Student Multimedia Mini-Research ReportStudent Multimedia

Mini-Research Report

High School Model—Truman and the Bomb

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Demonstrating the Power of eLibrary Multimedia

Most Learners Are Visual Learners

Visuals Can Add Emotion and Permanence to Information & Ideas

Students Construct Knowledge from Information through Projects

Presentations Provide an Audience and Motivation for Students

Technology Empowers Student Expression of Ideas

Research Says . . . . . .Research Says . . . . . .

President Truman –

Dropping the A-Bomb on Japan

Was His Decision the Right One?

Copyright 1995 Reuters Ltd

Reasons for the Manhattan Project – The Atomic Bomb

Nazis were also working on building the bomb

“Super Weapon” would win the war

Ending war quickly would save American lives

Click to see the dropping of Little Boy

Copyright 1995 Reuters Ltd

Arguments FOR the Truman Decision

Needed to demonstrate U. S. power and control to Russians

Needed to show results of a $20B investment (today’s $)

Prisoners of war in Japan would be killed if we invaded

Okinawa and kamikaze attacks showed surrender unlikely

Japan refused to surrender unconditionally upon request

Soldiers transferred from Europe didn’t want more fighting

Estimated Almost 1 million American lives would be saved

Little Boy & Enola Gay

Fat Man Ends War

Click for Truman Announcement

Destru

ction

Copyright 1995 Reuters Ltd.

of

Hiroshima

Click to see ring of destruction

Arguments AGAINST Dropping the A-Bomb

Russians were coming—Japan would surrender soon anyway

Didn’t consider the impact of radiation damage to humans

Number of American lives to be saved was vastly overstated

Decision really made to impress & repress Russian ambitions

Needed to justify large expenditure of money on atomic research

Example of racism—wouldn’t drop bomb on Germans

Why didn’t we tell Japanese that we would drop A-bomb?

No Bomb Ever Dropped Again in War in 57 Years

Japanese Memorial to Ground Zero in Hiroshima

Was Truman Right or Wrong?

Copyright 1995 Reuters Ltd

Truman Made the Best Decision Possible

49,000 Americans killed – Battle of Okinawa

Truman feared 100 more Okinawas until victory

Japanese refused unconditional surrender

Judging decisions must be made in context of times

Hindsight is always 20-20 when more facts available

eLibrary Multimedia— A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words

2 Video Clips

1 Audio Clip

3 Transcripts

7 Pictures

1 Map

Engaging Student Issues

Critical Thinking – Reasoned Opinion

Technology Integration

Information Literacy

Constructing Knowledge from World- Class Information