Authentic Assessment

Japanese American Internment Unit

At the end of our Unit, you will be participating in a town meeting. Using the
journal that you will create for this project and any research or materials (i.e.
pictures, statements, articles) that you have gathered during the course of our
Unit. You will role-play to create an effective argument that mirrors the positions
of your group in history. You will need to be able to state your opinion and to
defend the role you are given. Each member of the group must take a turn in
presenting during the town meeting.
I will divide you into groups of 5. Each group will draw from a hat the
group the group that you will represent during our class discussion.
The groups are as follows:
1. Japanese Americans that were sent to an Internment Camp.
2. Japanese Americans who were in the military fighting for our
Country.
3. Newspaper journalists who printed and/or created propaganda
against the Japanese Americans.
4. President Roosevelt who signed the Executive Order 9066
5. Milton Eisenhower and other neighbors and community members
who were not of Japanese descent.
Students will then be given 2 social studies days to research your
groups position. Your group must prepare an opening statement
justifying the reasons you acted the way you did during this time
period and what your general feelings may have been. Make sure that:
You use strong, clear statements that accurately summarize your
claim.
You use information that you have gathered from the sources you
have collected from our Unit.
You must portray the individual(s) that you are assigned, not
your own feelings about the topic.
You state the opinion of the group but do not use inappropriate
language or improper statements.
Each member of your group will need to be prepared to speak at
some point during the class discussion.
You will need to stand when speaking.
You can hold notes to help you.
After everyone has opened with their opening statement, each group
will have the opportunity to ask 3 questions to other groups in the

room. Groups will respond to the questions they are asked. Finally,
each group will make a closing statement.
After the class town meeting we will discuss some of the arguments that were
presented. Did any of the groups present arguments that changed how you
thought about this issue? If so which group and why?
Did you learn anything new from the town meeting?
You will then be asked to write one last paragraph in your journal about
your personal feelings towards the U.S. placing Japanese Americans in
camps during WWII.