Teacher Background Information

To effectively teach this unit, the educator needs to have an adequate amount of knowledge about two subjects—WWII and the internment of Japanese Americans. An overview of WWII will take place at the beginning of the unit and has been given one week of time in the organization overview. The teacher must research and choose specific events of which he/she feels necessary to teach the students. Textbooks and internet researches (sites listed below) will be helpful in finding and understanding certain events.

Week two is divided into three sections: citizenship, Pearl Harbor, and discrimination. For the first two days, special attention will be given to the rights and privileges of United States citizens. Two documents (Declaration of Independence

http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Forum/2760/22/declaration.html and the Constitution http://memory.loc.gov/const/const.html ) will need to be reviewed before being taught. Careful reading and application should be given to amendments XIII and XIV. Research on Pearl Harbor may be needed if the teacher is unfamiliar with it. Also, knowledge of the discrimination toward Japanese Americans will be needed for week two. Again, sites are given below.

The knowledge needed for weeks three through five begins with the Executive Order 9066 http://www.english.upenn.edu/~kajohnso/9066.html and continues through the entire internment. Roundup of Japanese Americans, camp life, and return to homes are all topics that will be addressed. Ideas such as location, transportation, homes, school, and many others will be touched upon (for more detailed information on lesson topics review the organization and subject matter overview).

Pictures for all the subjects will be helpful and can be found at:

http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/WW2Timeline/fdr-images.html

http://www.scu.edu/SCU/Programs/Diversity/exhibit2.html

http://www.lib.utah.edu/spc/photo/9066/topaz.htm

These sites are just a few suggestions; numerous photos are available.

A guest speaker will also need to be contacted. Suggestions include an interned resident, guard, or possible a resident from a nearby town. Also, the teacher needs to be aware of the student portfolios which will be collected and/or shared. The students will be collecting work and ideas for their end-of-year portfolio throughout the entire unit.

Sites recommended for research:

http://www.jainternment.org/

-special site for educators

-gives an overview of WWII to post-war

http://www.imdiversity.com/Article_Detail.asp?Article_ID=3228

-timeline of internment; after Pearl Harbor

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook45.html

-overview of WWII with links to speeches and documents

http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/internment.html

-recommendation for related literature

http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/

-includes maps and details of timelines

*This unit will be most effective if coupled with a unit on WWII