Sixth Grade Students' Development of Historical Perspective: World War II and the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

This study investigated how the use of various teaching methods influenced perspective taking skills of sixth grade middle school students during a unit of instruction on World War II. Three questions directed the study: (1) What do students know about World War II prior to a unit of study on World War II; (2) What do students know about World War II after reading U.S. textbooks and participating in typical classroom activities; and (3) What happens to students' perspective taking skills as they engage in various activities, such as comparative textbook analysis or an oral history activity, related to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in addition to the unit of study on World War II? One teacher and 44 culturally diverse students in two social studies classes in a rural Georgia public school participated in the study. A qualitative case study methodology was employed; qualitative data consisted of interviews, classroom observation and participation, and document analysis. Discusses two students in depth. (Contains 76 references.) (BT)