2.  As an introduction to WWII in the Pacific, students will use classroom reference materials to learn the basic geography of that theater of war.  Students will learn how geography was an influence in this theater of war.

3.  Over sixty years ago, a generation of young Americans left their homes to fight in a world war.  The war took place on two different fronts, or theaters: Europe and the Pacific.  Consider this: When the Japanese attacked the U.S. fleet on December 7, 1941, most Americans had never heard of Pearl Harbor and did not even know where it was.  Now our troops were traveling to far off places to fight in the war.

4.  Soldiers confronted environments and cultures that they had never heard of.  Their war involved vast distances, isolations, and harsh unfamiliar surroundings that placed special burdens on them.  They served in remote and far flung places.  Many struggled and died in places their families had never heard of.  They waged a bloody war against a determined enemy.

5.  The Japanese continued to move East and South.  The day after Pearl Harbor, they attacked the Americans in the Philippines.  They conquered new territory while we recovered. (Hong Kong, Singapore and the Malayan peninsula)  By May of 1942, they reached the Coral Sea, but we were waiting. It was a setback for the Japanese

6.  Americans were using Midway Island for refueling for planes.  The Japanese sent a large fleet there.  If they take the island, the flights will stop.  The U.S. navy sinks four aircraft carriers, scoring a clear victory and turned the tide of the war in the Pacific.  The Japanese begin losing ground

7.  To defeat Japan, American forces start a long campaign of island hopping. Taking back islands that Japan had conquered.  August 7, 1942, the 1 st Marine Division lands on Guadalcanal. They fought for 3 ½ years.  Large and small battles were needed to get the U.S. closer to strike Japan.

8.  Feb. 1945, 35,000 Marines land in one day on this tiny island.  36 days of combat; 7,000 Americans lost, 22,000 Japanese lost.  Bombardment of Japanese factories and military bases can begin.  Japan lost almost of all of its territory.

9.  April of 1945, more than 180,000 Americans landed on this island.  They face a Japanese army half their size  The Japanese fight to the end, losing over 110,000 soldiers.  Americans bombing raids damaged the island of Japan. They are unwilling to surrender and fight to the end.  Unfortunately, they only surrender when atomic weapons are used against a city.