Name: Whitney Lorenz

Lesson Focus/Topic: Understanding how another account can change how we view a historical
event through critical thinking and comparing.
Standards:
History Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.3
Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best
accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.6
Evaluate authors' differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the
authors' claims, reasoning, and evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.8
Evaluate an author's premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with
other information.

Objectives:

Critically analyze a text and be able to explain how it changes how people view historical
events through different perspectives.
Be able to notice any biases in primary and secondary accounts.

Materials:

Copy of text and graphic organizer.

White board/markers for thinking out loud/guiding questions.
3 minute clip from the History Channel online.

Assessment:

Look at how well they marked up their text. Discuss what they found important.
Discuss their graphic organizers and why they wrote what they did.

Instructional Tasks/Activities:
What I Will Be Doing
Before Lesson:
Making sure that the short film is ready to
view. Making sure I have my graphic
organizer to hand out. Making sure my notes
are in order to lead discussion.

What My Students Will Be Doing

Receive copies of graphic organizer and listen

to a brief explanation of what we will cover in
the lesson.

Warm Up (3-5 minutes):

Have students watch a 3 minute film about
the U.S. decision to drop the atomic bombs.
Refreshing Memories (5 minutes):
Explain/Discuss some of the reasons given for Students will write notes from the white
dropping the bombs. I will write them down
board. Together, we will orally come up with
on the white board for later use.
a list of reasons given by the U.S. to defend
the bombs and students will listen to and
write new ideas into their previous notes.
Annotating the Reading (10 minutes):
I will explain the background information on
the primary document that the students will be
reading.
Students will begin annotating their reading.
I will explain why reading this is important to This involves both reading skills and note
understanding different perspectives on
taking skills to fully understand the text. They
historical accounts.
will look for biases and think about the
guiding questions as they read.
I will give a few guiding questions at the
beginning to get students thinking while they
read the text.
Filling in the Graphic Organizer (5
Minutes):
I will ask the students to fill out their graphic
organizer once they have completed
annotating their reading.
I will remind them to look at the white board
full of ideas that we used previously in the
lesson if they are stumped.
Partner Discussion (5 Minutes):
I will ask the students to share what they put
on their graphic organizer before coming
together as a group to discuss.

Students will fill in their graphic organizer.

Reading and writing will be implemented.

Students will discuss their graphic organizer

with a partner. If they have time, they may
discuss their annotations. This involves both
reading, listening, and speaking.

Group Discussion (20 Minutes):

We will come together and first discuss what
they annotated. Did they notices any biases?
What was important to mark?
Next we will discuss what they filled in their
graphic organizer. How did this account
change their perspective? How does it change
the U.S. account of the bombs?

As group, the students and teacher will

discuss their findings. Ideas will be formed
and re-formed by speaking and listening.

Finally, why is it important that we read this

text? Why are primary sources important to
understanding all sides of history? What was
missing from the text?
Wrapping Up (1 Minute):
Students will turn in their graphic organizer
and annotated reading to me for assessment.
Students will turn in work.
Ask if they liked this exercise. Did they learn
something?