Your Name: Sal Cusmano

Unit: WWII

Unit Overview: The lesson will be focusing on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki and the end of WWII. The lesson will be primarily taught by my
mentor teacher and I will lead a group discussion on if the students feel the United
States chose the correct course of action with the bombings of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki.

A. Unit Learning Goal: Did the United States choose the correct course of
action in bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
B. Daily Objectives: SWBAT: Argue if the United States chose the correct
course of action in dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

(Michigan K-12 Social Studies Standards High School US History 7.2.2 United
States and the Course of World War II – evaluate the role of the United States
in fighting the war militarily, diplomatically, and technologically across the
world. Examples may include but are not limited to: Germany-First strategy,
the Big Three Alliance, and the development of atomic weapons. )

List your objectives in state content standards and/or national standards, and cite
which expectations you use (place the number of the standard in parentheses
following your Learning Goal.)

C. Instructional Sequence: Briefly list the steps in teaching this lesson including
ways you intend to launch and close the lesson and the details of teacher and
student actions. *These steps should be appropriately detailed so that a
substitute teacher could teach the lesson.

Provide an approximate time frame for each step, feel free to space these out.
Highlight HLTPs throughout lesson.

For example:

The first step of your instructional sequence should detail how you will
launch the lesson

1. I will launch my group discussion by saying something along the lines of

“having just learned about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
we will have a debate/discussion on if you believe the United States chose
the correct course of action.” (1 minute)
 2. Following that I will ask “Who here believes that the United States was
right to drop both bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Why?

Follow up: Do you think the United States should have dropped both bombs
as quickly as they did or should they have waited to see if Japan would have
surrendered before bombing Nagasaki?” (2-3 minutes LGD)

3. Following this question I will ask “Who here believes that the United States
should only have bombed Hiroshima with a nuclear bomb? Why?

Follow up: How do you think the United States should have proceeded in
their attack if Japan continued to fight after the bombing of Hiroshima?” (2-3
minutes LGD)

4. Following this question I will then ask “3. Who here believes that the
United States shouldn’t have bombed Hiroshima or Nagasaki with nuclear
weapons? Why?

Follow up: How do you think the United States should have proceeded in
their attack on Japan if they did not choose this attack strategy?” (2-3 minutes
LGD)

5. I will then have the students respond to each other’s opinions and have
them debate why they agree or disagree with their opinions. (2-3 minutes
LGD)

Total time 10-15 minutes LGD

6. I will conclude the lesson by saying that like the students just debated the
United States’ decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki, historians have
debated if the United States made the correct choice in bombing Hiroshima
and Nagasaki.

Anticipated student conceptions or challenges to understanding: I believe my

students may have some challenges in arguing their positions, but I will try and
restate what they said to make sure I understand their argument.

Assessment: I will conduct a group discussion on how the students feel the United
States handled the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This will serve as the
assessment.