“Successful problem solvers are the ones that can look at a problem from a new angle, consider alternate points of views and deal with several sources of information all at once.”  (Habits of Mind # 4 - Think flexibly.)  Why not take a look at these resources and use the power of personal accounts and different perspectives on Pearl Harbor to help your students practice flexible thinking.

#1.  Visit this site to provide your students a wide range of perspectives from personal accounts to maps and photographs to establish the logistics of the attack on Pearl Harbor. http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/pearl_harbor.html

#2 Consider why the Japanese would want to attack the US  http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/13/g35/legacy....

#3 Have students look at these primary documents, oral histories and survivor accounts and describe the perspective of the writer. http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/teach/pearl/opening.htm

#4 – Compare text book accounts between a Japanese text book and their own. http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/18arizona/18putting.htm -...

#5 – Look at different perspectives from eyewitness accounts. Have students share their perspectives in a jigsaw group.  http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/pearl-... 

#6 – Try the free lesson “A New Approach to Remembering Pearl Harbor” using the SCAN tool at www.tregoED.org .  Register (it’s free) and set up the lesson, send students to the unique url to help them understand the merits of looking at history from all perspectives as they discuss the new visitor’s center at Pearl Harbor featuring the Japanese perspective.  Based on this article - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42862187/ns/travel-destination_travel/t...

 Giving your students different perspectives and a variety of sources can help them learn and practice their critical thinking skills while learning content in an engaging way.