Kevin Buss

April 27
th
2014
Lesson plan for Tuesday, April 29
th

TUESDAY: The Atomic Bomb- Do the ends justify the means?
Objectives:
- Students will address the question: do the ends justify the means?
- Students will understand how the above question applies to many life situations, and appreciate
how the answer can differ depending on the circumstances.
- Students will think critically about the morality of dropping the atomic bomb.
Bell Ringer:
- Teacher will ask students to write an answer to the question: do the ends justify the means?
in their notes.
Lesson Instruction:
- Teacher will draw a diagram on the board representing the classroom with labels in each corner:
strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, and strongly disagree. Teacher will then
explain that he will read a statement to the class and each person must go to the corner that
best describes their beliefs.
- Teacher will emphasize that this activity is meant to make students think critically about real
historical issues, so honesty is appreciated and no one will be judging each other for their
answers (including the teacher).
- Teacher will then read the first statement and ask students to stand in the appropriate corner.
Teacher will then solicit responses from each corner, getting as many different viewpoints as
possible to explain their reasoning. Statements include:
o I would cheat on a test if I knew it would help my grade and I wouldnt get caught.
o I would steal food from the school for a friend who didnt have a lunch.
o I would beat up a bully to prevent him/her from picking on somebody.
o I would join a gang to protect my family.
o I would join the army to fight for my country.
o If I were mayor of a town, I would raise taxes on the rich to help the poor.
o If I were President of the United States, I would drop the atomic bomb on an enemy
country to end a war more quickly.
Assessment:
- Teacher will ask students to frame the final statement using the question they answered for bell
work in a mini-debate. Student responses during the debate will reveal depth of understanding
of the topic and whether or not they can think critically about both sides of the argument.