Essential Question: Were the Japanese treated like prisoners of war during their internment during World War II?
Grade Level: 11th
Subject: U.S. History
California State Standard: 11.7.5 Discuss the constitutional issues and impact of events on the U.S. home front, including the internment of Japanese Americans (e.g., Fred Korematsu v. United States of California Department of Education Created May 18, 2000 GRADE ELEVEN 51 America) and the restrictions on German and Italian resident aliens
Common Core Social Science Standards: see listing at the end of text set
Grade Level: 11th
Subject: U.S. History
California State Standard: 11.7.5 Discuss the constitutional issues and impact of events on the U.S. home front, including the internment of Japanese Americans (e.g., Fred Korematsu v. United States of California Department of Education Created May 18, 2000 GRADE ELEVEN 51 America) and the restrictions on German and Italian resident aliens
Common Core Social Science Standards: see listing at the end of text set
Anchor Text:
Saiki, B. (2013). Uprooting of My Two Communities. In Daniels R., Taylor S.C., Kitano, H.H.L. (Eds). Japanese Americans: From Relocation to Redress. (pp. 15-17). Washington: University of Washington Press. Reading Level: The text isn’t complex to read and it’s at the right level for an 11th grader, where the SCAAS Text Complexity Tool measures the text as moderately complex. |
This anchor text document introduces the fear and hysteria of Americans at home when the United States entered World War II. It’s a first person point of view essay detailing Barry Saiki’s experience when the war began and how his life was interrupted when the Internment Camps were created. He was one of 500 students that attended UC Berkeley and was forced to leave school in order to be sent to one of the ten internment camps established during the war. He reveals how his life and his family’s life was disrupted during this time and his thoughts on it during the time.
This essay can be used to introduce America’s entry into WWII and reaction at the home front. Students can answer questions as they read the text. This will get them to think about how complicated this war was at home as well as abroad. Answering the questions will fulfill the common core standard of 11.12.1 and 11.12.2
This essay can be used to introduce America’s entry into WWII and reaction at the home front. Students can answer questions as they read the text. This will get them to think about how complicated this war was at home as well as abroad. Answering the questions will fulfill the common core standard of 11.12.1 and 11.12.2
Text: This large size poster was placed throughout Japan town in San Francisco giving instructions to anyone of Japanese ancestry to report to a designated area, in order to be processed and sent to a relocation center. It was placed on telephone poles and in public places where the Japanese population congregated, with a date, time and specific things to bring.
This poster would be used to demonstrate the beginning process of the internment camps. They would use the who, what, when, where, and why to analyze the purpose of the poster by themselves and find the meaning behind it. This analysis would meet the common core standard 11.12.1 and 11.12.3. After looking at the textual evidence a class discussion would follow about whether the students themselves would abide by the rules and follow the orders given in the poster. These questions would be used to get students to start thinking about this time period:
How important is it to follow authority?
Would you follow the instructions? If not, where would you go?
What do you think will happen if you don’t go?
This poster would be used to demonstrate the beginning process of the internment camps. They would use the who, what, when, where, and why to analyze the purpose of the poster by themselves and find the meaning behind it. This analysis would meet the common core standard 11.12.1 and 11.12.3. After looking at the textual evidence a class discussion would follow about whether the students themselves would abide by the rules and follow the orders given in the poster. These questions would be used to get students to start thinking about this time period:
How important is it to follow authority?
Would you follow the instructions? If not, where would you go?
What do you think will happen if you don’t go?
War Relocation Authority. (1943, May). Relocation Program A Guidebook for the Residents of Relocation Centers. Washington, DC: US. Government Printing Office.
Reading Level: The SCAAS Text Complexity Tool measures the Language Features, Meaning, and Knowledge Demands as extremely complex. It uses official government language and words the students will not be familiar with in which background information will also be needed to help understand this reading. There’s a lot of details and specifics about what the internees can and cannot do, similar to reading a contract. Scaffolding and prompts may be needed when introducing this, because the text is above their grade level. Determining specific words and meaning from the source would fulfill common core standard 11.12.4. |
Text: Japanese Americans that were placed in the internment camps were given a guidebook that details their rights and responsibilities. This is an official government pamphlet issued by the War Relocation Authority, whose responsibility was to organize the internment camps. It details all the rules and regulations of the camps such as food, lodging, employment, education, internal security, and legal aid.
This program text would be used to provide insight to what life was life in the camps from the government perspective. The evidence can be used along with other evidence from this text set to help the students decide whether the Japanese were treated like prisoners of war. The program guide can be used as supporting evidence for an essay and to answer the essential question of whether the Japanese were treated like prisoners of war. The essay would satisfy the common core standard 11.12.4, 11.12.7 and 11.12.9.
This program text would be used to provide insight to what life was life in the camps from the government perspective. The evidence can be used along with other evidence from this text set to help the students decide whether the Japanese were treated like prisoners of war. The program guide can be used as supporting evidence for an essay and to answer the essential question of whether the Japanese were treated like prisoners of war. The essay would satisfy the common core standard 11.12.4, 11.12.7 and 11.12.9.
Heart Mountain Sentinel. (1944, April 8). Vol III No. 15.
Reading Level: The newspaper would have to be introduced correctly because students might assume it’s a newspaper article published by a private company and written by white Americans. Some understanding of cultural context is needed since it is from the perspective of Japanese Americans during the 1940s. For the SCAAS Text Complexity Tool the Text Structure is slightly complex, but the Language Features, Meaning, and Knowledge Demands are very complex. |
Text: This newspaper was self-published by the Japanese in the internment camp in Heart Mountain, Wyoming. It provides local news from within the camps along with any outside information that directly effects the Japanese. The camp newspaper looks exactly like any newspaper, with weather reports, opinion articles and news. Some news include a coal shortage, high school registration, and Purple Heart’s that were awarded.
For an assignment students would have to draw a picture of what the camps look like. For example, hand out a picture of a cabin similar to what the Japanese lived in and have students add eight pictures to it, using the newspaper as a source. On the back side, have students create a dialogue between a nisei and issei talking about the life in the camps. This newspaper can also be used as a primary source along with the sources in the text set, for an essay to answer the essential question of whether the Japanese were treated like prisoners of war. The essay would satisfy common core standard 11.12.7 and 11.12.9.
For an assignment students would have to draw a picture of what the camps look like. For example, hand out a picture of a cabin similar to what the Japanese lived in and have students add eight pictures to it, using the newspaper as a source. On the back side, have students create a dialogue between a nisei and issei talking about the life in the camps. This newspaper can also be used as a primary source along with the sources in the text set, for an essay to answer the essential question of whether the Japanese were treated like prisoners of war. The essay would satisfy common core standard 11.12.7 and 11.12.9.
Japanese American National Museum. Dear Miss Breed: Letters from the Camp. Retrieved from: http://www.janm.org/exhibits/breed/title.htm
Reading Level: The text is very simple since it was written by elementary school kids. The SCAAS Text Complexity Tool was not used, since the language and grammar is far below the high school level. |
Text: Over 250 letters were written to Miss Breed, a local librarian from the East San Diego Branch Library during World War II. This website has a collection of letters written by kids who had befriended Miss Breed during their time spent at the library. Letters contain various conversations about their life in the camps, how the feel, and how they pass the time. It reveals what life was like from the perspective of a child during the Japanese internment. The exhibition has multimedia tools to aide in understanding the letters.
A potential assignment would be for the the students to pick two letters and respond to the children’s letter. They would assume the position of Miss Breed during the war and answer appropriately. I would also have the student’s use this as another piece of evidence to be used in an essay to answer the essential question. This would fulfill the common core standard 11.12.7 and 11.12.9.
A potential assignment would be for the the students to pick two letters and respond to the children’s letter. They would assume the position of Miss Breed during the war and answer appropriately. I would also have the student’s use this as another piece of evidence to be used in an essay to answer the essential question. This would fulfill the common core standard 11.12.7 and 11.12.9.
Japanese American National Museum. Henry Sugimoto Collection. Retrieved from: http://www.janm.org/collections/henry-sugimoto- collection/
Reading Level: Art is subjective and analyzing it is not a common practice. Therefore this text may be a little more complicated for student’s to do. It’s important to scaffold and incorporate defined art vocabulary words to help students look at the art work. This process is at their grade level and above. |
Text: This is a collection of paintings drawn by Henry Sugimoto during his time in Camp Jerome and then Camp Rohwer. He created about 100 pieces of work during his time inside. Originally he did it secretly, but was soon allowed to work on his paintings watercolors, and sketches openly. His art pieces depicts everyday life of Japanese in the Internment camps along with messages of injustice. The collection contains his early works from the 1930s, there for it’s important to look at his art work from 1942-1945.
An assignment from his painting would be for the students to pick two pieces of work and interpret the paintings on their own. Provide a guide for them to analyze and explain the art. A few questions to help them analyze would include: What does the artwork depict? How do you know? Does the picture symbolize anything? How much does this portray reality? What is something that stands out?
This painting would also be used as another piece of evidence in a larger essay that answers the essential question of whether the Japanese were treated like prisoners of war? This would fulfill the common core standard of 11.12.7 and 11.12.9.
An assignment from his painting would be for the students to pick two pieces of work and interpret the paintings on their own. Provide a guide for them to analyze and explain the art. A few questions to help them analyze would include: What does the artwork depict? How do you know? Does the picture symbolize anything? How much does this portray reality? What is something that stands out?
This painting would also be used as another piece of evidence in a larger essay that answers the essential question of whether the Japanese were treated like prisoners of war? This would fulfill the common core standard of 11.12.7 and 11.12.9.
Okazaki, S. (Director). (2005). Unfinished Business: The Japanese-American Internment Cases[Motion picture on DVD]. US: New Video Group.
Reading Level: Based on the SCAAS Text Complexity Tool, this video is slightly complex. There are first hand interviews from those who experience the internment camps along with a lot of reenactments and video footage from that time period to help retell the story. |
Text: This documentary has a narrator along with individuals retelling their first person account about their life during World War II. It begins with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and takes the audience through the relocation process and life in the camps. Not only do they tell about their personal stories, but they describe how they felt and their emotions of what happened.
The video is a good way to finalize the internment camps after their essay has been written. Students can compare their essay to those first hand accounts about life in the camps. The whole video does not have to be shown, but it provides a good visual history about what life was like and the first hand stories also provide credibility to it. After watching the video a class discussion about the essential question can be used to bring end this unit lesson. The teacher can ask the essential question again and see if their position changes after watching the documentary.
The video is a good way to finalize the internment camps after their essay has been written. Students can compare their essay to those first hand accounts about life in the camps. The whole video does not have to be shown, but it provides a good visual history about what life was like and the first hand stories also provide credibility to it. After watching the video a class discussion about the essential question can be used to bring end this unit lesson. The teacher can ask the essential question again and see if their position changes after watching the documentary.
Common Core Social Science Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.3
Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.9
Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.3
Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.9
Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.