Unit 5 PBL Introduction: Non-Dominant Narratives

Instructions: Now that you’ve explored some of the dominant narratives of WWII and the Cold War, now it is time for
you to examine some of the non-dominant perspectives.
The goal for you today is to continue your research of WWII and the Cold War by looking at some of the non-dominant
narratives that are often overlooked in our studies.
The FHS social studies team has compiled some non-dominant narratives that can be found here:
https://bit.ly/2Esw1Mv
Examine these photos and make note of any that may stand out to you.

The FHS social studies team has also compiled a list of possible topics for you:

WWII The Cold War

1. Bengal Famine 1. Viet Cong Soldier

2. Indian Soldiers (Competition over loyalty to the 2. Viet Minh Soldier
Raj versus joining the Axis) 3. Korean Soldier
3. Rape of Nanking 4. Refugee from Communist Country
4. Comfort Women / Prostitution 5. Communist Defector
5. Pied Piper / Kindertransport 6. Cuban Citizen during Missile Crisis
6. Human Testing 7. Refugee from Latin American Revolution
7. Italian-American Internment 8. Iranian Revolution Refugee
8. German-American Internment 9. USSR Cosmonaut
9. Aztec Eagles 10. Women under Communism
10. Tuskegee Airmen 11. CIA Ratlines after WWII
11. 442nd Japanese-American 12. Radio Free Europe
12. Prisoner of War Camps 13. Citizen of decolonizing African countries
13. Nazi Sympathizers in United States
14. Japanese Bushido Culture
15. African Troops in World War II
16. ANZAC Troops in WWII
17. Filipino Soldiers in WWII
18. Women on The Homefront/Rosie the Riveter
19. Nazi Youth
20. Bataan Death March
21. Okinawan Citizens
22. Conscientious Objectors in the USA
23. Jewish Ghettos
24. Bracero Program
25. Code Talkers
26. European Gypsies / LGBTQ Community

NOTE: If there is another topic you are interested in, please check in. Chances are you can do that topic, but double
check first!

After doing some preliminary research, narrow down your topics to FOUR which you might find interesting.
Print your research out and bring it to class by next Monday.
Names: Chloe Lau Unit 5: WWII and the Cold War

Block: 4 Date: 2/28/20

Non-Dominant Narrative Topic: Japanese Soldiers / Kamikaze

Copy and Paste Photo (Resize if necessary):

Link to Photo/Slide Number:

Slide 4

Context Questions to Answer:

1. What event is this photo depicting? Be as specific as possible.
Answer: The photo depicts a Kamikaze suicide bomber preparing for his flight. The Kamikaze fighters were a naval
tactic where fighter pilots crash their planes into enemy ships and aircrafts.
2. Where does it take place? Be as specific as possible.
Answer: The first use of Kamikaze bombing was on October 25 1944 during the Battle of the Leyte Gulf against
America.
3. What are some keywords that you would use to describe the photo?
Answer: Intense, honorary, dedicated, selfless
4. What perspective is being shown? How is this a non-dominant narrative?
Answer: The perspective of a soldier choosing to die is a non-dominant narrative because the decision to become a
Kamikaze is personal and individual to each soldier.
5. What are two questions you still have about this perspective? Use these questions to drive your research on the
topic.
Answer: Was propaganda a large part in citizens’ willingness to die for their country? What prompted Japanese
generals to use this method of attack?

Link to Article Connected to Topic:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-kamikaze-attack-of-the-war-begins

Additional notes/information/questions that remain about this topic. Consider questions/ideas/topics that may drive
your research if this was your topic chosen.
1. Naval Capt. Motoharu Okamura: “I firmly believe that the only way to swing the war in our favor is to resort to
crash-dive attacks with our planes…. There will be more than enough volunteers for this chance to save our
country.”
2. The first kamikaze force was in fact composed of 24 volunteer pilots from Japan’s 201st Navy Air Group. The
targets were U.S. escort carriers; one, the St. Lo, was struck by a A6M Zero fighter and sunk in less than an
hour, killing 100 Americans. More than 5,000 kamikaze pilots died in the gulf battle-taking down 34 ships.
 3. Why did Japan see this as an honorable attack when other countries saw this as desperate?
4. Did Japanese culture and history, such as the samurai, play a part in shaping the Kamikaze reputation?
5.

Non-Dominant Narrative Topic: Fall of Saigon

Copy and Paste Photo (Resize if necessary):

Link to Photo/Slide Number:

Slide 22

Context Questions to Answer:

1. What event is this photo depicting? Be as specific as possible.
Answer: The photo depicts CIA agents helping evacuees up a ladder onto an Air America helicopter shortly before the
Fall of Saigon.
2. Where does it take place? Be as specific as possible.
Answer: The city of Saigon in South Vietnam on April 29, 1975
3. What are some keywords that you would use to describe the photo?
Answer: Crowded, orderly, last-minute, rushed
4. What perspective is being shown? How is this a non-dominant narrative?
Answer: The perspective of evacuees is being shown and it is non-dominant because these were the people affected
by the Vietnam war and are trying to get out of the violence, so they wouldn’t be recorded in the history of the event.
5. What are two questions you still have about this perspective? Use these questions to drive your research on the
topic.
Answer: Who were the people got to escape (ie. class, status, etc)? How did the US affect the Vietnam War?

Link to Article Connected to Topic:

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/apr/21/40-years-on-from-fall-of-saigon-witnessing-end-of-vietnam-war

Additional notes/information/questions that remain about this topic. Consider questions/ideas/topics that may drive
your research if this was your topic chosen.
1. My father’s side of the family lived in South Vietnam, but in 1968 they fled for Hong Kong because of growing
rumors about the Communist government.
2. What efforts did the US take to help evacuees and how many citizens in Saigon were involved in the Fall of
Saigon?
3.
4.
5.
Names: Chloe Lau Unit 5: WWII and the Cold War

Block: 4 Date: 3/4/20

Non-Dominant Narrative Topic: Japanese Human Testing

Copy and Paste Photo (Resize if necessary):

Link to Photo:
https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/unit-731-germs.jpg

Context Questions to Answer:

1. What event is this photo depicting? Be as specific as possible.
Answer: Japanese Unit 731 personnel conduct a bacteriological trial upon a test subject
2. Where does it take place? Be as specific as possible.
Answer: Nongan County of northeast China’s Jilin Province on November 1940
3. What are some keywords that you would use to describe the photo?
Answer: Cruel, dehumanizing, suffering
4. What perspective is being shown? How is this a non-dominant narrative?
Answer: The perspective of Chinese victims of Japanese human testing are being shown and is a non-dominant
narrative because most experiments were highly classified and never known.
5. What are two questions you still have about this perspective? Use these questions to drive your research on the
topic.
Answer: Were victims captured civilians and soldiers? Did other countries find out about the human experiments
during the war?

Link to Article Connected to Topic:

https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/17/world/unmasking-horror-a-special-report-japan-confronting-gruesome-war-
atrocity.html

Additional notes/information/questions that remain about this topic. Consider questions/ideas/topics that may drive
your research if this was your topic chosen.
1. My grandparents used to live in Southeast China where my grandmother says she used to feel sick and weak
all the time when she was young, but the sicknesses didn’t seem like the ones her family were used to.
2. I heard about bombardments of capsules holding diseases that were launched into civilian areas.
3. The US found out about the experiments and agreed to let Japan continue them in exchange for the data and
research they received from the trials.
4.
5.

Non-Dominant Narrative Topic:

Copy and Paste Photo (Resize if necessary):

Link to Photo:

Context Questions to Answer:

1. What event is this photo depicting? Be as specific as possible.
Answer:
2. Where does it take place? Be as specific as possible.
Answer:
3. What are some keywords that you would use to describe the photo?
Answer:
4. What perspective is being shown? How is this a non-dominant narrative?
Answer:
5. What are two questions you still have about this perspective? Use these questions to drive your research on the
topic.
Answer:

Link to Article Connected to Topic:

Additional notes/information/questions that remain about this topic. Consider questions/ideas/topics that may drive
your research if this was your topic chosen.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.