an atomic weapon based on your role. Then you will come together as a group and decide how you are going to advise the president. You will then write a report that you will finally present to the president Your Task Next Table of Contents

6. Task 1 Choose a role. • War Department Official • Scientist from the Manhattan Project • Department of State Official Each member of the group should have a copy of the handout. If you have lost yours, print from here. Next Table of Contents

7. Research your role and fill out your pro/con chart on the handout based on your role. You will take this to your group to determine how to best advise the president. **DO NOT SIMPLY COPY THE PRO/CON CHART FROM ONE OF THE WEBSITES, REMEMBER THAT YOUR CHART NEEDS TO BE BASED ON WHAT ROLE YOU ARE PLAYING** Remember to cite an additional cites that you use. Click Here for Resources Task 2 Next Table of Contents

8. Resources Background of the Atomic Bomb http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-bomb.htm The Manhattan Project: An Interactive History http://www.cfo.doe.gov/me70/manhattan/index.htm Documents http://www.dannen.com/decision/ Atomic Museum http://atomicmuseum.com/tour/decision.cfm Debating the Decision http://www.colorado.edu/AmStudies/lewis/2010/atomic.htm Harry S. Truman Library & Museum http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php Next Table of Contents

9. Task 3 Get back together with your group. Discuss your pro/con charts and decide on the best course of action. Write a report that you will present to President Truman (Miss W.). Next Table of Contents

10. Evaluation • You will be evaluated based on the rubric that is on the back of your handout. Read it carefully and pay attention to how many points each category is worth! • Required Elements: If you want to get a full score on this section, you need to have more than was is required. Example: Use a visual in your presentation. • Extra Credit: If you dress up for your presentation, you will receive extra credit on this assignment. Table of Contents

11. Objective The objectives of this lesson are for students to: • Examine the decision that President Truman had to make that ultimately would leave more than 200,000 casualties. • Use research in order to make a decision on what they would do if put in this situation. Next Table of Contents