On August 6th, 1945...a power was unleashed that would change the world forever. A new bomb nicknamed "Little Boy," with the power equivalent to 20,000 tons of TNT, was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. A one-mile radius was completely destroyed, with approximately 4.7 square miles destroyed from fires after the blast. 70,000 people were killed by the blast alone, with approximately 70,000 more dying from sickness and injuries within five years afterward. On August 9th, another bomb, "Fat Man," would be dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki with similar results. On Aug 15th, Emperor Hirohito gave a radio address declaring the surrender of Japan to the Allies.
The question, one that is still debated by historians today, is "Was the dropping of the atomic bombs justified?" Today you will be answering that question. To do so, you must research primary and secondary sources, choose the position you want to take, and defend it using evidence from the sources you read. This lesson will test your higher level thinking skills such as critiquing sources, developing a logical argument, citing evidence, and analysis. |