Summary
In August 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities. They killed more than 150,000 people, most of them civilians, and remain the only nuclear weapons ever used during wartime. In this BrainPOP movie on the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Tim and Moby will tell you why the United States chose to drop these bombs, and how they brought World War II to an extremely quick end. You’ll learn how Japan was hesitant to surrender before the bombings, and why President Harry S Truman believed that dropping the bombs represented the lesser of two evils. You’ll discover the terrible toll the bombings took on the cities they destroyed, and how these cities choose to commemorate the events today. Finally, you’ll investigate the debate over whether the bombings were justified. There’s a lot to learn, so click the button and get started.
Viewer safety
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Hiroshima and Nagasaki:
- What is one new thing you learned about hiroshima and nagasaki?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining hiroshima and nagasaki.
- Draw or give one example of your own.