Densho Civil Liberties Curriculum


The lesson plans offered here help teachers lead students to examine critical issues affecting our democracy in both the past and present: individual rights in wartime, the role news media and other sources of information play, and the protections promised by the U.S. Constitution and our system of government. The lessons align with Washington or Idaho state standards and are adaptable to other states' standards. These lessons are also available on CD-ROM, which can be ordered by contacting info@densho.org.

Introduction
	World War II Incarceration of Japanese Americans
		Slideshow (HTML version)
Lesson Plans
High School
	Constitutional Issues: Civil Liberties, Individuals, and the Common Good
	Dig Deep: Media and the Incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II
	Causes of Conflict: Issues of Immigration
Middle School
	Dig Deep: Media and the Incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II
Elementary School
	Immigration Journeys: Changes and Challenges

Constitutional Issues: Civil Liberties, Individuals, and the Common Good

High School - 3 weeks
This unit explores the essential question,	"How can the United States balance the rights of individuals with the common good?"

Download Curriculum Packages

Full Unit (includes both teacher and student packages): Printer friendly version (PDF - requires Adobe Reader); Editable version (requires Microsoft Word)

Classroom Video Materials

Government Newsreel, "Japanese Relocation" View this nine-minute video during Session 6 of the unit. (9:26): Download (QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Oral History Video Clips View these short video excerpts from oral history interviews during Session 7 of the unit. Aki Kurose recalls how her teacher treated her after the attack on Pearl Harbor. (1:39): Download (6.4MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Mas Watanabe talks about his feelings about going into the Puyallup Assembly Center. (2:15): Download (8.3MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Frank Yamasaki shares memories of the Minidoka incarceration camp. (0:56): Download (3.5MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

George Morihiro talks about entering the Puyallup Assembly Center and how "the day you walked through that gate, you know you lost something." (1:24): Download (5.3MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Dig Deep: Media and the Incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II

High School - 3 weeks
This unit explores the analysis of media and the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Download Curriculum Packages

Introduction and Teacher Instructions: Printer friendly version (PDF - requires Adobe Reader)
Editable version (requires Microsoft Word)
Student Handouts: Printer friendly version (PDF - requires Adobe Reader)
Editable version (requires Microsoft Word)
Full Unit (includes both teacher and student packages): Printer friendly version (PDF - requires Adobe Reader)
Editable version (requires Microsoft Word)

Classroom Video Materials

Government Newsreel, "Japanese Relocation" View this nine-minute video during Session 8 of the unit. (9:26): Download (QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Oral History Video Clips
View these short video excerpts from oral history interviews during Session 9 of the unit.

Kara Kondo remembers the day of mass removal to the Portland Assembly Center. (5:19): Download (6.4MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Mas Watanabe talks about his feelings about going into the Puyallup Assembly Center. (2:15): Download (8.3MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Frank Yamasaki shares memories of the Minidoka incarceration camp. (0:56): Download (3.5MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

George Morihiro talks about entering the Puyallup Assembly Center and how "the day you walked through that gate, you know you lost something." (1:24): Download (5.3MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Causes of Conflict: Issues of Immigration

High School - 3 weeks
This unit explores the essential question,	"How do conflicts over immigration arise from labor needs and social change?"

Download Curriculum Packages

Full Unit (includes both teacher and student packages): Printer friendly version (PDF - requires Adobe Reader); Editable version (requires Microsoft Word)

Classroom Video Materials

Oral History Video Clips
View this short video excerpt from oral history interviews during Session 3 of the unit.

Roy Matsumoto explains how his father worked as a contract laborer in Hawaii. (5:08): Download (19.5MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

View these short video excerpts from oral history interviews during Session 7 of the unit.

Shigeko Sese Uno describes how her father worked his way from Japan through Mexico to the United States. (5:05): Download (19.8MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Harvey Watanabe tells how his father emigrated from Japan and decided to stay permanently in the United States. (4:38): Download (17.9MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

View these short video excerpts from oral history interviews during Session 8 of the unit.

Frank Fujii describing how he was reunited with his father at Minidoka incarceration center after nearly three years. (6:55): Download (26.6MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Kara Kondo remembers the day of mass removal to the Portland Assembly Center. (5:19): Download (19.8MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Dig Deep: Media and the Incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II

Middle School - 3 weeks
This unit explores the essential question,	"How can members of a democracy evaluate their sources, to inform themselves responsibly for participation as citizens?"

Download Curriculum Packages

Full Unit (includes both teacher and student packages): Printer friendly version (PDF - requires Adobe Reader)
Editable version (requires Microsoft Word)

Classroom Video Materials

Government Newsreel, "Japanese Relocation"
View this nine-minute video during Session 8 of the unit. (9:26)

Download (QuickTime)

Watch on YouTube

Oral History Video Clips
View these short video excerpts from oral history interviews during Session 9 of the unit.

Kara Kondo remembers the day of mass removal to the Portland Assembly Center. (5:19): Download (6.4MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Mas Watanabe talks about his feelings about going into the Puyallup Assembly Center. (2:15): Download (8.3MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Frank Yamasaki shares memories of the Minidoka incarceration camp. (0:56): Download (3.5MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

George Morihiro talks about entering the Puyallup Assembly Center and how "the day you walked through that gate, you know you lost something." (1:24): Download (5.3MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Immigration Journeys: Changes and Challenges

Elementary School - 3 weeks
This unit explores the essential question,	"What transitions and challenges are experienced by immigrants along their journey of creating a new life in the U.S.?"

Download Curriculum Packages

Full Unit (includes both teacher and student packages): Printer friendly version (PDF - requires Adobe Reader); Editable version (requires Microsoft Word)

Oral History Video Clips
View this short video excerpt from oral history interviews during Session 3 of the unit.

Roy Matsumoto describing his father's immigration from Japan to Hawaii and then California. (5:07): Download (6.4MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

View these short video excerpts from oral history interviews during Session 5 of the unit.

Shigeko Sese Uno describing how her father worked his way from Japan through Mexico to the United States. (5:05): Download (8.3MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Harvey Watanabe telling how his father emigrated from Japan and decided to stay permanently in the United States. (4:38): Download (8.3MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

View these short video excerpts from oral history interviews during Session 7 of the unit.

Frank Fujii describing how he was reunited with his father at Minidoka incarceration center after nearly three years. (6:55): Download (3.5MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Kara Kondo remembers the day of mass removal to the Portland Assembly Center. (5:19): Download (19.8MB QuickTime); Watch on YouTube

Acknowledgements

The Densho Civil Liberties Curriculum was made possible in part by grants from the Washington Civil Liberties Public Education Program, the National Park Service, and 4Culture. Special thanks to the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Some lesson plan downloads are Adobe PDF format documents. Get the free reader at the Adobe download website by clicking on the icon below.

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