Classroom Resource

Japanese American Incarceration

Subject Area

Social Studies

Grade(s)

6, 11

Overview

In this lesson, students investigate a series of primary documents to address the question: Why did the United States government incarcerate Japanese Americans during World War II? Students will watch a newsreel from 1942 that the government made to explain the internment. Then, students will read four other primary documents about the internment to answer the essential question. 

The website includes lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, primary source documents, and student graphic organizers. Teachers will need to create a free account to access the materials. 

Social Studies (2010) Grade(s): 6

SS10.6.7

Identify changes on the American home front during World War II.

Unpacked Content

UP:SS10.6.7

Vocabulary

  • internment camp
  • rationing
  • Birmingham steel industry
  • Port of Mobile
  • Tuskegee Airmen
  • retooling

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The types of rationing that occurred in the United States during WWII.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Cite evidence to support changes on the home front using primary and secondary sources.
  • Evaluate the contributions of significant individuals and/or groups in the US during WWII.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Many changes occurred in the United States during WWII.
Social Studies (2010) Grade(s): 11 - United States History II

SS10.US2.10

Describe the impact of World War II on the lives of American citizens, including wartime economic measures, population shifts, growth in the middle class, growth of industrialization, advancements in science and technology, increased wealth in the African-American community, racial and ethnic tensions, Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (G. I. Bill of Rights), and desegregation of the military. (A.1.b., A.1.c., A.1.d., A.1.e., A.1.g., A.1.i., A.1.k.)

Unpacked Content

UP:SS10.US2.10

Vocabulary

  • wartime economic measures
  • G.I. Bill of Rights
  • desegregation
  • Tuskegee Airmen
  • Aliceville POW camp

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The impact of WWII on national economic issues.
  • Population shifts that occurred as a result of WWII.
  • Social changes in the nation, including the growth of the middle class.
  • The growth of industrialization in the nation and the impact of this growth.
  • Advancements in science and technology and the lasting impact of these advancements.
  • Changes in racial dynamics, including increased wealth in the African-American community, desegregation of the military, and changes in the racial and ethnic tensions in the nation.
  • Political actions that impacted the effects of the war, including the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944.
  • Alabama's participation in WWII, including the role of Tuskegee Airmen, Aliceville Prisoner of War camp, the growth of the Port of Mobile, production of Birmingham steel, and the establishment of military bases.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media.
  • Evaluate an author's premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information related to historical events.
  • Read and comprehend historical texts independently and proficiently on various topics related to events that led to WWII and the effect of those events on American foreign policy today.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • There was a significant domestic impact from WWII with lasting effects on the political, social, and economic environment of the United States.
Link to Resource
https://sheg.stanford.edu/history-lessons/japanese-american-incarceration

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

Stanford Education Group

Resource Provider other

Stanford Education Group
Accessibility

Accessibility

Text Resources: Content is organized under headings and subheadings
License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

https://www.stanford.edu/site/terms/

Approved Date

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