In this lesson students analyze basic civic and human rights and determine if Japanese Americans rights were violated during WWII.
The purpose of this lesson is to have students examine the concept of equality, one of the fundamental concepts embodied in our constitution and laws, and try to understand why Japanese Americans were treated so unfairly during WWII.
Freedom of the press is one of the rights protected by the 1st Amendment and is essential to a democracy. Through the activities in this lesson, students will analyze the importance of free press in a democracy and how that freedom has evolved over time. Students will also see how a restricted freedom of the press, like that found in Iraq, helps dictators maintain power.
In this lesson, students will experience the internment of Japanese Americans from San Francisco's Fillmore neighborhood. By connecting local experiences with national events, students will understand both the constitutional issues at stake and the human impact of this government policy.
