Teacher: Carlos De Lara

Subject: The united States in World War 2

Grade Level: 10th Grade

OUT, TDS, or SAC Structured Academic Controversy

Title: World War 2 and the Atomic Bombs

TEKS: §113.42.C.12.C Explain the dropping of the atomic bombs.

Students will successfully defend a point of view on the dropping of the atomic bombs in
Learning Objectives:
Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Were the droppings of the bombs necessary?

Were the atomic bombs dropped to prevent more American Deaths or was it a strategy to
Essential Question(s):
scare the Soviet Union?

Essential Vocabulary:
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, controversy,

Resources/Materials:
Word doc/ American Yawp/Youtube.com/ sheg.stanford/
Powerpoint Presentation:
Give a brief explanation on the conflict between the U.S and Japan, but also
Time:
include the Soviet Union and show the clip below after
10 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=584k0gwvhUs

Debate preparation/Group discussion:

Procedure: -students will be divided into 2 groups (One against the bombing, and the
other defending the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki)
-Give students the smack history information sheet which includes
Time:
information that support both sides of the argument.
15 min
- Have them identify portions that support their point of view by
highlighting or underlining the texts.
 Debate:
-Group 1 will discuss their argument for 3 minutes
-Group 2 will rebuttal their argument for 3 minutes
-Groups 1 will have a chance to answer the rebuttal from 1-2 min

-Group 2 will have the opportunity to return any content from 1-2 min. Time: 10

Assessment: Students will answer the questions individually Time:

10:00
 SMACK HISTORY

Sources

 Even before the bomb was tested, American officials began to debate how
to use it. Admiral William Leahy, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, opposed
using the bomb because it killed civilians indiscriminately. He believed that an
economic blockade and conventional bombing would convince Japan to
surrender.Secretary of War Henry Stimson wanted to warn the Japanese about the
bomb while at the same time telling them that they could keep the emperor if they
surrendered. Secretary of State James Byrnes, however, wanted to drop the
bomb without any warning to shock Japan into surrendering. President Truman later
wrote that he “regarded the bomb as a military weapon and never had any doubts that it
should be used.” His advisers had
warned him to expect massive casualties if the United States invaded Japan.
Truman believed it was his duty as president to use every weapon available to
save American lives.
Source: American History Textbook, American Vision, pg. 615.

 My division, like most of the ones transferred from Europe was going to take part
in the invasion at Honshu (an island of Japan). The people who preferred
invasion to A-bombing seemed to have no intention of proceeding to the
Japanese front themselves. I have already noted what a few more days would
mean to the luckless troops and sailors on the spot…. On Okinawa, only a few
weeks before Hiroshima, 123,000 Japanese and Americans killed each other.
War is immoral. War is cruel.
Source: Paul Fussell, a World War II Soldier, Thank God for the Atom Bomb,
1990

 “[Byrnes] was concerned about Russia's postwar behavior. Russian troops had
moved into Hungary and Romania, and Byrnes thought it would be very difficult
to persuade Russia to withdraw her troops from these countries, that Russia
might be more manageable if impressed by American military might, and that a
demonstration of the bomb might impress Russia.”

Source: James Byrnes was one of Truman's advisors on the atomic bomb. In
addition to defeating Japan, he wanted to keep the Soviet Union from expanding
its influence in Asia and to limit its influence in Europe. Manhattan Project
scientist Leo Szilard met with Byrnes on May 28, 1945. Leo Szilard wrote about
his meeting with Byrnes in 1980
 Harry Truman Announcing the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima (1945):

“I shall recommend that the Congress of the United States consider promptly the
establishment of an appropriate commission to control the production and use of atomic
power within the United States. I shall give further consideration and make further
recommendations to the Congress as to how atomic power can become a powerful and
forceful influence towards the maintenance of world peace.”

[Source: Harry S. Truman Library, “Army Press Notes,” box 4, Papers of Eben A. Ayers. Available online
via
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/documents/index.php?documentda
te=1945-08-06&documentid=59&pagenumber=1.]

 "It is my opinion that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was
of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already
defeated and ready to surrender because of the effective sea blockade and the
successful bombing with conventional weapons."
- Admiral William D. Leahy, 1950

 “One consideration weighed most heavily on Truman: the longer the war lasted, the
more Americans killed…Truman, the old artilleryman who had seen war close-up,
understood from his own experience the hopes and fears of…young combat officers
dreaming of families and futures, just as he had a generation earlier. Their survival
would be the ultimate vindication of his decision.
-Professor Alonzo Hamby, 1995
Group Name:________________ Date:_______________

Intrusctions: You will either defend the dropping of the bombs or oppose it. Think about
an answer that will support the side you were given with evidence from the text in the
SMACK paper.

1. Why the United States dropped the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

2. Was the dropping of the bombs a good decision or a bad one?