Social Studies Mini-Unit

Book Title: Under The Blood-Red Sun

Author: Graham Salisbury

Publisher and Date: Yearling Books, 1995

Curriculum Developer: Lynette B. Reeder

Summary: This is a story of Tomikazu, an eighth-grade Japanese American boy, whose life in Hawaii revolves around baseball, fishing and his family. His life suddenly comes to an abrupt stop on December 7, 1941 when Pearl Harbor was bombed. Nothing remains intact, except the loyalty of Tomi's buddies, the Rats. This book is a winner of the Scott O'Dell Award.

Social Studies Relevance: Under The Blood-Red Sun could be used to enrich students' knowledge about World War II and Pearl Harbor. This book would offer diversity awareness in Japanese-American customs, beliefs, food, and dress. It would also be an effective tool for investigating the socail impact of baseball in the Japanese Internment camps.

Grade Level Focus: 5^th grade

Relationship to Social Studies State Core:

• 6050-0201 Design and create a time line from the events leading up to WWII and concluding with the end of WWII (1933-1945).
• 6050-0302 Use maps to locate Hawaii and the surrounding Pacific Ocean. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages geographically attributed to Hawaii in relationship to WWII.
• 6050-0403 Analyze WWII technology advancements such as: guided missiles, navy ships, bombs and planes.
• 6050-0401 Relate how WWII effected the economy (Japanese Americans and others). Discuss and simulate a ration/coupon system within the classroom.
• 6050-0502 Discuss how our government has appointed leaders, past & present, to make decisions (orders to relocate all Japanese) and how we can be involved in governmental decisions.
• 6050-0103 Create a poem depicting the Japanese relocation camps and produce a visual image of the poem.