Camp Harmony
Japanese Internment
Posted by: Krenk, Laura
Email: laura.krenk@ops.org[->0]
Grade Level: All
Themes:
1. Internment Camps
2. Racial discrimination
3. World War II
Objectives:
The student will:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the key terms as outlined in the text
2. Analyze why Japanese-Americans were sent to Internment Camps
3. Speculate why German-Americans and Italian-Americans were not sent to Internment Camps
4. Visualize what an Internment Camp looks like
5. Relate to students of the same age by interpreting the emotions expressed by seventh graders sent to Japanese Internment Camps
Intro Set:
In their notebooks, have students answer the following scenario:
“The government says that you and your family need to move to support the war effort. You have been given two hours and one small suitcase to gather all of your belongings before you leave. What would you take with you if you knew you would never see your home again?”
Meterial:
1. Letters of interned students located at Japanese Internment Letters. http://www.lib.washington.edu
2. Overhead projector; transparency sheets and overhead pens
3. (If students do not have notebooks for daily assignments) Paper for students to use to complete their anticipatory set, notes, etc.
Process:
1. After a short discussion of the anticipatory set, have students break into seven small groups. You may want to create these groups yourself.
2. Assign each group one of the letters. Have them complete the following questions as a group:
a. How does this letter make you feel?
b. What emotions does the writer express in the letter?
c. What do you think this person’s life was like during World War Two?
d. Why do you think Japanese-Americans were forced to go to Internment Camps, and not German- or Italian-Americans?
3. Have each group trade letters for the duration of the activity, so that they may read as many primary source documents as possible.
4. To conclude, lead a discussion as to what the
Posted by: Krenk, Laura
Email: laura.krenk@ops.org[->0]
Grade Level: All
Themes:
1. Internment Camps
2. Racial discrimination
3. World War II
Objectives:
The student will:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the key terms as outlined in the text
2. Analyze why Japanese-Americans were sent to Internment Camps
3. Speculate why German-Americans and Italian-Americans were not sent to Internment Camps
4. Visualize what an Internment Camp looks like
5. Relate to students of the same age by interpreting the emotions expressed by seventh graders sent to Japanese Internment Camps
Intro Set:
In their notebooks, have students answer the following scenario:
“The government says that you and your family need to move to support the war effort. You have been given two hours and one small suitcase to gather all of your belongings before you leave. What would you take with you if you knew you would never see your home again?”
Meterial:
1. Letters of interned students located at Japanese Internment Letters. http://www.lib.washington.edu
2. Overhead projector; transparency sheets and overhead pens
3. (If students do not have notebooks for daily assignments) Paper for students to use to complete their anticipatory set, notes, etc.
Process:
1. After a short discussion of the anticipatory set, have students break into seven small groups. You may want to create these groups yourself.
2. Assign each group one of the letters. Have them complete the following questions as a group:
a. How does this letter make you feel?
b. What emotions does the writer express in the letter?
c. What do you think this person’s life was like during World War Two?
d. Why do you think Japanese-Americans were forced to go to Internment Camps, and not German- or Italian-Americans?
3. Have each group trade letters for the duration of the activity, so that they may read as many primary source documents as possible.
4. To conclude, lead a discussion as to what the