Japanese American Incarceration: 5Ws & H Lesson Plan

Q: What are the 5Ws and H of Japanese American Incarceration during World War II?

The 5Ws and H of Japanese American Incarceration are: Who ordered and was affected, What happened, When and Where it occurred, Why it happened, and How many people were impacted. This framework helps students understand key facts about the incarceration of Japanese Americans in WWII.

Q: How can students create a spider map for the Japanese American Incarceration lesson?

Students can create a spider map by making a central topic (Japanese American Incarceration) and connecting six branches for each 5W and H question. In each branch, they write a short answer and add a meaningful illustration representing their response.

Q: Who ordered the incarceration of Japanese Americans, and who was affected?

President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the incarceration through Executive Order 9066. The order mainly affected Japanese Americans living on the West Coast, including over 120,000 people, most of whom were U.S. citizens.

Q: Why were Japanese Americans incarcerated during WWII?

Japanese Americans were incarcerated because of wartime fear, racism, and suspicion after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The government claimed it was for national security, but no evidence of disloyalty was ever found among the incarcerated.

Q: What are some effective ways to teach the history of Japanese American Incarceration to middle school students?

Effective ways include using interactive activities like spider maps, analyzing primary sources, discussing personal stories, and creating illustrations. These approaches help students engage with the topic and understand its impact on individuals and communities.

Japanese American Incarceration during WWII 5Ws and H

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Lesson Plan Overview

Template and Class Instructions

Student Rubric

Lesson Plan Overview

Students will create a spider map that answers the 5Ws and H questions often used when discussing history topics: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. For the topic of Japanese American Incarceration during World War II, students will answer the following questions using 1-3 sentence answers in the description boxes as well as appropriate and meaningful illustrations:

Who ordered the incarceration of Japanese Americans?
What did the order say / allow the military to do? Who was affected by the order?
When did the incarceration take place?
Where were Japanese Americans incarcerated?
Why did this happen?
How many and in what ways were Japanese Americans affected?

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Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Due Date:

Objective: Create a 5Ws and H Spider Map describing the incarceration of Japanese Americans in WWII.< /p>

Student Instructions:

Click “Start Assignment”.
For each cell, answer the question with a 1-3 sentence description.
Create an illustration that represents each answer using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.

Requirements: Answers to 6 5Ws&H questions as well as appropriate illustrations for each.

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Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-8

Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)

Type of Assignment Individual

Type of Activity: 5 Ws of Social Studies and History

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Student Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

5Ws & H Rubric

Create a spider map or chart that highlights 5Ws & H about the topic: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.

	Proficient 10 Points	Emerging 6 Points	Needs Improvement 1 Points
Description	The description is detailed and accurately answers the questions Who, What, When, Where, Why and How; clearly demonstrating student's thorough understanding.	The description is somewhat detailed and mostly answers the questions Who, What, When, Where, Why and How; demonstrating student's basic understanding.	The description is incomplete and does not answer the questions Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.
Artistic Depictions	The art chosen to depict the illustrations such as scenes, characters and items, are appropriate to the topic. Time and care is taken to ensure that the scenes are neat, eye-catching, and creative.	The art chosen to depict the illustrations such as scenes, characters and items, are mostly accurate, but there may be some liberties taken that distract from the assignment. Scene constructions are neat, and meet basic expectations.	The art chosen to depict the illustrations such as scenes, characters and items, are too limited or incomplete.
English Conventions	Ideas are organized. There are few or no grammatical, mechanical, or spelling errors.	Ideas are mostly organized. There are some grammatical, mechanical, or spelling errors.	Storyboard text is difficult to understand.

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Lesson Plan Overview

Who ordered the incarceration of Japanese Americans?
What did the order say / allow the military to do? Who was affected by the order?
When did the incarceration take place?
Where were Japanese Americans incarcerated?
Why did this happen?
How many and in what ways were Japanese Americans affected?

Copy Activity

Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Due Date:

Objective: Create a 5Ws and H Spider Map describing the incarceration of Japanese Americans in WWII.< /p>

Student Instructions:

Click “Start Assignment”.
For each cell, answer the question with a 1-3 sentence description.
Create an illustration that represents each answer using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.

Requirements: Answers to 6 5Ws&H questions as well as appropriate illustrations for each.

More options

Copy This Storyboard

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-8

Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)

Type of Assignment Individual

Type of Activity: 5 Ws of Social Studies and History

Copy Activity

Student Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

5Ws & H Rubric

Create a spider map or chart that highlights 5Ws & H about the topic: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.

	Proficient 10 Points	Emerging 6 Points	Needs Improvement 1 Points
Description	The description is detailed and accurately answers the questions Who, What, When, Where, Why and How; clearly demonstrating student's thorough understanding.	The description is somewhat detailed and mostly answers the questions Who, What, When, Where, Why and How; demonstrating student's basic understanding.	The description is incomplete and does not answer the questions Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.
Artistic Depictions	The art chosen to depict the illustrations such as scenes, characters and items, are appropriate to the topic. Time and care is taken to ensure that the scenes are neat, eye-catching, and creative.	The art chosen to depict the illustrations such as scenes, characters and items, are mostly accurate, but there may be some liberties taken that distract from the assignment. Scene constructions are neat, and meet basic expectations.	The art chosen to depict the illustrations such as scenes, characters and items, are too limited or incomplete.
English Conventions	Ideas are organized. There are few or no grammatical, mechanical, or spelling errors.	Ideas are mostly organized. There are some grammatical, mechanical, or spelling errors.	Storyboard text is difficult to understand.

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How Tos about 5Ws of the Japanese American Incarceration

How to facilitate a meaningful class discussion on Japanese American incarceration

Engage students by starting with open-ended questions about fairness and justice. Encourage every student to share their thoughts to foster empathy and deeper understanding of the topic.

Prepare thought-provoking discussion prompts

Write 3-5 discussion questions that connect historical events to current issues. Use prompts like 'How might you feel if you were in their position?' to spark personal connections and critical thinking.

Organize students into small groups

Divide your class into groups of 3-4 to ensure everyone can participate. Assign each group a question and give them a few minutes to discuss before sharing with the class.

Guide respectful sharing and listening

Set clear expectations for listening and responding to others’ ideas. Model respectful disagreement and praise thoughtful contributions to create a safe, open environment.

Connect discussion insights to the 5Ws and H spider map

Invite students to use ideas from the discussion when completing their spider maps. This deepens understanding and helps students create richer answers and illustrations.

Frequently Asked Questions about 5Ws of the Japanese American Incarceration

What are the 5Ws and H of Japanese American Incarceration during World War II?

The 5Ws and H of Japanese American Incarceration are: Who ordered and was affected, What happened, When and Where it occurred, Why it happened, and How many people were impacted. This framework helps students understand key facts about the incarceration of Japanese Americans in WWII.

How can students create a spider map for the Japanese American Incarceration lesson?

Students can create a spider map by making a central topic (Japanese American Incarceration) and connecting six branches for each 5W and H question. In each branch, they write a short answer and add a meaningful illustration representing their response.

Who ordered the incarceration of Japanese Americans, and who was affected?

President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the incarceration through Executive Order 9066. The order mainly affected Japanese Americans living on the West Coast, including over 120,000 people, most of whom were U.S. citizens.

Why were Japanese Americans incarcerated during WWII?

Japanese Americans were incarcerated because of wartime fear, racism, and suspicion after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The government claimed it was for national security, but no evidence of disloyalty was ever found among the incarcerated.

What are some effective ways to teach the history of Japanese American Incarceration to middle school students?

Effective ways include using interactive activities like spider maps, analyzing primary sources, discussing personal stories, and creating illustrations. These approaches help students engage with the topic and understand its impact on individuals and communities.