US National Archives
WWII: The Pacific 1939-45 – Japan and the Atom Bomb
Though the scientists who developed the atom bomb did not believe it should be used to end World War II, American President Harry S. Truman and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill were of like mind in their decision to drop the bomb...
Curated OER
The Dropping of the Atomic Bomb at Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Take an in-depth look at the historical events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in this 69-slide PowerPoint. Photos, facts, and transcripts are outlined in this presentation in order to answer the stated essential question in slide 2: "What...
Curated OER
Terminating the War between the Allies and Japan
Ninth graders examine the arms race that took place in the period leading up to and during World War II that produced the atomic bomb. They analyze differing perspectives on terminating the war between the Allies and Japan. They ...
Curated OER
The Atomic Bomb
For this atomic bomb study guide worksheet, learners respond to 11 short answer questions. The questions correlate to assigned readings in a textbook.
PhET
Radioactive Dating Game
Uranium 235 has a half-life of over 700 million years and is the fuel used in the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Pupils see the half-lives and decay rates of Carbon-14 and Uranium-238. They also take measurements of these two...
Curated OER
Stop Action and Assess Alternatives
Students stop action and determine how history may have been altered. For this historical perspectives lesson, students consider how the Cherokee Removal, the Transcontinental Railroad, the Immigration Act of 1924, and the dropping of...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Splitting Atoms
In a simple activity, physical scientists model nuclear fission using a droplet of oil. This can be used alone in a unit on different types of energy, or as part of the energy conservation unit produced by the Texas State Energy...
Curated OER
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
Have your class explore the effects of war by reading Eleanor Coerr's story, "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes." This is a story about a sixth grader who lives in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb is dropped. Learners answer questions,...
Curated OER
Sadako
Students engage in a literature study in order to comprehend the times of the Japanese during World War II. Specifically they look at the life of a little girl named Sadako in Hiroshima and how she overcomes her deadly disease of Leukemia.
Curated OER
World War II in the Pacific and the End of the War
Students study the World War in the Pacific. In this Geography lesson, students develop an awareness of key issues and events from the conflict. Students write a well-organized essay describing this event.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: You Decide: The Atom Bomb
In the final days of World War II, the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Was President Truman correct in his decision? Compare your response to others.
Other
Nuclearfiles.org: Chronology on Decision to Bomb
This detailed chronology of the events and communication of 1945-1946 shows Truman's role in the process of the decision to drop the world's first atomic bomb used in warfare upon Hiroshima and then the second upon Nagasaki. Also...
Other
Atom Central: The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Read this detailed account of the decision and action to drop two atomic bombs on Japan after the attacks on Pearl Harbor.
Other
Atom Central: The Cold War
Read how the dropping of the atomic bombs planted the seeds of hostility between the United States and the USSR.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: A Biography of America: The Fifties 1945 1960
World War II ends with the legacy of its final moment: the atomic bomb. After reading comprehensive background material, interactive feature lets you decide if President Truman was correct in his decision to drop atomic bombs on...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Hiroshima: A Survivor's Story
Read an account of the experiences of Francis Mitsuo Tomosawa, a fifteen-year-old American of Japanese descent who was in Hiroshima on the day the atomic bomb was dropped on the city.