A
10:002 or 10:003 Unit ~ History, Memory, and Advocacy
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Schedule
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Formal Assignments
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Note: DAY = HOUR
The first week’s readings and activities are part of an attempt to give context to the debates about the dropping of the bomb. The readings include a rather long (40+ page) introduction to the debate, as well as some recent historical attempts to reassess Truman’s decision to drop the bomb in light of recent evidence. In addition, the ABC News special on Truman’s decision provides some good background on this seminal event. The video is 67 minutes long, but it provides a clear chronology and previews some of the debates that will mark this controversy. Therefore, viewing the film in it’s entirety is recommended.
Day 1Mini-lecture: an introduction to the purpose and shape of this unit, an overview of each week’s readings. Reading: Lawrence Lifschultz and Kai Bird, “Introduction: Hiroshima’s Legend” in Hiroshima’s Shadow Class Activity: watch “Hiroshima: Why the Bomb was Dropped” (available in UI media services)
Day 2Reading: Gar Alperovitz, “Historians Reassess: Did We Need to Drop the Bomb?” in Hiroshima’s Shadow Class Activity: finish “Why the Bomb was Dropped,”; 5-minute written response comparing the film to the article
Day 3Reading: Barton Bernstein, “A Postwar Myth: 500,000 U.S. Lives Saved” and Adam Goodheart, “The Invasion that Never Was” Class Activity: Outline the various arguments presented so far about dropping the bomb. Ask everyone in the class to choose a position in the debate. Students then give impromptu one-minute speeches detailing each position.
Day 4Reading: Uday Mohan and Sanho Tree, “The Construction of Conventional Wisdom” Class Activity: This article is about the struggle in the popular press to define the dropping of the bomb immediately after the event. One way to engage these ideas is to ask the class to consider the role mass media should play in relation to government policy during wartime. Have groups of four assume the role of an editorial board for the Iowa City Gazette. Ask them to draft a formal policy for dealing with government issued information during wartime and to offer a justification for their policy. See Instructor Note #1. Distribute speech assignment. Week 2: Remembering HiroshimaThis section reviews the objections to Smithsonian curator’s attempts to create an exhibit at the National Museum of Air and Space on the Enola Gay. The readings document the repeated revisions, the ultimate cancellation of the exhibit, and the fallout from the decision. The implicit question in these texts is: what ought to be the role of public history in a democracy? In addition, a consideration of Japanese commemorations of the event should signal to students that historical meaning is presented differently to different audiences. Day 1Reading: Mike Wallace, “The Battle of the Enola Gay” Visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum web site at http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/index_e2.html Activity: Map the different features of each attempt to memorialize the dropping of the A-bomb (the planned exhibits at the Smithsonian, the actual exhibit at the Smithsonian, the Peace Memorial Museum). How does each position the event differently and how does this positioning reflect the goals of the speakers and a consideration of their audience? Day 2Reading: John Dower, “Unconditional Surrender at the Smithsonian” Workshop #1 Day 3Reading: Stanley Goldberg, “Smithsonian Suffers Legionaires Disease” Watch: “The Spirit of Hiroshima” (video available in media services) section on the anniversary of the bomb Activity: One -minute informal writing on the role of public history in a democracy. Discussion. See Instructor Note #2. Day 4Workshop #2 Distribute writing assignment Week 3: SpeechesDay 1Day 2Day 3Day 4 |