THE ROAD TO WORLD WAR I I

11th Grade U.S. History Lesson

Active Teaching Strategies

Mystery Bags – are used to arouse curiosity and generate thinking about a lesson or unit content and to stimulate language. Each small group will receive a bag containing objects that are related to the topic. Students work together to generate hypotheses about the relationship between the object and the topic and discuss how the objects may relate to one another.

Geniuses and Super Inteligentes – is a short-term highly controlled peer-tutoring strategy in which students are paired and, after hearing information from the teacher, take turns teaching each other. This strategy allows students to hear information more than once, it helps them comprehend the content and provides lower risk opportunities for clarification from the teacher.

Objective

Students will explain events precipitating the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Supporting Students with Learning Difficulties Students who need support in processing information

can be paired with other students. This lesson provides good support for independent

reading. Additionally, students with reading difficulties can read text that has been highlighted or that has marginal notes added.

The independent writing activity (homework) can be adjusted to meet students’ individual needs.

Anticipatory SetFocus: Active Teaching Strategy: Mystery

Bags

Teacher distributes one bag to each group and tells them that clues for the day’s lesson are found within the bags. Students are to act as detectives in piecing together those clues.

Remind them to handle materials and ideas with respect.Within each group students pass the bag from person to

person, each drawing out one item and hypothesizing on the lesson’s content based on that item. The teacher circulates and listens to ideas and responds without evaluating the ideas.

After all items have been discussed the teacher may comment on a few things discussed and conclude by saying “As we move through today’s lesson, test your ideas and see how your initial hypotheses match our discussion.

Marco Polo Bridge Photo

Oil Barrels Photo 2

American Coin Photo 3

Tiger Photo 4

Pearl Harbor Chart Photo 5

Input and Guided PracticeActive Teaching Strategy: Geniuses and Super

Inteligentes

Teacher provides input on events leading up to U.S. involvement in WWII.

Put students into partners labeled as Genius or Super Inteligentes.

For odd numbered items, you speak only to Geniuses. “Geniuses, this is for you. You are the ones with the skills to master this important information. You also have the skills to teach it to your Super Inteligente friend. When I’ve finished talking it is your turn to teach. Super Inteligentes: You sleep for a few minutes.”

Teach for 2 minutes or so about the topic. Invite questions from the Geniuses and then time them for 4-6 minutes as they teach the same information to the Super Inteligentes.

Active Teaching Strategy: Geniuses and Super Inteligentes

Even numbered items talk to Super Inteligentes.

Complete the same as with the Geniuses.Teacher finishes each section of the lesson by

asking questions related to each major point.

Mystery Bag Chart/Geniuses & Super Inteligentes

Object Significance – Teacher Background

Photo of the Marco Polo Bridge

This photo marked the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War 1937-1945. By 1937 Japan controlled all areas North, West and East of Beijing. The Marco Polo Bridge located South of Beijing was the only thing preventing the Japanese from taking city. Japan tells Chinese forces that they are missing a soldier and believe he is hiding in town across the bridge. Japan says “let us over the bridge to get him.” The Chinese say “No.” Japan says let us over or we will bombard the bridge and town. Chinese forces refuse so Japan attacks, but Chinese hold. Japan tries to negotiate a truce, and while they are doing this they mass their troops at their end of the bridge. As Chinese leave truce meeting Japan attacks again and overruns the bridge and captures Beijing. This action brings sympathy for China from the U.S. and other foreign nations.

Photo of Oil Barrels

In 1940-41 the U.S. imposed economic sanctions on the Japanese in response to Japan’s continued efforts to expand into China and French Indo China. First the U.S. instituted an embargo on fuel, steel and scrap iron. Then added the oil embargo which Japan saw as a threat to their national security. American Oil Embargo of 1941 caused a crisis in Japan, because they were reliant on the U.S. for 80% of their oil supply.Japan was forced to decide between:1) Withdrawing from China and negotiating an end to the Sino-

Japanese War.2) Go to war to obtain resources elsewhere. Japanese Prime Minister asked FDR for a summit, but was refused.

General Tojo takes over as Prime Minister, he believed that a Japanese attack in the East Indies would bring U.S. into the war, so he plans for invasion of U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor to eliminate threat as they look for resources elsewhere.

Mystery Bag Chart/Geniuses & Super Inteligentes

Object Significance – Teacher Background

Photo of a U.S. coin The Lend-Lease Act of 1941 authorized the president to aid any nation whose defense was deemed vital to the U.S. This allowed the U.S. to aid Japan’s enemies even before the United States had officially declared war. This agreement leads the Germans to attack commercial U.S. ships with submarines in the North Atlantic and further leads Japan to focus on attack of the American fleet at Pearl Harbor.

Photo of a tiger The Flying Tigers were a group of U.S. volunteer pilots who flew during the Japanese attacks on Burma, 1941. U.S. wants to help in the war effort against the Japanese, but does not want to directly send troops.Formation of this group by the United States government leads Japan to remain on course to attack American fleet at Pearl Harbor, because they see the U.S. is sympathetic towards China, has denied them economic resources, provided aid to countries fighting Japan, and now set up a volunteer group to fight against Japan.

Photo of a chart of Pearl Harbor captured from Japanese mini-subs after the attack

Accurate intelligence contributed to a successful attack. Japanese made a calculated risk by deciding to attack the U.S. fleet in Pearl Harbor. They felt if they U.S. would not trade with them then they must be crippled before the United States decided to openly declare war against Japan.

Closure

2 Options Give a short quiz that can be quickly checked. Have

students check quiz by using unison response. Address any troublesome items.

Play “The Day Which Will Live in Infamy” radio address.

Closing

Independent Practice

1) As homework, students read their textbook’s account of the events preceding Pearl Harbor and the attack itself. They write one paragraph to answer the question, “What caused the U.S. to enter World War II?

Invite them to read a first hand account on Pearl Harbor at http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/