AP US History

Atomic Bomb Socratic Seminar

How do you prepare?
• Analyze readings and consider how such information can be utilized • Record all pertinent information on separate sheets of paper.
in a conversation • Consider what points you might raise when discussing the prompt
• Review notes/handouts relative to the topic (listed below).
• Conduct additional research on the topic (see below) to gain a deeper
sense of the subject matter

How will you be graded?

You will be evaluated on your ability to prepare for, participate in, and reflect on the experience.

Overview
On August 6, 1945, the United States, under the leadership of President Harry Truman, ushered in the Atomic Age by detonating an atomic bomb over the Japanese city
of Hiroshima. Three days later, for reasons that have never been completely agreed upon by historians, the United States chose to drop a second bomb on the city of
Nagasaki. Over the course of human history, rarely has the world seen the fate of so many people turn on two actions. These events single-handedly launched the
United States into the Cold War and thus triggered a catastrophic race against the Soviet Union to develop the world’s most devastating weapons. America’s place in
the world was forever changed following those fateful days, and the effect of President Truman’s decision still reverberates today. The purpose of this assignment is for
you to grasp a further understanding of America’s decision to drop the bomb, reasons for doing this, and the various implications of our actions.

YOUR GRADE ON THIS SEMINAR WILL COUNT AS AN ASSESSMENT GRADE (20 points).
The seminar will be on ________________________.
SOCRATIC SEMINAR DISCUSSION ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
Was the United States justified in dropping the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

ESSENTIAL PREP QUESTIONS:

Directions: Answer the following questions to prepare for the Socratic seminar:

Question Set 1:
1. What were the possible alternatives to the dropping of the bomb?
2. What were America’s motives in dropping the atomic bomb?
3. Were these motives justified?
Question Set 2:
4. Why did the United States drop the second bomb so soon after the first?
5. Was the use of the atomic bomb necessary to end the war?
6. Ultimately, did the decision to use the atomic bomb make the world safer or more dangerous? Explain.
Question Set 3:
7. Why has the opinion on whether or not to drop the bombs changed so much since the end of World War II to present day?
8. Was unconditional surrender necessary? (meaning the Japanese had to meet every single one of America’s demands or the
war would continue – including the removal of the emperor who was considered a “living god.”)
9. Is it fair for civilians to be targeted in a time of war?
10. Was and should the decision be a moral decision or a military decision?
Question Set 4:
*Generate THREE questions about the topic that you could pose during the group discussion.
Assignment Requirements:
• You are to research the dropping of the bomb in response to the three question sets above in preparation for the Socratic
Seminar discussion.
• Your preparation (research/answers to questions above) for the seminar will be submitted the day of the seminar.
• If you are not prepared, you will not be able to participate in the actual discussion and will complete an alternate assignment
during the discussion. You also will only be able to earn 15/20 points (75%) maximum for the Socratic Seminar.

Preparation Resources
Online Resources—
• http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_coll • http://www.colorado.edu/AmStudies/lewis/2010/ato
ections/bomb/large/index.php mic.htm#Outline
• http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB Additional—
162/ • Textbook
• Any and all library resources/books/materials