This course is designed to familiarize students with American history from women's suffrage, through the Great Depression, WWII, and beyond. Students will explore and analyze trends, topics, and ideas of these time periods in American history and how they have shaped our modern society.
Objectives- Students will be able to
Utilize research skills
Identify social contributions from different eras
Analyze transition from era to era
Evaluate the impact of wars.
SYLLABUS
8th_grade_social_studies_syllabus.docx | |
File Size: | 16 kb |
File Type: | docx |
03/23/2020
Hey guys! I hope you are all doing well. You guys are lucky, I found an online version of our textbook. I am going to be honest with you, it is WAY BETTER than ours. But, the information is basically the same. The following link is for Chapter 26. We finished sect. 1, so you will need to read sect. 2. And guess what else? The file down below is a picture of your worksheet! This is so exciting, right?!! You do not have to print the sheet, you can just email me your answers to [email protected]. This should not take long and will be due by Tuesday. Remember to put the name of the assignment in the subject box.
http://www.yourhistorysite.com/The%20American%20Journey/chap26.pdf
Hey guys! I hope you are all doing well. You guys are lucky, I found an online version of our textbook. I am going to be honest with you, it is WAY BETTER than ours. But, the information is basically the same. The following link is for Chapter 26. We finished sect. 1, so you will need to read sect. 2. And guess what else? The file down below is a picture of your worksheet! This is so exciting, right?!! You do not have to print the sheet, you can just email me your answers to [email protected]. This should not take long and will be due by Tuesday. Remember to put the name of the assignment in the subject box.
http://www.yourhistorysite.com/The%20American%20Journey/chap26.pdf
20200318_190741.jpg | |
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03/24/2020
For today, we are going to focus on the Pearl Harbor attack. From what we already learned, we know that this was a well planned attack by the Japanese. They got us good (spoiler alert- we will be getting them back). Back then, newsreels and newspapers were the methods people got their news. Newsreels were played before movies started. Below I have several links to newsreels that were made after the attack. There are a few things I want to know before you watch them. The usage of the word "Jap" and "Japs" are derogatory terms, similar using the N-word. But, these words were common during WWII. Also, "Yellow Menace"( and forms of it )will be heard, remember this term from the Chinese Exclusion Act and the propaganda we worked with? While you are watching, I want to pay attention to how words and emphasis are used as forms of propaganda. There all have the same call to action- negativity towards the Japanese. I understand the reason, we were attacked. People were killed and the sleeping giant of the USA was woken. In addition to watching, I want you to just google Pearl Harbor Attack newspapers and looked at the headings from all over the US.
Your assignment will be to write a short reaction paper. I am asking for at least half a page, but you can certainly write more. Make a word document and email it to me. You will have until Thursday because I want thoughtful responses.
One more thing, I miss you guys and my classroom. Poor Mr. Devito, all by himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1VT2K_nulA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj_btks99p4
For today, we are going to focus on the Pearl Harbor attack. From what we already learned, we know that this was a well planned attack by the Japanese. They got us good (spoiler alert- we will be getting them back). Back then, newsreels and newspapers were the methods people got their news. Newsreels were played before movies started. Below I have several links to newsreels that were made after the attack. There are a few things I want to know before you watch them. The usage of the word "Jap" and "Japs" are derogatory terms, similar using the N-word. But, these words were common during WWII. Also, "Yellow Menace"( and forms of it )will be heard, remember this term from the Chinese Exclusion Act and the propaganda we worked with? While you are watching, I want to pay attention to how words and emphasis are used as forms of propaganda. There all have the same call to action- negativity towards the Japanese. I understand the reason, we were attacked. People were killed and the sleeping giant of the USA was woken. In addition to watching, I want you to just google Pearl Harbor Attack newspapers and looked at the headings from all over the US.
Your assignment will be to write a short reaction paper. I am asking for at least half a page, but you can certainly write more. Make a word document and email it to me. You will have until Thursday because I want thoughtful responses.
One more thing, I miss you guys and my classroom. Poor Mr. Devito, all by himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1VT2K_nulA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj_btks99p4
8th_grade_prompt-_pearl_harbor_attack.pptx | |
File Size: | 122 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
03/25/2020
You guys have been doing a great job getting used to our online schooling. I want for you to keep working on the Pearl Harbor response for today. And I just noticed that I forgot to include the slide with the questions. Since I have not graded them yet, feel free to make any changes. I will post something new tomorrow. Also, all work for the week will now be due the following Monday. However, I would suggest completing assignments in a timely manner to avoid being overwhelmed with all of your classes.
You guys have been doing a great job getting used to our online schooling. I want for you to keep working on the Pearl Harbor response for today. And I just noticed that I forgot to include the slide with the questions. Since I have not graded them yet, feel free to make any changes. I will post something new tomorrow. Also, all work for the week will now be due the following Monday. However, I would suggest completing assignments in a timely manner to avoid being overwhelmed with all of your classes.
03/30/2020-04/02/2020
Onward to week 2 of online schooling! This week is going to be easy. You will read sect. 3 of Chapter 26- the home front. I am including the link for the chapter again then the guided reading worksheet. I have several activities for this section that we would normally do, but I am still trying to figure out how to do them online and still keep the importance of the activity. One of them is on Japanese internment camps. Maybe you guys could make a slide presentation. So, when you turn in this week's assignment, let me know if you have access to slide presentation. Once I know you all have it, I will have an activity for next week.
http://www.yourhistorysite.com/The%20American%20Journey/chap26.pdf
Onward to week 2 of online schooling! This week is going to be easy. You will read sect. 3 of Chapter 26- the home front. I am including the link for the chapter again then the guided reading worksheet. I have several activities for this section that we would normally do, but I am still trying to figure out how to do them online and still keep the importance of the activity. One of them is on Japanese internment camps. Maybe you guys could make a slide presentation. So, when you turn in this week's assignment, let me know if you have access to slide presentation. Once I know you all have it, I will have an activity for next week.
http://www.yourhistorysite.com/The%20American%20Journey/chap26.pdf
04/06/2020-04/10/2020
Here we are, week 3 of online schooling. I really miss everyone. This week, we are going to focus on the Japanese Internment camps. First, I want you to watch the 2 videos. The first one is a propaganda film given by the US government, the second is a TED talk by George Takei (he was in a camp as a young boy). I am leaving this assignment pretty open, the instructions are on a slide. I am including links on the Japanese Evacuation orders and a link for the National Archives. There is a ton of information on the National Archives link. If you need any help, please email me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OiPldKsM5w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeBKBFAPwNc
https://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/japanese-american-evacuation/
https://www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/military/japanese-internment.html
Here we are, week 3 of online schooling. I really miss everyone. This week, we are going to focus on the Japanese Internment camps. First, I want you to watch the 2 videos. The first one is a propaganda film given by the US government, the second is a TED talk by George Takei (he was in a camp as a young boy). I am leaving this assignment pretty open, the instructions are on a slide. I am including links on the Japanese Evacuation orders and a link for the National Archives. There is a ton of information on the National Archives link. If you need any help, please email me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OiPldKsM5w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeBKBFAPwNc
https://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/japanese-american-evacuation/
https://www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/military/japanese-internment.html
japanese_internment_camps.pptx | |
File Size: | 197 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
04/13/2020-04/17/2020
We are moving onto sect. 4 of chapter 26. This one covers the war in Europe and Africa. I am disappointed that this is the way we have to cover WWII. This section has the Holocaust, and I feel that over the computer is not going to do this extremely important event justice. However, I am putting on my thinking cap on how to still make an impact while learning about the Holocaust (or Shoah for the Jews). Once I have it figured out, there will be multiple things that we will be covering and working with. Some of the books that I need are in Bagdad, so I need to figure an alternative.
But, for this week you will be reading sect. 4 and then completing the worksheet. It is a true/false, remember if it is false make it true. I am looking forward to grading your internment camp slide presentations.
http://www.yourhistorysite.com/The%20American%20Journey/chap26.pdf
We are moving onto sect. 4 of chapter 26. This one covers the war in Europe and Africa. I am disappointed that this is the way we have to cover WWII. This section has the Holocaust, and I feel that over the computer is not going to do this extremely important event justice. However, I am putting on my thinking cap on how to still make an impact while learning about the Holocaust (or Shoah for the Jews). Once I have it figured out, there will be multiple things that we will be covering and working with. Some of the books that I need are in Bagdad, so I need to figure an alternative.
But, for this week you will be reading sect. 4 and then completing the worksheet. It is a true/false, remember if it is false make it true. I am looking forward to grading your internment camp slide presentations.
http://www.yourhistorysite.com/The%20American%20Journey/chap26.pdf
04/20/2020-04/25/2020
Before we move onto the Holocaust (Shoah for the Jewish people) I want to cover one of the USA's secret weapon that helped us win the war- the Navajo Code talkers. Prior to using Navajo, the Japanese had broken codes made from other native languages. The Navajo dialect is more guttural (like German), descriptive, and was never broken. The young men that were selected to be code talkers were not informed what they signed up for. After they had finished basic training, they were then told what their mission was. Since the US had assimilated native cultures and made it difficult for them to carry on with their languages, these young Navajo men had to go through classes to learn their language (the elders knew Navajo, but you can't send them to the front lines!). Navajo does not have words for "plane" or "tank". They had to learn a code that would symbolize these words. The code, by the end of the war, had about 600 words. Code talkers had to memorize the code and be able to receive/decode/send messages in 20 seconds.
I have several activities for this week. First, you have 3 clips to watch. One is about the code talkers, and the other two are from the movie Windtalkers. After that, there is a link about the code talkers. I want you to read the article about them and then click on the Navajo Code Talkers Dictionary. This is the code they were using. I want you to take your time to study this dictionary and appreciate how Navajo was used. Your first activity will be to write 5 messages/orders in the Navajo code. Just like when we did hieroglyphics and Morse code, write the answer as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rSvm3m8ZUA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi-NHYnBC88 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQHhbhtpJ3M
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/n/code-talkers.html
The second activity will be to write your own code (cipher). I want you to have fun with this part. Having a secret code is a major part of war. We had the code talkers, the Germans had the enigma machine, and now you will have yours. The following link will walk you through the process. This method involves "rotation". The enigma machine used rotation- changing the starting point of the code. It took a long time to crack the code of the enigma because it rotated the starting point of the code every 24 hours. So, the people working on breaking the German code had one day to try to decode any intercepted messages. The movies The Imitation Game and U-571 are about the enigma machine. Your second activity of the week is to create your own cipher and write 5 messages. You will turn in your cipher, the messages, and then the answers.
https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/learning-toolkit-blog/writing-secret-messages-using-ciphers.html
For those of you that would like to look further into writing ciphers or to learn more about them, the following link is full of information that was shared with me by a young lady (Aubree) in Alabama, I think.
https://unscrambler.co/codes-cipher-terminology/
Before we move onto the Holocaust (Shoah for the Jewish people) I want to cover one of the USA's secret weapon that helped us win the war- the Navajo Code talkers. Prior to using Navajo, the Japanese had broken codes made from other native languages. The Navajo dialect is more guttural (like German), descriptive, and was never broken. The young men that were selected to be code talkers were not informed what they signed up for. After they had finished basic training, they were then told what their mission was. Since the US had assimilated native cultures and made it difficult for them to carry on with their languages, these young Navajo men had to go through classes to learn their language (the elders knew Navajo, but you can't send them to the front lines!). Navajo does not have words for "plane" or "tank". They had to learn a code that would symbolize these words. The code, by the end of the war, had about 600 words. Code talkers had to memorize the code and be able to receive/decode/send messages in 20 seconds.
I have several activities for this week. First, you have 3 clips to watch. One is about the code talkers, and the other two are from the movie Windtalkers. After that, there is a link about the code talkers. I want you to read the article about them and then click on the Navajo Code Talkers Dictionary. This is the code they were using. I want you to take your time to study this dictionary and appreciate how Navajo was used. Your first activity will be to write 5 messages/orders in the Navajo code. Just like when we did hieroglyphics and Morse code, write the answer as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rSvm3m8ZUA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi-NHYnBC88 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQHhbhtpJ3M
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/n/code-talkers.html
The second activity will be to write your own code (cipher). I want you to have fun with this part. Having a secret code is a major part of war. We had the code talkers, the Germans had the enigma machine, and now you will have yours. The following link will walk you through the process. This method involves "rotation". The enigma machine used rotation- changing the starting point of the code. It took a long time to crack the code of the enigma because it rotated the starting point of the code every 24 hours. So, the people working on breaking the German code had one day to try to decode any intercepted messages. The movies The Imitation Game and U-571 are about the enigma machine. Your second activity of the week is to create your own cipher and write 5 messages. You will turn in your cipher, the messages, and then the answers.
https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/learning-toolkit-blog/writing-secret-messages-using-ciphers.html
For those of you that would like to look further into writing ciphers or to learn more about them, the following link is full of information that was shared with me by a young lady (Aubree) in Alabama, I think.
https://unscrambler.co/codes-cipher-terminology/
04/27/2020-05/01/2020
Here we go, the final weeks before school is out. The last week for new material is May 11, with the due date of May 18th. All late work will be due by May 21st. This week, we are going to focus on eugenics and the Nuremberg Laws. Eugenics is a pseudo-science, meaning there is a little bit of science behind it with the definition being a collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method. Other examples of pseudo-science are numerology, handwriting analysis, fingerprinting, and cryptozoology( like searching for Bigfoot). Eugenics is one of the underlying causes of the Holocaust. It did not start in Germany, the USA gave them the idea and even funded them to start their own eugenics society. Eugenics, once you learn what it is, is really a dangerous practice to follow. You will be watching 2 videos on eugenics and answering some questions (I am including a word document that has the questions for this week's videos).
Then, you will watch 2 videos about the Nuremberg Race Laws (the last one does not have any questions, but I want you to watch to get more meaning on the Laws). These laws target the "undesirable" groups that lived in Germany, with Jews being the main focus. These target groups were identified using eugenics. I would like to make one point before you start watching. By time Hitler had achieved absolute power and control, it was too late for the German people who did not agree with him to do anything. He was a bully, and everyone else was powerless. The children had been brainwashed since they were in kindergarten, parents could not stop it. The parents knew a life before Hitler, the youth did not. If parents protested to what their kids were learning, the kids would turn their parents in. Family roles were reversed, the children had more power than the parents because the parents were to afraid to stop what was happening to their children. German citizens that were against the Nazi Party were also too afraid to say anything, they had to follow along. German men that were drafted into the army had to follow along because the Nazi Party knew where their families lived. Hitler ruled through terror in order to get complete compliance. If you appear to be disloyal, someone will turn you in. Those who realized what was going to happen, got out of Germany. All the rest became trapped. Sure, there were those that were absolutely fanatic about Hitler. However, that is not the same case for the rest that just happened to get caught up in Hitler's storm.
Eugenics videos-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeCKftkNKJ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvCkw87FLZk
Nuremberg Race Laws
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SU_ST5-w0U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCgNgQkw1CU
Here we go, the final weeks before school is out. The last week for new material is May 11, with the due date of May 18th. All late work will be due by May 21st. This week, we are going to focus on eugenics and the Nuremberg Laws. Eugenics is a pseudo-science, meaning there is a little bit of science behind it with the definition being a collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method. Other examples of pseudo-science are numerology, handwriting analysis, fingerprinting, and cryptozoology( like searching for Bigfoot). Eugenics is one of the underlying causes of the Holocaust. It did not start in Germany, the USA gave them the idea and even funded them to start their own eugenics society. Eugenics, once you learn what it is, is really a dangerous practice to follow. You will be watching 2 videos on eugenics and answering some questions (I am including a word document that has the questions for this week's videos).
Then, you will watch 2 videos about the Nuremberg Race Laws (the last one does not have any questions, but I want you to watch to get more meaning on the Laws). These laws target the "undesirable" groups that lived in Germany, with Jews being the main focus. These target groups were identified using eugenics. I would like to make one point before you start watching. By time Hitler had achieved absolute power and control, it was too late for the German people who did not agree with him to do anything. He was a bully, and everyone else was powerless. The children had been brainwashed since they were in kindergarten, parents could not stop it. The parents knew a life before Hitler, the youth did not. If parents protested to what their kids were learning, the kids would turn their parents in. Family roles were reversed, the children had more power than the parents because the parents were to afraid to stop what was happening to their children. German citizens that were against the Nazi Party were also too afraid to say anything, they had to follow along. German men that were drafted into the army had to follow along because the Nazi Party knew where their families lived. Hitler ruled through terror in order to get complete compliance. If you appear to be disloyal, someone will turn you in. Those who realized what was going to happen, got out of Germany. All the rest became trapped. Sure, there were those that were absolutely fanatic about Hitler. However, that is not the same case for the rest that just happened to get caught up in Hitler's storm.
Eugenics videos-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeCKftkNKJ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvCkw87FLZk
Nuremberg Race Laws
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SU_ST5-w0U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCgNgQkw1CU
questions_for_eugenics_and_nuremberg_laws.docx | |
File Size: | 12 kb |
File Type: | docx |
05/04/2020-05/08/2020
We are getting closer to almost being done! Remember, the last day for any late work will be on May 21st.
The focus for this week is going to on Auschwitz, one of the most notorious Nazi death camps. Other groups, such as the ethnic Roma and Sinti gypsies, were sent to the camps as those marked for extermination. Most of the groups were selected because of eugenics. Political prisoners and Russian soldiers were sent because they were enemies to the Nazi regime. However, the vast majority of the deaths were in the Jewish community. Since their experience of the Holocaust was different than the other groups, they call this event the Shoah. This is an ancient Hebrew word that means utter destruction. Before they were sent to the camps, they were segregated into ghettos all across Europe. The ghettos were sectioned off areas within a city. Then, they would be "liquidated". They entire population of the ghetto would be sent to a camp all at one. One of the reasons they complied to the Nazi orders was because they wanted to believe what they were being told. The Nazi's told them they would survive if they did what they were told. By time the Jews realized what was going to happen at the camps, it was too late for most.
For this week, you are going to watch one to the documentaries that I use for the Holocaust. It is the story of a survivor of Auschwitz. It is called "One Day in Auschwitz" and there is a question that goes along with it. It is a hard one to get through, but it is a lesson that we should not forget. After camps were liberated and the horror of what happened was made known to the world, the Nazis could not really deny it. They had kept records, too many to destroy. There was also the survivors that told their stories. In fact, in Germany today it is illegal to be a Holocaust denier. They have museums and memorials in Germany and throughout Europe where the camps and ghettos were located. The prisoners that did not do well after being liberated were the Russian soldiers. Stalin was suspicious of them since they had spent time with the Nazis; he sent them to prisons in Russia. I am also going to mention that the number of survivors increases every year. Survivors are also those that were born after the prisoners were liberated. They are survivors because if their relative had not survived, they would not be alive either.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZYgzW2fS0o
We are getting closer to almost being done! Remember, the last day for any late work will be on May 21st.
The focus for this week is going to on Auschwitz, one of the most notorious Nazi death camps. Other groups, such as the ethnic Roma and Sinti gypsies, were sent to the camps as those marked for extermination. Most of the groups were selected because of eugenics. Political prisoners and Russian soldiers were sent because they were enemies to the Nazi regime. However, the vast majority of the deaths were in the Jewish community. Since their experience of the Holocaust was different than the other groups, they call this event the Shoah. This is an ancient Hebrew word that means utter destruction. Before they were sent to the camps, they were segregated into ghettos all across Europe. The ghettos were sectioned off areas within a city. Then, they would be "liquidated". They entire population of the ghetto would be sent to a camp all at one. One of the reasons they complied to the Nazi orders was because they wanted to believe what they were being told. The Nazi's told them they would survive if they did what they were told. By time the Jews realized what was going to happen at the camps, it was too late for most.
For this week, you are going to watch one to the documentaries that I use for the Holocaust. It is the story of a survivor of Auschwitz. It is called "One Day in Auschwitz" and there is a question that goes along with it. It is a hard one to get through, but it is a lesson that we should not forget. After camps were liberated and the horror of what happened was made known to the world, the Nazis could not really deny it. They had kept records, too many to destroy. There was also the survivors that told their stories. In fact, in Germany today it is illegal to be a Holocaust denier. They have museums and memorials in Germany and throughout Europe where the camps and ghettos were located. The prisoners that did not do well after being liberated were the Russian soldiers. Stalin was suspicious of them since they had spent time with the Nazis; he sent them to prisons in Russia. I am also going to mention that the number of survivors increases every year. Survivors are also those that were born after the prisoners were liberated. They are survivors because if their relative had not survived, they would not be alive either.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZYgzW2fS0o
one_day_in_auschwitz_questions.docx | |
File Size: | 14 kb |
File Type: | docx |
05/11/2020-05/15/2020
Well guys, this is the final week for new work. May 21st will be the last day for any late work. It has been my pleasure to teach most of you for the past 3 years- what a bitter sweet end. I have watched you grow over the years and I am quite proud to have been your teacher. This year did not end like we all thought it would, but you got through it. I will miss having you in my classroom, even though sometimes you guys were annoying! If you ever need me, you know where to find me.
We are also at the end of WWII. Hitler has been defeated and Japan is the final enemy to take down. The fighting in the Philippines was almost a lost cause. Men not only had to fight the Japanese, they also had to fight starvation and tropical diseases. My grandfather and one of my uncles was in the Philippines. All that my grandfather would say was the Japanese were sneaky. He never allowed anything made in Japan into his house after the war. My uncle was a paratrooper. He said the rifle he was given was a WWI rifle, he dropped it when he landed and picked up a Japanese rifle he found on the ground. At one point, his squadron got lost in the jungle and the other troops that they were killed. After several months, his squadron made it back to camp with Japanese prisoners in tow. That's how thick and messy fighting in the jungle can be. Most of the support was going to Europe, leaving the men fighting the Japanese almost feel as they had been abandoned. Allied men that were captured by the Japanese were horrifically tortured, almost worse than Nazi prisoners of war. Men were tied up and left in the sun in the tropical summer. Sometimes, swords were positioned pointing up towards the prisoner. If he passed out, he would fall on the swords. In the Japanese camps, prisoners were barely given food or water and they were not receiving medicine for diseases such as malaria. Once the nuclear bombs were ready, it was time to neutralize Japan. It had been decided that it was less of a risk to use these bombs instead of sending Allied troops into Japan.
You will need to read the last section and then complete the guided reading.
http://www.yourhistorysite.com/The%20American%20Journey/chap26.pdf
Well guys, this is the final week for new work. May 21st will be the last day for any late work. It has been my pleasure to teach most of you for the past 3 years- what a bitter sweet end. I have watched you grow over the years and I am quite proud to have been your teacher. This year did not end like we all thought it would, but you got through it. I will miss having you in my classroom, even though sometimes you guys were annoying! If you ever need me, you know where to find me.
We are also at the end of WWII. Hitler has been defeated and Japan is the final enemy to take down. The fighting in the Philippines was almost a lost cause. Men not only had to fight the Japanese, they also had to fight starvation and tropical diseases. My grandfather and one of my uncles was in the Philippines. All that my grandfather would say was the Japanese were sneaky. He never allowed anything made in Japan into his house after the war. My uncle was a paratrooper. He said the rifle he was given was a WWI rifle, he dropped it when he landed and picked up a Japanese rifle he found on the ground. At one point, his squadron got lost in the jungle and the other troops that they were killed. After several months, his squadron made it back to camp with Japanese prisoners in tow. That's how thick and messy fighting in the jungle can be. Most of the support was going to Europe, leaving the men fighting the Japanese almost feel as they had been abandoned. Allied men that were captured by the Japanese were horrifically tortured, almost worse than Nazi prisoners of war. Men were tied up and left in the sun in the tropical summer. Sometimes, swords were positioned pointing up towards the prisoner. If he passed out, he would fall on the swords. In the Japanese camps, prisoners were barely given food or water and they were not receiving medicine for diseases such as malaria. Once the nuclear bombs were ready, it was time to neutralize Japan. It had been decided that it was less of a risk to use these bombs instead of sending Allied troops into Japan.
You will need to read the last section and then complete the guided reading.
http://www.yourhistorysite.com/The%20American%20Journey/chap26.pdf