The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor took place on December 7, 1941. Share this important historical event with your K-12 students through the use of primary sources and interactives from Thinkfinity.org. Use an interactive time line and primary resources from the Smithsonian’s History Explorer to explain the act that defined a generation and led to the United States entering World War II.

Highlighted Resources:

• Share the image of an actual World War II poster with your K-12 students to help them understand the political messages of the time.
• Introduce your 3-5 grade students to the attack on Pearl Harbor through the use of maps and firsthand accounts from survivors as found in The Legacy of Pearl Harbor.
• Listen with your 9-12 grade students to the stories of men and women who built the Liberty ships that supported the efforts of World War II.
• Use an interactive Venn Diagram to compare the Pearl Harbor attack to the September 11, 2001, attacks. (Grades 9-12)
• Show students in grades 9-12 what led to the animosity between the U.S. and Japan, resulting in the bombing of Pearl Harbor.