The Pacific

Objective: Students will examine and summarize the various battles of the Pacific theater and be measured through their Cornell notes, QW, discussion, and exit slip.

Setting the Stage After a string of victories, the Japanese seemed unbeatable U.S. sent 16 B-25 bombers to bomb Tokyo and other major Japanese cities Bombs did little damage but helped to raise American morale

Battle of the Coral Sea Both the U.S. and Japan used a new warfare fighting for territory in New Guinea Opposing ships did not fire a single shot Airplanes would take off and attack each other In the end, the Japanese claimed victory as the Allies lost more ships However, the Allies were able to stop Japan’s expansion for the first time

JTPS Why was fighting in the Pacific different from fighting in Europe. How were naval battles fought in WWII? Explain.

Battle of Midway U.S. broke a Japanese code and was able to predict the Japanese attack on Midway Island Japanese fleet was the largest naval force ever assembled U.S. waited for the Japanese to attack first Ambushed Japanese carriers and destroyed all four aircraft carriers Forced Yamamoto to retreat Changed the tide of war

JTPS Why was the Battle of Midway considered a turning point? What was the strategy used by the U.S. and how were they able to execute it? Explain.

The Allies go on the offensive General Douglas MacArthur was commander of the Allied land forces in the Pacific Designed a plan called “Island-hop” Would seize islands that were not well defended Taking these islands helped to cut supply lines

Battle of Guadalcanal Japanese were building a huge air base on the island of Guadalcanal Allies wanted to strike before the base was completed Aug. 7, 1943 19,000 U.S. marines caught the Japanese by surprise and prevented the airbase from being built However, control of the island was a long and grueling battle that lasted until Feb. 1944 After losing 23,000 soldiers, the Japanese abandon the island

JTPS Which battle did you think was the most important in the Pacific? Why? Explain your reasoning.

QW #23 – Significant Battles List and compare the two different theaters of WWII. Which battle do you think was the most significant for each theater? Elaborate on your reasoning. 1 paragraph

Objective: Students will demonstrate their expertise on WWII and be measured through their quiz.