The World War II Incarceration of Japanese Americans

To what extent has the U.S. lived up to its democratic ideals in times of crisis?

Aki Kurose tells how as a teenage girl in Seattle, she felt after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Build knowledge and understanding of the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans

Understand how to learn and teach with primary source materials

Design and teach a lesson using primary sources and thinking routines

1 Be both teacher and student

2 Look closely - notice things

3 Make interpretations based on

evidence

4 Wonder - ask questions

5 Do NOT play “guess this picture”

What do you see?

What does it look like or remind you of?

- What new things do you see?

-How does this new information change your thinking?

-What do you know for sure at this point?

-What makes you think so?

-What questions and puzzles do you have?

News stories, now known to be wildly exaggerated, of spying and sabotage

News reports of Japanese military success in the Pacific

Fear of West Coast invasion by the Japanese

FBI and Naval Intelligence – No, sabotage reports exaggerated, we already have potentially dangerous individuals in custody

Department of Justice – No, these are U.S. citizens

Hawaii military commander & Army HQ (DC) – No, bad use of precious resources

War Department & West Coast military commander – Yes, it is a military necessity to protect the West Coast

Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners

by Ron Ritchhart, Mark Church, and Karen Morrison

http://pzweb.harvard.edu/vt/

Sort photos: main, side, hidden

What is the main or central story being depicted or documented?

What is the side story (stories) happening on around the edges that may not necessarily involve the main characters?

What is the hidden story 0bscured or happening below the surface?

Dorothea Lange photograph

Japanese American military participation

Rudy Tokiwa describes the aftermath of the rescue of the “Lost Battalion.”

Roger Shimomura painting, “Classmates”

Japanese Americans opposing the unfairness

Gordon Hirabayashi describes his decision to defy government orders.

American Memory website memory.loc.gov List all collections Ansel Adams

Search “Dorothea Lange Japanese Americans”

Public Domain U.S. government created Created before 1923

What if not public domain Distribute links, not copies Show it, don’t distribute Fair Use

Submitted byTeacher: Nathan Armstrong Year 7Wesley College

Read text

Note 2-3 significant ideas

Highlight passages

Lunch

Self-guided tour of museum

Note any distinct POV on the Japanese American incarceration, cite source

1. Select a timekeeper

2. Person 1 reads a selected passage out loud

3. Each person has 1-minute to respond

4. Person 1 comments, up to 2-minutes

5. Repeat for each person in the group

1. Write the “tug” or perspective on a sticky note. Cite source.

2. Share tugs from various sources.

3. Discuss tugs and place on the line. Post questions above the line.

Don’t RemoveDon’t Remove

RemoveRemove

State a reason, note source

State a reason, note source

State a reason, note source

State a reason, note source

NO YESWhat if. . ?What if. . ?

President Roosevelt issues Executive Order 9066 allowing the removal of Japanese Americans

Congress passes Public Law 503 making it a federal offense to violate EO 9066

U.S. Supreme Court in a 6-3 ruling in Korematsu v U.S. affirms government action saying in the majority decision, “the military authorities considered that the need for action was great, and the time was short.”

Peter Irons doing primary source research on the Korematsu Supreme Court ruling

U.S. Congress forms committee to examine WWII actions and passes legislation calling for a presidential apology and $20,000 payment to survivors

President Reagan signs the Civil Liberties Act of 1988

U.S. Federal Court of Appeals vacates Korematsu conviction based on the evidence that the military misled the Supreme Court during World War II

Describe what’s there Wonder Make connections Uncover complexity Consider different viewpoints Build explanations Reason with evidence Capture the heart

http://historicalthinkingmatters.org http://pzweb.harvard.edu/vt/

Primary and secondary source analysis Textual evidence Author’s point of view or purpose Compare perspectives Evaluate multiple sources of

information in diverse formats Read informational text Integrate information into a coherent

understanding, noting discrepancies

Densho Teacher Workshop Wiki https://washington2012densho.pbworks.c

om/Densho Archive of primary sources

http://archive.densho.orgDensho Encyclopedia

http://encyclopedia.densho.orgDensho website

http://www.densho.org

1. Review the Densho Wiki, and give feedback.

2. Use primary sources and a thinking routine(s) in your classroom.

3. Reflect on what you did, and how it worked.

4. Complete the final survey.

5. Request your stipend.• Send in student work.

To what extent has the U.S. lived up to its democratic ideals in times of crisis?

Airport screenings

Electronic surveillance of U.S. citizens

National Defense Authorization Act gives the President the authority to detain without trial, U.S. citizens suspected of potentially being involved in terrorist activities

Website: www.densho.orgEmail: info@densho.org