Michelle Darling

April 2020

 
Examining the Japanese Internment during World War II: 
Perspectives 
Grade 10 Social Studies

Competencies:
Evidence
Perspective

Background:
For my week as a TTOC, I have found out that the teacher I am taking over for just finished a
unit on WWII but did not yet tackle Japanese Internment. On Monday I would have gone over
Historical Thinking Concepts and how to apply them to historical documents. For the rest of the
week, we will do the following lessons and here is a brief background:

Shortly after Japan attacked Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941, All Japanese residents along
the West Coast of Canada were forced to move because of ‘military necessity.’ Japanese
people, who had faced discrimination before this, were now seen as the tragets within Canada
during WWII. In 1942, the restricted zone (100 miles from the coast) was enacted via the war
measures act. This led to the creation of heavily fortified camps in the interior of British
Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.

In the following lessons we will be looking at three differing perspectives in the experience of
WWII: Canadian government, Japanese-Canadian residents, and Canadian POW’s in Japan.

Materials Required​:
● Three document packages
1. Government Perspective
https://tc2.ca/sourcedocs/uploads/history_docs/WW2/Japanese%20internment%
20justified.pdf
- Policies x 2
- Propaganda posters x 2
- Newspaper articles
2. Treatment of Canadian POW’s
https://tc2.ca/sourcedocs/uploads/history_docs/WW2/Treatment%20of%20Cana
dian%20POWs%20in%20Japanese%20Camps.pdf
- Geneva Convention
- Interviews
 - Images
3. Japanese Perspective
https://tc2.ca/sourcedocs/uploads/history_docs/WW2/Daily%20life%20in%20Jap
anese%20internment%20camps.pdf
- Accounts of internees x 2
- Images from the camps x 2
- House layout
● Worksheets to guide learning on document assessment & inquiry of perspective

Activity:
● Day one - Government/Canadian views on Japanese people during WWII
1. Get students into groups of NO MORE than three. These groups will carry over
into the following lessons.
2. Students will be asked to come up with at least two things they know about the
day’s topic, and write in on the Know, Learn, Wonder chart on the board.
3. Hand out package to reflect the government perspective of the Japanese people
during WWII (jigsaw readings for groups). For the Jigsaw activity students will
follow the following steps:
a. Each group member will receive prepackaged portions to read on their
own. They will utilize the following worksheet while highlighting important
aspects: ​highlight & revisit
b. They will then meet up with other members from different groups that
share the same package of documents to create a master document
c. Group members will return to their original group and share what they
learned and move on to the worksheets to be completed as a group.
4. Use the worksheet to guide inquiry into documents to gain understanding of the
landscape within Canada during WWII.
■ Worksheet:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qx-K0e2NP7xcHiXqtOBK-VhGSez-
rhSbVggjbfq2V4I/edit?usp=sharing
5. When the worksheet is complete, as a group students will add to the Know,
Learned, Wonder chart for the day on the board.
6. Small group Discussion​:​ ​Generate new ideas for how the government
could have handled this situation differently.
● Students ​self-assess​ their participation along with teacher observation.
● Day Two - Treatment of Canadian POW’s in Japan
1. Students in the same groups as Day 1. Write another 2 Know statements on the
board.
2. Hand out package to reflect the treatment of Canadian POW’s in Japan.
 3. After analyzing the documents they have in the package, students will be given a
worksheet to help guide today’s inquiry.
■ Worksheet:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z34VxJJCrB4xuUfW2i5mub_H-YBy
1JQ_9XcVaec0lK0/edit?usp=sharing
4. Finish the ​Know, Learned, Wonder chart​ on the board.
5. Debate: ​For or Against Internment Camps. Students will debate one side or
another based on the documents they have seen so far, and their own prior
knowledge.
● Teacher will show a brief debate video. YouTube debate example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv1S9QPblv0&feature=emb_logo
● Students will ​self-assess​ participation along with teacher observation.
● Day Three - The experience of Japanese in Canadian Internment Camps
1. Students in the same groups as Day 1. Write another 2 Know statements on the
board.
2. Hand out package to reflect the experience of Japanese in Canadian internment
Camps.
3. After analyzing the documents they have in the package, students will be given a
worksheet to help guide today’s inquiry.
■ Worksheet:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1scMXzXTFUE_k8SBqlOYhwvSMu
EQVmvM4eAcVXtaYXU8/edit?usp=sharing
4. Finish the Know, Learned, Wonder chart on the board.
5. Create a Mind map OR Image: ​Using information given by the documents, and
prior days learning, create a representation of your family situation within an
internment camp. What would you have? Not have? How many people would be
in the space? etc. ​Compare​ to a current family sized dwelling in your mind map
or drawing.
● Hand in to show completion (teacher will be looking for historical accuracy
based on the documents & articles presented).
● Day four - Perspective analysis with Teacher led inquiry questions:
○ While the Canadian government apologized in 1988 for the internment of
Japanese Canadians, do you feel this was an adequate response (can from
here look at current events and the push for an apology from BC
government in 2019)? Would you have responded differently? Explain.
○ In applying your knowledge from the recent lessons on Japanese-Canadian
Internment, what could countries do to acknowledge wartime atrocities? As
a leader, how would you respond? As someone affected, how would you
respond?
○ Would the government consider such measures today? Why or Why not?
1. Today students will have access to chrome books to help answer the question.
They can also hand write if they so choose.
 ● They will ​use the notes/worksheets, as well as the documents​ from the
previous three lessons to help them create their reflection.
2. Write a reflection (or quick write)​, using evidence from the sources you’ve
been given, to justify your answer.
● Students will be expected to include 2 pieces of evidence from each
document package to complete their reflection.
● Students must acknowledge different perspectives and be able to explain
their relevance in history.
● Minimum length is 2 pages, maximum is 5 pages.

Assessment Notes
● We will use a ​rubric ​to mark the final reflection.
● The worksheets will be marked with formative assessment via input on the board.
○ We will create a Know, Learned, wonder chart. Each group will start off by writing
something they know about the day’s topic. Then once the work sheets have
been completed, they will add what they now know/find significant, as well as
what they still wonder about the topic.
○ Additionally, a class discussion will be held at the end of each class.
● Teacher will also circulate during class time to check for understanding while students
complete the worksheets.
● Teacher will use a ​self-assessment tool​ at the end of the discussions and debate.
Resources
● TC2 Source Docs WWII: ​https://tc2.ca/sourcedocs/history-docs/topics/world-war-ii.html
● Internment and Redress the Japanese-Canadian Experience:
https://japanesecanadianhistory.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Secondary-Guide-Com
plete.pdf
3 Comments on Students work:

1. Not Meeting - ​In creating your reflection, I noticed that:

○ you only employed one perspective
○ did not use any of the documents covered in class to support your argument
While you have currently received a ‘not meeting’, I am open to giving you an opportunity to go
over with me (before school tomorrow, after school or at lunch) to raise your mark by reflecting
on another perspective and using the documents to support your argument. We can do this
verbally or as a written in class reflection. Come see me after class to choose a time to go over.
2. Meeting - ​Great work. For the next assignment I would encourage you to reflect on links
between what we are learning and the historical significance of the different perspectives
as well as include additional evidence to support your argument in order to obtain an
exceeding.
3. Exceeding - ​Well done. You have met all of the criteria for this assignment. If you would
like to look at additional assignments, please come see me and we can create
something that can translate into a community based project.
 Assessment Performance Scale

Reflection Rubric
Criteria Emerging Developing Proficient Extending

Evaluation of Shows partial Shows Shows good Shows deep

Canada’s understanding of understanding of understanding of understanding of
justification for the justification the justification the justification the justification
internment of Canada uses for the Canada uses for Canada uses for Canada uses for
Japanese internment the internment the internment the internment
Canadians Japanese Japanese Japanese Japanese
Canadians. Canadians and Canadians and Canadians and
gives a applies this to a applies this to a
reasonable response thorough
response. response.

Applies Does not explain Partially explains Explains the Clearly and fully
evidence to the evidence and its the evidence and evidence and its explains the
support their relevance in its its relevance relevance. Uses evidence and its
response entirety. Does not using one piece 2 pieces from relevance to their
use document from each each package position, while
packages to support package going beyond the
their reflection minimum evidence
number

Understands the Identifies one or two Identifies three Correctly Correctly identifies
role of historical perspectives used perspectives identifies and and explains the
evidence in in the documents. used in the explains the three perspectives
perspective documents three in the documents
without perspectives and the historical
explaining. used in the relevance.
documents.

Clarity of Argument is partially Argument is Argument is (cannot get

argument and clear and uses somewhat clear clear and uses extending in this
mechanics of correct spelling, and uses correct correct spelling, category)
writing. grammar and spelling, grammar and
formatting some of grammar and formatting almost
the time (more than formatting most all the time (less
10 errors) of the time (less than 5 errors)
than 10 errors)
Self-Assessment Tool

During class I participated… Evidence to support my evaluation:

❏ Almost never
❏ Some of the time
❏ All the time

I contributed my own ideas… Evidence to support my evaluation:

❏ Almost never
❏ Some of the time
❏ All the time

I supported my classmate’s ideas… Evidence of to support my evaluation:

❏ Almost never
❏ Some of the time
❏ All the time

I actively listened… Evidence to support my evaluation:

❏ Almost never
❏ Some of the time
❏ All the time

I feel comfortable analysing Evidence to support my evaluation:

historical documents from a variety
of perspectives…
❏ With some help
❏ At times I feel comfortable
❏ I feel comfortable enough to
assist others