Lesson Plan - Voices From Hiroshima

We recognize that this topic may be upsetting for students. Here is some guidance in how to prepare your class. 

• If any students or their families have been in a war zone, consider letting those students know ahead of time that you are going to be talking about a war, and give them the choice to opt out. 

• Before reading, explain to the class that this article covers a difficult time in history. Let them know that some parts may feel too graphic for them, and that it is OK if they need to step away for a few minutes. Give them ways they can do that, such as going to the restroom or moving to the back of the room.

• After reading, offer a safe space to any students who are having a hard time with the information. Be open and listen to them. Validate that the history is hard, scary, and overwhelming. Remind them that the devastation is heartbreaking, but that in learning about it, they might be able to help make sure something like this never occurs again. 

• Finally, be prepared that students may draw comparisons with current events. Plan what you will say. If you prefer to focus on the history, for example, you might say: “That’s an important conversation, but right now we’re talking about Hiroshima.”

Build Background Knowledge

What do students already know about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan? What do they want to know about it? Before reading, ask students to create a KWL chart with three columns. The first column is labeled K (Know), the middle column is labeled W (Want to know), and the third column is labeled L (Learned). In pairs, small groups, or individually, ask students to brainstorm in the K and W columns. Then debrief responses with the class. (After reading, direct students back to their KWL charts, and have them reflect and fill in the L column.)

Preview Vocabulary

Use the skill builder Words to Know to preteach the domain-specific terms abolish, civilians, economy, nuclear weapons, radioactive, shrine, Soviet Union, and World War II. Have students refer to the skill builder as they read.

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently or in pairs. As students read, direct them to circle or highlight any words whose meanings they are unsure of. If possible, have students interact further with the text by annotating in the margins with these symbols:

! = something surprising

? = I have a question.

X = something bad

+ = something good

✓ = I already knew that.

Begin a post-reading discussion by asking for feedback on students’ annotations.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• How was August 6, 1945, a “typical Monday” in Hiroshima before the atomic bomb was dropped? (Summarizing)
On August 6, 1945, people in Hiroshima were going about their daily lives, heading to school and work. Japan was at war, but the fighting was far away. An air raid siren had gone off in the city, but that was a normal occurrence so it didn’t raise much concern. 

• What is the purpose of the section “An Earth-Shaking New Weapon”? (Author’s Purpose)
The purpose of “An Earth-Shaking New Weapon” is to explain why the United States developed nuclear weapons and why President Harry S. Truman decided to use them against Japan.

• For at least two of the eyewitness accounts, answer this question: How does this account help explain the impact of nuclear weapons? (Text Evidence)
Sample answer: The eyewitness accounts help explain how the atomic bomb affected the people of Hiroshima immediately, as well as in the short- and long-term. Akihiro Takahashi’s account describes what the nuclear blast was like and the immediate effect it had—knocking him off his feet and burning him and his clothes. Chieko Kiriake explains how survivors looked shortly after the explosion, and the horror of the injuries caused by nuclear weapons. Seiji Takato recalls the ongoing health problems caused by the atomic bomb. In the years after the Hiroshima explosion, he developed painful sores and swollen lymph nodes. Seiichiro Mise describes how the atomic bomb affected future generations: Mise was terrified that his childhood exposure to the atomic bomb would cause health issues for the baby he and his wife had two decades later. Shigeaki Mori describes his astonishment that people don’t understand the long-term effects of nuclear weapons, and his fear that nuclear weapons may be used again. Keiko Ogura describes her sense of duty as a survivor to tell her story and work toward abolishing nuclear weapons.

• Examine the chart “Nuclear Weapons Today.” Are nuclear weapons a greater threat today than during World War II? Explain your answer. (Integrating Visual Information and Text)
Sample answer: Yes, nuclear weapons are a greater threat today than during World War II, because more than 10,000 of them exist, split among nine different countries. Also, the current weapons are thousands of times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. However, the knowledge of the atomic bombs’ massive, long-term impact on Japan and its people may make modern countries less likely to use these weapons even if they have the capability.

Research and Write an Argument Essay

Encourage students to explore more of the reasoning behind U.S. President Harry S. Truman’s decision to use atomic bombs. Together, watch the video “Timelines: The Pacific War” at junior.scholastic.com for more context about the war. Then share the National Park Service article “Harry Truman’s Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb” at nps.gov/articles/trumanatomicbomb.htm. That article gives more information about Truman’s options. Finally, ask students: Should the U.S. have used atomic bombs on Japan? Have them write an argument essay defending their position, guided by the Argument Writing Toolkit. Students can use “Voices From Hiroshima” as well as the National Park Service article and the video as resources for evidence.

Analyze a Primary Source

Direct students to the “Your Turn” prompt at the end of the article. Then discuss the questions as a class.

Assess Comprehension

Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz, available in PDF and interactive forms. You can also use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others.