Marshall,+Sophie

Sophie's Page

__ STEP ONE : TOPIC SELECTION __
=== 1. What is your topic? Give a brief overview. Why the atomic bombs should not have been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The two bombs were dropped by the Americans in the hopes that it would force the Japanese to surrender, which it did, but at a great cost. The bombs created great destruction in the cities, but they also had long-term effects on the population. === ===  2. Give two reasons why you selected this topic. It was something that interested me after we learned about it in class. I had to do some research on it for a “Major Events & Issues of WWII” essay. ===

3. To what specific course(s) does your topic relate? Explain. History 12 and Socials 11 because the event was covered in both courses.
===  4. Determine whether the primary focus of the issue is cultural, resource, economic, environmental or political. Explain your decision. The primary focus is political and ethical because it was the government’s decision to drop the bombs and it had an effect on politics after the fact. It is also an ethical issue of the use of nuclear weapons, is it ever justified? === ===  5. **__Recreate__** the following chart on a separate piece of paper. Using the following “K-W-L Organizer”, recall what you already know about your topic, organize any new ideas, ask questions and record your learning. === -They were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Several days after, Japan surrendered || - What effects did the bombs have on the cities, both immediate and after -Were there other alternatives to dropping the bombs? -How many people were affected? - What other conflicts arose from the use of these bombs? -What countries have nuclear weapons today? -What effect would a massive nuclear war have on the earth? || - The Americans thought a military invasion of Japan would lead to too many casualties - President Truman was the leader of the US who authorized the bombings -At the center of the explosion, it was hotter than the sun ||
 * === ** K: What I Know about the Topic **  === || ===  ** W: What I want to know about the Topic **  === || ===  ** L: What I have Learned about the Topic from Preliminary Reading / Courses Studied **  === ||
 * - The USA dropped two atomic bombs on Japan

6. Based on your prior knowledge and studies, what are three important themes or issues pertinent to this topic? Outline and explain.
===1. The use of nuclear weapons in world conflicts (eg. The Cold War, WWII) 2. The effects of nuclear weapons being used (eg. What happens after?) 3. The ethics of using nuclear weapons (is it ever justified to use them?) === === 7. Create TWO controversial questions about the topic that your thesis paper may answer. Is it ever justified to use nuclear weapons? Was it right to use the atomic bombs on Japan? === ===  8. Using the “Evaluating Internet Resources Criteria” found at the following website: __ [] __ find 3 resources on your topic on the web that fit the criteria of a valid Internet resource. ===

Developing a Hypothesis & Research Questions

TOPIC: Use of atomic bombs in WWII and in general OVERVIEW OF TOPIC: The use of atomic weapons as a method to force Japanese surrender and end WWII was not justified because it caused great destruction to the cities and many lives were lost. Also, it created many problems for the future with nuclear weapons. CONTROVERSIAL QUESTION(S) REGARDING TOPIC: Is the use of atomic weapons ever justified? Was the use of atomic weapons justified in WWII? HYPOTHESIS: The atomic bombs should not have been used in WWII and dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS: //You should have a minimum of TWO (2) questions of each type for your research. These questions should be clear and relate to your hypothesis. Remember, they should guide you in your research not confuse you.//

Factual Questions Who was involved with the decisions to drop the atomic bombs? Why did they believe it was necessary to use the bombs?

Clarification Questions What were the conditions in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the bombs were dropped? How many people were killed by the bombs? Interpretive Questions What were the alternatives to dropping the atomic bombs on Japan? What were the long-term consequences of using the bombs in the cities? (health effects, etc)? Inquiry Questions How did the use of atomic bombs on Japan impact future world conflicts? What were people’s opinions on the bombs after the bombs were used and they knew the full effects?