World War II - Pearl Harbor Primary Source Stations Activity (PDF and Digital)

The intent of this lesson is to expose students to a variety of topics in a short amount of time using fun and engaging methods. Each station of this NO PREP activity examines an aspect of the Pearl Harbor attack through gripping primary sources. The activity is available in print and digital format! After completing this lesson, students will understand the causes and effects of the attack, the devastation it achieved, and America’s response. Students will examine each of the following topics:

1 – Rising Tensions

2 – The Target

3 – The Attack

4 – Destruction and Heroics

5 – Impact of the Attack

6 – America Responds

Each station contains a brief description, along with primary source accounts, visually appealing photos, maps, posters, etc. The lesson is easily adaptable to fit your teaching style. The following methods have proven to be the most successful in my classroom:

1. Go Virtual! Included directions for teachers make implementing the digital activity a breeze.

- Students individually examine all station passages and complete the corresponding Google Docs worksheet (with pre-inserted text answer boxes for increased ease of use) and submit through Google Classroom. You can also assign the worksheet to a group of students and allow them to work together virtually to complete the assignment.

2. Hang the information sheets around the class and have students rotate to each sheet.

- This is my favorite because it gets students up and moving. You can assign the worksheet that accompanies this activity, or simply have them summarize each topic as they rotate.

3. Split the students into groups and assign one sheet per group. Have the students read the information sheet and prepare to present the information to the rest of the class.

- I assign a number to each group member (number the first group, then start back at 1 for the next group, so that you have multiple 1’s, 2’s, etc. throughout the class) and after students have had adequate time to prepare I tell them all the 2’s are presenting. This method motivates students because they don’t know which group member is presenting until it is time to present.

4. Form groups of 6 and have the students pass around the information sheets.

- I’ve found the best approach for this method is to give students a set amount of time and then have all students pass their sheets to the right when told.

The versatility of this activity allows for several culminating assessments. Typically, once students have completed one of the methods above, I have them write a response to the following prompt: “Was the Pearl Harbor attack preventable?” Then, I conduct a debate in which students can defend their choice. Another option is to have students write a journal entry from the point of view of an individual that was at Pearl Harbor during the attack. I encourage them to include as much information from the stations as possible. For those that are artistically inclined, I allow them to create a Pearl Harbor propaganda poster instead of completing a journal entry.