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Essential Question
How has music and art represented the history and consequences of the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan during World War II?
Overview
In this lesson, students will examine the atomic bombing of Japan by the United States during World War II. In their examination, students will document and discuss how President Harry S. Truman came to the decision to use atomic bombs in war for the first time by analyzing contemporaneous newspapers. Students will also examine the development of the bombs and the consequences of the bombings by viewing videos. Additionally, students will explore the experiences of the Japanese people during and after the bombings by analyzing art and music created to represent that experience. In a culminating activity, students will share a summary of the knowledge they have acquired and consider the current status of nuclear weapons.
By the summer of 1945 the status of World War II had changed dramatically for the Allies – a military alliance consisting of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union (also known as “The Big Three”). Earlier that spring, Nazi Germany had been defeated by allied forces and then formally surrendered. With Germany’s unconditional surrender, the war in Europe concluded on May 7th of that year.
The war in the Pacific region, where the United States led the fight against Imperial Japan, continued. Japan was part of the Axis powers – another military alliance that had included Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Strategically, Japan was headed toward defeat due to dwindling war resources, numerous battle losses, and waning support of the Japanese public. However, Japanese forces continued to fight and Japan’s leadership refused to surrender.
In the United States, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had died in office in April 1945 and Vice President Harry S. Truman assumed the presidency, becoming the 33rd President of the United States. Later that year, from July 17th to August 2nd, President Truman attended the Potsdam Conference near Berlin, Germany to meet with the “Big Three” leaders and other strategic allies to discuss defeating Imperial Japan and the ending of World War II.
It was at the Potsdam Conference that President Truman was notified that an atomic bomb covertly developed by the U.S. had been successfully tested. The President referred to the weapon as “the most terrible bomb in the history of the world” and wrote that its use was “an awful responsibility that has come to us.” As Commander in Chief of U.S. armed forces, it would be President Truman’s sole decision whether to use the new weapon in World War II.
Prior to the conclusion of the Potsdam Conference, the attendees released the “Potsdam Conference Proclamation”. The proclamation provided a notice of terms and called “upon the Government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional surrender of all the Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction.” Although the exact wording of how Japan’s leadership responded to the proclamation has been historically debated, Imperial Japan did not surrender.
On August 6th 1945, the United States Army Air Force dropped the atomic bomb “Little Boy” over the city of Hiroshima. The explosive yield of the bomb was estimated to be equivalent to 15,000 tons of TNT. The explosion led to the deaths of an estimated 145,000 people by the end of the year and immediately destroyed five square miles of the city.
Following the bombing of Hiroshima, and without an unconditional surrender by Japan, the U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb over the city of Nagasaki on August 9th. That bomb was named “Fat Man” and its estimated explosive yield was equivalent to 21,000 tons of TNT. An estimated 140,000 people died by the end of the year due to the bombing and three square miles of the city were destroyed by the explosion.
Residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki continued to suffer from the effects of the atomic bombings long after August 1945. Those individuals became known as the Hibakusha – “bomb-affected people”. Many hibakusha suffered from various forms of cancer in later years due to their exposure to the atomic bombings. Many locals referred to their illnesses as “atomic bomb disease”.
One of the hibakusha was Sadako Sasaki, a young girl from Hiroshima who was two years old when her city was bombed. Within a few years of the bombing, Sasaki became ill with leukemia. As her illness progressed, Sasaki was cared for in a hospital with other hibakusha. To lift their spirits, those in the hospital were provided with art materials to create origami cranes.
An ancient Japanese legend tells that by folding 1,000 of the origami crane bird, a person can make a wish to the sacred crane. Sasaki folded her cranes and at first she wished to become well again, but as her prognosis did not improve, she wished for peace in the world. Tragically, Sasaki died at the age of 12 but her legacy endures at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and in the notion of origami cranes being symbols of peace.
The Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki provided musical commentary to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima with his celebrated 1961 orchestral piece, Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima. A threnody is defined as a song or poem of mourning created as a memorial to the dead. Penderecki’s piece musically provides a sense of the chaos, turmoil, and suffering of the Hiroshima bombing victims. The piece was composed as the atomic, or nuclear, arms race was exponentially increasing around the world, especially between the former allies turned adversaries – the United States and the Soviet Union. In the decades to come, nuclear weapon stockpiles would dramatically decrease but the danger of nuclear war is still very present today.
Objectives
- Know (knowledge):
- How art and music have responded to the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan
- Who decided to use atomic bombs for the first time in war during World War II
- Where the atomic bombs were dropped in Japan during the war
- How the bombings affected the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the outcome of the war
- The current status of atomic and nuclear weapons in the world
- Mastery Objective
- Students will be able to explain the history and consequences of the atomic bombings during World War II by analyzing archival documents and images, defining terms, critically listening to music, and viewing art.
Activities
Disclaimer:
This lesson contains primary source documents and other materials that may include terms and images reflecting the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of different times that today are considered offensive and demeaning. TeachRock does not endorse the views expressed in these documents, but recognizes the value such materials provide for historical inquiry. For guidance on introducing controversial historical materials into the classroom, we suggest reviewing this document from the Library of Congress.
Materials Needed:
- An internet accessible device for each student
Preparation:
- Preview YouTube video, “Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima (1959 – 61) (1994 Remastered Version)” to determine accessibility and how much of the recording students should listen to during the lesson.
- Preview Slideshow – Atomic Bombing of Japan to know that there is a graphic image of a child who has been severely injured by the atomic bombing of Japan in the slideshow.
Entry Ticket Activity:
- As a homework assignment or in-class work, distribute Handout – World War II in the Summer of 1945 to students. Review the handout directions with students. Explain to students that they will need to be ready to share with the class about what they read and wrote.
Motivational Activity:
- Display Image 1, Newspaper Headlines . Instruct students to analyze the image by reading the text and noting the date of the newspapers. Then, ask students to reference their work for Handout – WWII in the Summer of 1945 (Teacher’s Guide) and answer the following questions:
- When did World War II end in Europe and who was defeated in that part of the war? (Nazi Germany surrendered on May 7th, marking the end of World War II in Europe.)
- To what might the headline “Job But Half Done” be referring? (The continuing war in the Pacific against imperial Japan is the second “half” of the job.)
- Where was President Truman when he received news that a new weapon had been successfully tested and what was the purpose of that event? (The Potsdam Conference.)
- What new weapon was ready for use and how was it “developed”? (The atomic bomb, developed in secret.)
- How would you describe the status of World War II in the summer of 1945 in your own words?
- Explain to students that for this lesson they will be exploring the use of atomic bombs during World War II. Distribute Handout – Atomic Bombing of Japan Vocabulary (Teacher’s Guide) to all students and review the directions on the handout. Then, instruct students to complete the applicable sections of the handout.
Procedure
- Inform students that they will be participating in a slideshow activity about the atomic bombing of Japan during World War II. Distribute Slideshow – Atomic Bombing of Japan and explain to students that they will be analyzing a variety of primary sources in the slideshow that detail the use of atomic bombs in World War II. Distribute Handout – Atomic Bombing of Japan Graphic Organizer (Teacher’s Guide) and review the handout directions. Once students have completed the slideshow activity, ask the following questions: (Once the discussion concludes, instruct students to fill out the applicable sections of the Vocabulary handout.)
- How do you think the history that you explored earlier in the lesson influenced the events in August 1945?
- How might you describe the experience of the bombings from the perspective of a Japanese citizen living in those cities?
- Display Image 2, Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima. Instruct students to view the image on the left and read the text on the right. Then, ask students the following questions: (Once the discussion concludes, instruct students to fill out the applicable sections of the Vocabulary handout.)
- What is a threnody? (a song or poem of mourning created as a memorial to the dead)
- Have you ever heard music before that could be considered a threnody? If so, what was the music?
- Who is the composer? (Krzysztof Penderecki)
- How might the album cover illustrate the history being referenced and expressed with music?
- Explain to students that they will now analyze a recording of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima. Then, focusing on the following questions from the Library of Congress – Teacher’s Guide: Analyzing Sound Recordings sheet as a guide, ask students the following questions as they listen to the music. Play the YouTube video, “Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima (1959 – 61) (1994 Remastered Version)”. (Play as much of the recording as necessary but the entire recording does not need to be played.) Then ask students:
- Describe what you hear. What do you notice first?
- Do you recognize this music or any of the instruments being played? If so, what do you recognize?
- How does hearing this music inform your knowledge of this history?
- Does hearing this music change your prior knowledge of this history as you experienced it in the slideshow? If so, how has your knowledge of this history changed?
- Do you like what you hear? Why or why not?
- Distribute Slideshow – Japan Surrenders and explain to students that they will be analyzing a variety of contemporaneous U.S. newspapers in the slideshow that detail Japan’s response to the atomic bombings. Then, focusing on the following questions from the Library of Congress – Teacher’s Guide: Analyzing Newspapers sheet as a guide, ask students the following questions as they analyze the slides: (Once the discussion concludes, instruct students to fill out the applicable sections of the Vocabulary handout.)
- What can you tell about what was important at the time and place of publication?
- What can you tell about the perspective of the newspaper publishers and the American public considering the racial epithets being used here?
- What words do you see that connect to the knowledge you acquired earlier in this lesson? (“Surrender” and “Potsdam”)
- How do you think the atomic bombs were developed?
- Inform students that they are now going to view videos detailing how the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan were developed. Instruct students to take notes as they view the videos in preparation for completing sections of the vocabulary handout. Play Clip 1, U.S. Department of Energy – Excerpts from “Manhattan Project National Historical Park” Then, ask students: (Once the discussion concludes, instruct students to fill out the applicable sections of the Vocabulary handout.)
- How do the terms “shadowy locations” and “mysterious work” used by the narrator connect to your acquired knowledge of how this new weapon was developed? (As explained in the motivational activity, the atomic bomb was developed “covertly” or “secretly”.)
- What was the name of this secret project and how is it described in the video? (“The Manhattan Project, probably the greatest technological endeavor of all time,…”.)
- What was “the result of the efforts” of all those who worked at the secret Manhattan Project Y12 location in Tennessee? (“ … a small but sufficient amount of Uranium-235” – the active ingredient of the atomic bomb “Little Boy” dropped on Hiroshima.)
- Instruct students to recall the knowledge they acquired earlier about victims of the atomic bombs – the Hibakusha. (If time permits, request that a student volunteer share what they have documented about the hibakusha on the Vocabulary handout.) Explain to students that they are going to view videos about a particular hibakusha, a young girl and Hiroshima resident named Sadako Sasaki. Play Clip 2, National Parks Service – Excerpts from “Sadako’s Origami Cranes—A Message of Peace.” Then, ask students:
- Who was Sadako Sasaki?
- What did the Sasaki family struggle with after the bombing of their hometown of Hiroshima?
- What name did the Japanese people give to the cancer that “emerged in adults and children” after the atomic bombings in Japan?
- With what type of cancer was Sadako diagnosed and what caused it?
- Why were Sadako and other sick children given origami crane birds in the hospital? What is the Japanese legend of the crane?
- How has Sadako Sasaki’s life been memorialized?
Summary Activity:
- While referencing their completed vocabulary, graphic organizer, and any of their notes, ask students:
- How would you describe the circumstances and the aftermath of the U.S. decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan during World War II to someone?
- What may have been the consequences of using atomic weapons in war?
- What might be the current status of atomic weapons?
- Distribute Handout – Nuclear Weapons and the United Nations and review the handout directions. Explain to students that “nuclear” is synonymous with “atomic” as both words are connected to the physics involved in these types of weapons. Then, instruct students to complete the handout.
- Considering the information in the paragraphs, what may have been the consequences of President Truman’s decision to use atomic bombs in 1945 during World War II?
- Considering the information in the paragraphs, what may have been the consequences of President Truman’s decision to use atomic bombs in 1945 during World War II?
- Display Image 3, Nuclear Weapons and the United Nations and instruct students to analyze the graph and the text on the image. Then, ask students:
- Considering the data detailed in the graph and the knowledge acquired by completing the handout, how would you explain the history of atomic weapons since World War II up to the present day in your own words?
- What might be the current status of atomic weapons?
- Instruct students to conduct a search for their own current news headlines about nuclear weapons via an online search engine using the phrase: “nuclear weapons news”. Once they have found news headlines about nuclear weapons, ask students:
- How might this current news story connect to the history you explored in this lesson?
- What might this news story tell you about the current status of using atomic/nuclear weapons in war?
- Considering all the knowledge you’ve acquired in this lesson, how might you approach this specific news story and the use of atomic/nuclear weapons in general as the President of the United States and Commander in Chief of U.S. armed forces?
Extension Activities:
- Assign students to create their own artwork (drawing, origami, poem, poster, song, video, etc.) representing one aspect of the history explored in the lesson. Artwork should represent the student’s knowledge about that history. Artwork could be about:
- The Potsdam Conference
- President Truman approving the use of atomic bombs in war
- The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, including Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima
- The Manhattan Project
- Sadako Sasaki
- Current status of atomic weapons
- Explore the Krzysztof Penderecki page at the Culture.pl website.
- View the television film, Atomic People.
- Explore the annual Peace Memorial Ceremony in the city of Hiroshima.
- Read the TIME magazine article, “Survivors of the Atomic Blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki share their stories”.
- View the video One World or None about the use of atomic weapons and atomic energy at the Library of Congress website.
- Analyze artifacts of the Manhattan Project.
Handouts
Handout – Atomic Bombing of Japan Graphic Organizer Handout – Atomic Bombing of Japan Vocabulary Handout – Atomic Bombing of Japan Vocabulary (Teacher’s Guide) Handout – Nuclear Weapons and the United Nations Handout – World War II in the Summer of 1945 Handout – WWII in the Summer of 1945 (Teacher’s Guide)
Standards
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Social Studies Standards
History
- D2.His.1.9-12. Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.
- D2.His.3.9-12. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context.
- D2.His.5.9-12. Analyze how historical contexts shaped and continue to shape people’s perspectives.
- D2.His.11.9-12. Critique the usefulness of historical sources for a specific historical inquiry based on their maker, date, place of origin, intended audience, and purpose.
- D2.His.14.9-12. Analyze multiple and complex causes and effects of events in the past.
California History–Social Science Content Standards
11.7 Students analyze America’s participation in World War II.
- 7. Discuss the decision to drop atomic bombs and the consequences of the decision (Hiroshima and Nagasaki).
District of Columbia Social Studies Standards
- US2.48 Evaluate the reasons for and the consequences of the United States’ decision to drop the atomic bombs including the human and environmental impact of these decisions.
- US2.53 Analyze the legacy of the development of atomic weapons and the nuclear age in American society, and explain how it altered the balance of global power.
Massachusetts History and Social Science Framework Standards
Topic 3: Defending Democracy: Responses to fascism and communism HSS.USII.T3.07
- 7. Explain the reasons the United States gave for the use of atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan; and use primary and secondary sources to analyze how arguments for and against the use of nuclear weapons developed from the late 1940s to the early 1960s.
New Jersey Student Learning Standards – Social Studies
Era 11. The Great Depression and World War II: World War II (1929–1945)
- 6.1.12.HistoryCC.11.a: Assess the impact of the arms race and the proliferation of nuclear weapons on world power, security, and national foreign policy.
- 6.1.12.HistoryCC.11.b: Analyze the roles of various alliances among nations and their leaders in the conduct and outcomes of the [sic] World War II.
Social Studies – National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
- Theme 1: Culture
- Theme 2: Time, Continuity, and Change
- Theme 3: People, Place, and Environments
- Theme 5: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
- Theme 6: Power, Authority and Governance
- Theme 8: Science, Technology, and Society
- Theme 9: Global Connections
Common Core State Standards
College and Career Readiness Reading Information Text Standards for Grades 9-12
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.7 Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.5 Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing for Grades 9-12
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.8 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening for Grades 9-12
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
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