As part of their study of World War II, eighth-grade US Political History classes held mock trials of President Harry Truman circa 1946. They considered whether he had violated the Nuremberg Charter by ordering atomic bombs to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Students served as witnesses, lawyers, court reporters, and even President Truman himself, while eight faculty and staff members served as jurors and ultimately decided the outcome of the case based on the arguments and testimony presented.
"Witnesses represented many different perspectives and roles in the decision to drop the bomb," explains history teacher Lea Hunerkoch. These included survivors of the bombs, an American soldier captured by the Japanese, a Japanese soldier, military leaders, Albert Einstein, Japanese leader Hideki Tojo, and many more.
In some classes, jurors found Truman guilty; in others, they found him not guilty.
"The girls were amazing," says history teacher Louisa Nill.
"They blew my mind every day with the way they stayed in character and argued their points," adds Hunerkoch. "They also made incredible connections between the vast amount of research they'd done in preparation for this project."
Through the project, students learned not only about historical events and their lasting impact; they honed their perspective-taking, public-speaking, and research skills; refined their persuasive techniques; and weighed the complexity of wartime ethics.
