School Improvement in Maryland
Executive Order
After reading information about Executive Order #9066, class members assume the voice of an 18 year-old Japanese-American born in California and placed in an internment camp. Individuals then craft a letter to President Roosevelt...
Curated OER
Problematic Situation for Yoshiko Uchida's Journey to Topaz
Like Yuki, Mrs. Sakane, and Ken, characters in Journey to Topaz, class groups must reach a consensus on 12 items they would bring if forced to relocate. The activity provides readers with an opportunity to make text-to-self and...
Curated OER
Japanese Internment--How Point of View Influences Attitude
How does background and experience influence one's point of view? Dwight Okita's famous poem about the Japanese internment is the text used to explore this essential question. Class members study primary documents to gain the necessary...
Project Tahoe
Individual Rights vs. The Greater Good Within the Scope of War
When, if ever, is the government justified in restricting individual rights? When, if ever, should the "greater good" trump individual rights? To prepare to discuss this hot-button topic, class members examine primary source documents,...
Museum of Tolerance
Can It Happen in America?: Taking Social Action
Class members investigate the Jim Crow Laws, Executive Order 9066, the Chinese Exclusion Act, and the Indian Removal Act to gather information about not only the challenges encountered by diverse groups of Americans, but their...
Center for History Education
Japanese American Internment During World War II
World War II turned nations against each other and neighbors into enemies. An eye-opening lesson explores the dark past of Japanese-American internment camps during WWII. Scholars learn of the fear and distrust toward Asian Americans...
National First Ladies' Library
Executive Order 9066: Japanese-American Internment
Young scholars analyze conditions under which sections of United States Constitution are superceded, research history of Native Americans, African Americans, and Japanese Americans, and debate policy of reparations for various minority...
Curated OER
Government Lesson Plan: Lesson Plan 7
Students examine the impact of Franklin Roosevelt's executive order on Japanese-Americans. They discuss Presidential executive orders, read a handout, answer discussion questions, and write a letter to President Roosevelt.
Curated OER
Journey to Topaz: KWHL Strategy
Japanese Internment and World war II are the focus of a KWHL strategy used to scaffold for a reading of Journey to Topaz, Yoshiko Uchida's story of 11-year-old Yuki Sakane and her family. Complete directions for the activity and...
Curated OER
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Lesson: Immigration
Many of your class members will have heard of Executive Order 9066 and the Japanese internment camps of World War II. Some may even recognize the terms “Issei” and “Nisei,” but few will have heard of Enemy Alien Hearing Boards, of the...
Penguin Books
Teacher's Guide: When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
Julie Otsuka's haunting novel, When the Emperor Was Devine, is the subject of a 14-page teacher's guide. The guide includes the text of an interview with Otsuka, background information about Japanese immigration to the United States, and...
Curated OER
Studying Japanese Internment with Primary Documents
Eleventh graders view photographs of the Japanese society being interned in camps during World War II in the United States. In groups, they read and discuss Executive Order 9066 and try to determine what group they are trying to focus...
Curated OER
Teacher: Japanese Relocation/Internment
Fourth graders determine how executive orders affected individuals and families of mixed parentage. They relate evacuation to own life experiences.
Curated OER
Lawson Fusao Inada
Students read and analyze poetry written by Lawson Fusao Inada. They read and discuss the executive order issued to Japanese Americans during WWII, take a field trip to the Nikkei Legacy Center, and read and discuss poems.
Curated OER
Exploring United States vs. Hirabayashi
Students research the case of Gordon Hirabayashi vs. the United States. They research the case by completing a timeline activity and review the charges against him. Students review the entire case and discuss it from the perspective of...
Curated OER
Views And voices From Within
Students investigate the life and artwork of Estelle Ishigo. They use a timeline and primary sources in order to understand the influence of living in a relocation camp during World War II. The lesson includes an extensive historical...
Scholastic
Dear Miss Breed
This compelling plan based on the letters in the book Dear Miss Breed engages readers in learning what it was like for Japanese Americans following the attacks at Pearl Harbor. After reading the letters, young scholars will partake in...
Curated OER
The Homefront: America and WWII
Students are introduced to the experiences of various groups of Americans at home during WWII, highlighting race, gender, and ethnicity. They improve their ability to analyze and interpret historical documents and images.
Curated OER
A Treaty Tail: U.S. - Indian Treaty Councils in the Northwest
Learners view a painting as a document to find out about the Indian Treaty Councils. In this artist's perspective lesson, students study the conflicts as shown in various pictures. Learners answer questions about what they learn from...
Curated OER
Leschi: Justice in Our Time
Students examine the lives of the Nisqually people and the resource consumption philosophy. In this Native American philosophy instructional activity, students use primary sources to understand the resource consumption philosophy and...
Curated OER
Japanese-American Internment during World War II
Students write an in-class essay on whether they agree/disagree with Lippmann's article concerning Japanese-American internment
Curated OER
Baseball Saved Us Teacher’s Guide
Young scholars read the book "Baseball Saved Us" and respond to the story through writing activities. In this reading lesson, students create a chart of events which they predict will take place in the story. Young scholars then use...
Curated OER
The War: Japanese Americans and Internment
Students examine the experiences of Japanese-Americans at the beginning of World War II in America. After watching an excerpt from "The War", they answer reflection questions about the Japanese being put into internment camps. In groups,...
Curated OER
Evacuation: The Japanese Americans in World War II
Students examine Japanese internment camps of World War II. In this World War II lesson, students use primary and secondary sources to research the evacuation process and life within the internment camps. Students discuss the racial bias...