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Attack on Pearl Harbor

On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Pearl Harbor Naval base in Hawaii came under attack by Japan. The Japanese had launched a surprise aerial assault involving several hundred planes from six aircraft carriers. It was just one of many coordinated attacks by the Japanese throughout the Pacific that day. The U.S. Navy was taken by surprise – while it had become clear that a diplomatic solution to halt Japan’s aggression had failed – the U.S. did not believe the Japanese would risk a direct assault on the United States, nor had the Japanese given any prior warning of the attack.

Several ships were completely destroyed, including the USS Arizona and the USS Oklahoma, and many others damaged badly. Over 2400 Americans lost their lives. The next day, President Franklin Roosevelt gave a speech calling December 7, 1941 a “date that will live in infamy” and signed a declaration of war against Japan, entering the United States into the Second World War.

In this mini unit, you can learn about the attack on Pearl Harbor through a comprehensive lesson plan on the USS Arizona, read about why the United States was unprepared for the attack, read eyewitness accounts, look at the official communications between the U.S. and Japan, watch documentary video of the attack, listen to official news bulletins and FDR’s famous Day of Infamy speech, view historic photos of the aftermath, walk through an animated map and timeline of the attack and explore with classmates how the U.S. could have been more ready.

Reading

Remembering Pearl Harbor: The USS Arizona Memorial (Comprehensive Multipart Lesson Plan)

Pearl Harbor: A Rude Awakening

Primary Sources

Eyewitness Account of Attack on Pearl Harbor

Eyewitness Account of Attack on Pearl Harbor – Japanese View

Pearl Harbor Attack Documents

Multimedia

Pearl Harbor Day Attack - Mini-Documentary (YouTube)

Audio of CBS News Bulletin on Dec 7, 1941 (MP3)

Audio of FDR's Speech to the U.S. Congress on December 8, 1941 (MP3)

Pearl Harbor Historic Photos

Timeline / Maps

Animated Multimedia Timeline and Map of Events

Projects and Activities

Was the United States Ready for Pearl Harbor? (Writing Exercise and Class Activity)

Recommended Resource

Great World War II Projects You Can Build Yourself

From spy maps and victory banners to spotter planes and ration cakes, Great World War II Projects You Can Build Yourself helps bring one of the most uncertain and defining periods of American and world history to life through fun and challenging building projects and activities.

Combining a solid overview of World War II with more than 25 hands-on activities, Great World War II Projects You Can Build Yourself explores daily life at home and on the front lines during the war years through projects ranging from planting a victory garden, to making secret boiled egg messages, to compiling ration kits and soldier care packages ready to send to US troops currently stationed throughout the world.

Most of these 30 projects can be done with simple household supplies and minimal adult supervision, and the result is often a working model of the original invention. Detailed, step-by-step instructions, archival photography, illustrations and diagrams, and templates for each project are interspersed with historical facts, biographies, anecdotes, and trivia about the real-life models, offering kids and adults alike a hands-on way to experience the history and innovations that were sparked by the Second World War.

Our Price: $11.25
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