Curated OER
How is Atomic Energy Used Today
Students investigate energy sources by examining photographs. In this atomic energy lesson, students identify and describe various pictures and how atomic energy is used in them. Students create a presentation demonstrating how many...
Curated OER
Questions of War and Peace: Using Case Studies to Teach the History of American Foreign Policy
Students read three case studies to focus on how the United States dealt with foreign policy issues. In groups, they read about the decision to drop the atomic bomb, the commitment of troops to Vietnam and wwhether to send troops to...
Curated OER
Learning Empathy Through Art
Students create poems based on the Haiku form and research about WWII. Class discussion and classroom readings of student work finish this lesson plan. Emphasis is placed on Standards in the Arts.
American Institute of Physics
African Americans and Life in a Secret City
Imagine the lure of being offered a job at a secret site, working on a secret project, and earning higher wages! Such was the approach used to recruit African Americans to Hanford, Washington, one of several sites used to develop...
Curated OER
Victory in the Pacific, 1943-1945
Students examine the military campaigns of the Pacific theater, tracing the path of the Allied offensives. The lesson presents what the Allies were trying to accomplish and why.
Curated OER
Exploring US Foreign Policy after WWII--The Cold War
Scholars explore U.S. Foreign Policy and Cold War ideologies adopted after WWII. They conduct Internet research on a topic or issue related to the Cold War Era, watch two films, and compose a time line and a multimedia presentation to...
Penguin Books
An Educator's Guide to The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages
A lot of secrecy shrouded the creation of the atomic bomb. Readers uncover some of that secrecy using an educator's guide for the novel The Green Glass Sea. Three weeks of lesson plans feature discussion questions and reading...
Curated OER
Chicago Questionnaire
Students critically investigate the issues surrounding the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan. They conclude if dropping the bombs was a correct decision or not and support their conclusions with documentation. Students tie in atomic...
Curated OER
A Peace Maker in the Aftermath of War
Young scholars discover how Barbara Reynolds was involved with the atomic bomb in World War II. In this World War II atomic bomb lesson plan, students work in groups to research WWII. Young scholars present their findings with pictures...
Smithsonian Institution
Cuban Missile Crisis
The United States—specifically John F. Kennedy—played a large role during the Cuban Missile Crisis. A history resource poses questions that encourage critical thinking as well as in-depth analysis of images from the time period.
Curated OER
Terminating the War between the Allies and Japan
Ninth graders examine the arms race that took place in the period leading up to and during World War II that produced the atomic bomb. They analyze differing perspectives on terminating the war between the Allies and Japan. They ...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Splitting Atoms
In a simple activity, physical scientists model nuclear fission using a droplet of oil. This can be used alone in a unit on different types of energy, or as part of the energy conservation unit produced by the Texas State Energy...
Curated OER
Dancing in the Desert: The Genie
Fifth graders study nuclear destruction using visual literacy. In this nuclear destruction lesson, 5th graders work in groups to examine a group of pictures that show the destruction of a home by a nuclear blast. They discuss the type of...
Curated OER
World War II
Students examine the events of World War II that led to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan. Creating a decision making tree, they weigh the positives and negatives of the decision to use the bomb. They participate in a class...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Categories of Cold War Histiography
While the objective is to provide an overview of the Cold War in preparation for further study, this resource addresses the topic at a rather advanced level, and might need its own introductory instructional activity. The handouts...
Curated OER
Fallout
Students view a short film about the results of dropping the atomic bomb at the end of World War II. They research controversies surrounding the use of the bomb and nuclear weapons. They write two editorials about the issue.
Curated OER
United States - Japanese Relations In Post World War II Era
Ninth graders explore the relationship between the United States and Japan. In groups, classmates research the treatment of Koreans and Americans as prisoners of war. Pupils examine the effect of politics and agreements during the war....
Curated OER
Learning Empathy Through Art
Students observe the painting, From That Day On, by Ben Shahn, and reflect on the story of the Lucky Dragon. They research and discuss the physical and emotional side effects on the Japanese people after the atomic bomb was dropped.
Curated OER
Sadako: A Tribute to a Girl with Cancer
Students explore the story of Sadako, a young girl, who had leukemia as a result of a bomb being dropped on Hiroshima in 1955. They create a chain of paper cranes and design a fund-raising event. They write poems in the Japanese style of...
Curated OER
NUMB3RS Activity: A Matter of Half-Life and Death
Students investigate exponential decay. Students explore the biological half-life of Cesium-137. Students investigate the Goiania Accident of 1987 which is considered one of the worst incidents in the history of the Atomic Age.
Curated OER
Total War
Students view a video about the result of using atomic weapons during World War II. They examine how human rights are violated during wartime. They listen as family members come and speak to the class about their experiences during the...
Curated OER
Memorandum of a Conference with President Eisenhower after Sputnik
Learners use the National Archives to research how the United States and the Soviet Union south to maintain its supremacy after World War II.
Curated OER
Observing Bursts from an X-ray Burster
Students study the use of X-ray data to make size and energy estimates of the source and the processes occurring there. They use XTE observations of the object GRO 1744-28 to determine whether bursts occur periodically and the duration...
Curated OER
Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) in the History Classroom
SAC is a specific approach to discussing history and controversial issues. Rather than adhering to an either/or debate-style paradigm, it fosters speaking and constructivist listening to enable learners to build consensus through...