It was only eight square miles, but the island of Iwo Jima was soaked with the blood of 26,000 American and 19,900 Japanese soldiers who died fighting over it during World War II. Viewers consider the battle and its strategic importance while listening to the stories of veterans and viewing an original newsreel of the engagement. Young historians consider whether or not it ultimately worth the cost.

Concepts

world war ii, the pacific islands, the pacific ocean, japanese history, japan, american history, veterans, bill clinton

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Ask learners to compare the description of the battle in the newsreel and veterans' stories to the textbook or another source 

Classroom Considerations

• To view the videos, create a free C-SPAN Classroom account or the use of the following login credentials: Username: students, Password: C-SPANCLASSROOM
• Footage includes images of violence and the dead

Pros

• Newsreel footage allows class members to experience history as it happened
• All clips are under 10 minutes, making them easy to integrate into instruction

Cons

• None