Briefly review and explore the racial tension in America after the Civil War, including Plessy v. Ferguson, up to WWII. Discuss the effects of Pearl Harbor on America in terms of race and national security.

Use the sources below to introduce the topic of Japanese internment camps. Have students read primary source documents on FDR's Executive Orders 8022 and 9066 and complete questions in small groups. Bring the class back together to discuss the sources as a whole.

Introduction to the topic:

http://www.gilderlehrman.org/teachers/module19/intro_pop17.html

http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW2/japan_internment_camps.htm

Comparing FDR's Executive Orders 8022 and 9066:

http://www.gilderlehrman.org/teachers/seminar_docs/ depression_doc4.html

Activity Two: Life in the Japanese Internment Camps

Using images from the website below, have students look at and analyze the photographs and complete the photo analysis sheets. Either print out copies of some of the pictures to use in small groups in analyzing the pictures or display the images by way of projector and have the students complete the work individually.

Discussion questions:
1. What was life like in the internment camps?
2. How do these images make you feel? Why?
3. What evidence did you see that confirms the fears and reasoning for removing these people from American society? What evidence did you see that contradicts the fears and reasoning for removing these people from American society?

Utah Library Tule Lake education site:
http://www.lib.utah.edu/spc/photo/9066/tule.htm

Photo analysis sheet from National Archives:
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/photo.html

Activity Three: The Legality of Internment Camps

Review the Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment and research the Japanese American court cases Korematsu v. US and Endo v. US. For an easy-to-use interactive guide to Supreme Court cases challenging discriminatory policies towards Asian citizens (inlcuding the Korematsu case), see:
http://www.historynow.org/03_2005/interactive.html

Another good source for studying these cases is:

http://academic.udayton.edu/race/02rights/intern01.htm#Cases

Follow-Up Questions:

1. Did the internment camps violate the rights of US citizens?
2. Do you agree with the national security argument?
3. Do the event and the beliefs surrounding it have relevance in America today?