iTeachAZ

Lesson Plan Template

Teachers:
Callie Nelson
Common Core State Standards:
AZ SS Standards:

Subject:
Experiencing Pearl Harbor

Concept 8: Great Depression and World War II

PO 1. Describe changes in the lives of U.S. and Arizona residents during the Great Depression: a. poverty b.
unemployment c. loss of homes or businesses d. migration.

PO 2. Describe the reasons (e.g., German and Japanese aggression) for the U.S.
becoming involved in World War II.
PO 4. Describe how lives were affected during World War II (e.g., limited goods, women worked in factories,
increased patriotism).

ELP Standard:
ELL Stage III: Grades 3-5 Listening and Speaking B-5: responding to academic
discussions by sharing ones view on facts, ideas and/or events using academic
vocabulary.
CCSS Standard:
ELA-Literacy.W.4.2.B: Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details,
quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
Objective:
SWBAT analyze content in a personal account to develop an understanding as to what lead up
to the U.S becoming involved in WW2 and make emotional connections with people who
experienced Pearl Harbor.
Evidence of Mastery:
Students will produce a piece of poetry written from the perspective of someone who would
have experienced it at the time.
Sub-objectives, SWBAT:
SWBAT recognize that the United States has been under attack in the past.
SWBAT recognize that being under attack affected American families, jobs, and everyday life.
Key vocabulary:
Pearl Harbor:
A surprise military strike on the United States
Territory of Hawaii by the Imperial Japanese
Navy against the U.S. Navel Base the morning
of Dec. 7, 1941. The attack resulted in great
loss of American Lives and ships.
Banzai:
A Japanese battle cry.
Attacking fiercely and recklessly.

Materials:
Pencils, lined paper
Sound Effects:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=nRwM7UEQ8Q0
Personal Account:
http://www.seattletimes.com/nationworld/reporters-untold-story-of-pearl-harborattack-is-finally-published/
(I have chosen to take 4 portions from this
personal account that I believe to be the most
useful to help students master the objective of

Personal Account:
A persons retelling of an event they personally
experienced.

this lesson.)
Pearl Harbor Before Photos:
http://veryshareimg.com/images-of-pearlharbor-before-the-attack.html
Pearl Harbor After Photos:
http://www.sflistteamhouse.com/Misc/Pearl
%20Harbor/original.htm
Poem:
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/pearlharbor-poem-dec-7th-1941-d-day/
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=HlF_TQeccRw

Opening
Ask students to put their heads down and close their eyes and then play the explosion sound
effect clip. Afterwards, ask students to raise their heads and discuss what they heard and how
the sounds made them feel. After students have a short class discussion show them photos
from before and after (choose a variety from the links in materials). Explain to the students what
is happening in the photos, this is your introduction into the attack on Pearl Harbor. Allow
students to discuss what they already know about Pearl Harbor with shoulder buddies or small
groups. Allow students to share with the entire class what they know about Pearl Harbor and
how they know it.
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Teacher Will:

Read Pearl Harbor by William Tom

Zart one stanza (4 lines) at a time.
Stop after each stanza to have a
small class discussion. About 1
minute discussion per stanza.
- 1st Stanza: Ask students how it
would feel to be woken from
your sleep by the sounds heard
in the opening and what
emotions theyd feel looking out
their window to see what they
saw in the photos.
- 2nd Stanza: Ask students if they
know what Banzai means or
what they think it means and
ensure they know what it
means.
- 3rd Stanza: Ask students what
they believe the author means

Student Will:

After the teacher reads each stanza of

the poem students will have an open
class discussion regarding what each
stanza of the poem means.
Students will also respond to each of
the teachers questions.
At the end of the poem students will
take what they have learned from each
stanza and make connections between
the attack and why it brought the
United States into World War II.

when he talks about freedoms

worth.
Help students to decode the poem
and how it relates to the Pearl
Harbor Attack looking specifically at
the last stanza.
Co-Teaching Strategy
If multiple teachers are present while they discuss each stanza write students thoughts on the board.

Differentiation Strategy
Students may struggle to understand the metaphors and similes used in this poem and the teacher might
need to guide students to discover more about the poem.

G Teacher Will:
u
i
Have 4 centers set up and each
d
center will contain a portion of the
e
personal account.
d
Inform students the person account
is written by a women who was
P
working as a reporter in Hawaii at
r
the time of the attacks.
a
Count students off 1-4 and have 1s
c
go to a center, 2s go to a center,
t
3s go to a center, and 4s go to a
i
center.
c
Allow the groups 10 minutes to
e
read their section of the account
and discuss DBQs (included in
attachments).
Ask students to create groups of 4
and to ensure there is a 1, 2, 3, and
4 in each group.
Bring the class back together and
ask students to raise their hand to
share what stood out to them.
Ask questions to provoke emotions
from students.
- How would you have felt if you
were the one writing one of
these accounts?
- What sort of emotions would
you experience?
Help students piece together the
personal account from the
beginning to the end.

Student Will:

Rotate through the centers.

Get into their groups based on the
number they were assigned.
Read the portion of their personal
account with their group and discuss
what they read.
In their new group they will discuss the
information from the personal account
they read.
Share with the class what stood out to
them in the portion of the accounts
they read.
Respond to the teachers questions.
Work as a class to put the personal
account together from beginning to end
and recall important details from each
portion.

Co-Teaching Strategy
If multiple teachers are present have one at each station or have teachers rotate to ensure students are able
to analyze and understand key information in the personal account.

Differentiation Strategy
Add more time for students to read the personal account and discuss with their new groups if possible.

Teacher Will:
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Tell students they will be writing a

Haiku poem about Pearl Harbor.
Explain that students they are
writing this poem as an American
and they can choose to write a
personal account or base their
poem on information they learned
throughout this lesson.
Explain to students what a haiku
poem is and provide an example.
(5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables)
Refreshed and clear
The moon now shines
After the fearful storm.
-Admiral Onishi
Allow for sharing if any students
want to.

Student Will:

Decide what perspective they are

choosing to write their haiku in.
Begin writing their haiku.
Share if they choose to.

Co-Teaching Strategy
If multiple teachers are present walk around the room and assist students if they appear to be stuck.

Differentiation Strategy
Students may need more time to complete their poems another day.
This portion of the lesson could also be carried out during writing time.

Closing/Student Reflection/Real-life connections:

Watch the YouTube video Why Did The Japanese Bomb Pearl Harbor? - @MrBettsClass.
Introduce the idea of outsider perspectives and how the bombings impacted ALL Americans
living in the United States at the time, including Japanese Americans. Finish off by having
students question if this was a good enough reason to enter WW2. Allow students to jot down
a response in their notebook saying yes it was a good idea or no it was not a good idea and
their reasons why.