Unit 5: "Out of Sight, Out of Mind:" Conscientious Objectors in World War II

Grades

• 9-10
• 11-12

Subjects

• History
• Language
• Political Science
• Social Studies

Overview of Lesson Plan

• Students study conscientious observers (COs) in the Civilian Public Service (CPS) during World War II.  Approximately 12,000 men volunteered for public service as an alternative to military service in the war. To qualify as a CO, men had to be opposed to participation in the military based on "religious training and belief."  Religious organizations, primarily the Mennonite Central Committee, the American Friends Service Committee, and the Brethren Service Committee sponsored COs who were assigned to forest and conservation projects, medical experiments, state institutions, and other forms of service. Approximately 3,000 COs worked as attendants at state mental hospitals and training schools for people with mental retardation. This specific lesson plan focuses on individual conscience, citizen rights and responsibilities, and ways people can contribute to society.

Standards

• 1. Construct reasoned judgments about specific cultural responses to persistent human issues.
  2. Apply ideas and modes of historical inquiry to analyze historical developments and to inform actions concerning public policy issues.
  3. Describe and examine belief systems basic to specific traditions and laws in historical movements.
  4. Examine persistent issues involving the rights, roles, and status of the individual in relation to the general welfare.
  5. Identify, analyze, and evaluate sources and examples of citizens' rights and responsibilities.

Objectives

• 1. To examine the Civilian Public Service for conscientious objectors during World War II.
  2. To understand and analyze the role conscientious objectors played in exposing institutions.
  3. To assess citizen rights and responsibilities to the nation and society.
  4. To explore how the media sources influence public opinion and policy makers.

Questions to Consider

• 1. How did people opposed to war express their opposition during World War II?
• 2. What kinds of alternative service did conscientious objectors perform as part of the Civilian Public Service?
• 3. Do citizens have a responsibility to serve their country, especially in times of national crisis?
• 4. Should the government require people to do things that violate their moral or religious beliefs?
• 5. How do the media influence public opinion and policy makers?
• 6. How did conscientious objectors respond to the conditions they found at state institutions?

Resources and Materials

• NOTE: Some of these links may lead to external web sites.
  1. Out of Sight, Out of Mind:
     a. Paragraphs 1-13.
     b. Paragraphs 44-72, 690-706, 764-767, and 847-854.
     c. Paragraphs 1021-1028.
  2. Gordon Zahn, "Abandon hope," "State school unnatural, maltreats children," and "Slaves or patients?"
  3. Steve Taylor, "Conscientious Objectors in World War II."
  4. Steve Taylor, "Conscientious Objectors at State Institutions."
  5. Steve Taylor, "The National Mental Health Foundation."
  6. Steve Taylor, "Rosewood State Training School."

Activities and Procedures

• 1. Homework: Students read the materials listed above.
• 2. Review the facts: Individually or as part of small groups, students make brief (three-to-five minute) class presentations on one of the following questions:
• a. How were conscientious objectors (COs) defined during World War II (be sure to consider gender and religion)?
• b. What are the three ways people expressed their opposition to participation in war during World War II?
• c. What major religious organizations sponsored the COs?  Why did they sponsor them?
• d. What was the Civilian Public Service and what kinds of alternative service could COs perform?
• e. How did COs react to the institutions?
• f. What major media stories resulted from the COs' activities?
• g. How did Rosewood State Training School differ from other state institutions at which COs volunteered
• h. What public figures supported the COs efforts to reform state institutions?
• i. What was the National Mental Health Foundation and what activities did it undertake?
• 3. Essays (in class or as homework): Students write essays on one or more of the following topics:
• a. What was work as an attendant like for the COs at state institutions?  (Students should read "Conscientious Objectors at State Institutions" and paragraphs 44-72, 690-706, 764-767, and 847-854 of Out of Sight, Out of Mind.)
• b. Do you think that the media exposes initiated by the COs influenced the public and policy makers?  Explain why or why not.
• c. Using World War II and the activities of COs, identify and evaluate some of the ways that citizens can contribute to society.
• 4.Three-way class discussion and debate: Divide the class into three discussion groups. Each group takes one of the positions below. One student in each group is assigned to record the major arguments in favor of the position, and one student (if the teacher prefers, two) is selected to represent the group's position in a three-way debate. Each representative is given up to three minutes to summarize the group's major arguments (these can be listed on newsprint or large paper). Then they take turns responding to each other's arguments in a debate supervised by the teacher.
• a. In times of war, citizens should be required to perform military service in defense of their country and its interests.
• b. In times of war, citizens should be permitted to perform alternative non-military service if their religious beliefs prevent them from participating in the military.
• c. In times of war, citizens should use their individual conscience and moral beliefs to decide whether or not to participate in the military or cooperate with government authorities.
• 5. As an optional homework activity, ask students to do web searches on the following people who agreed to lend their names to the National Mental Health Foundation as members of the board of directors or national sponsors: Roger N. Baldwin, Mary McLeod Bethune, Helen Hayes, Mordecai W. Johnson, Thomas Mann, Adolf Meyer, Reinhold Niebuhr, Walter Reuther, Owen J. Roberts, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Mrs. Harry S. Truman.  Students can either write a paragraph on any of these persons or make a two-minute presentation in class.  They should cite their web sources and explain why they are credible.

Eras

• 1921-1960

Disability

• Developmental Disabilities
• Intellectual Disabilities
• Mental Illness
• Mental Retardation
• Psychiatric Disabilities

Topics

• Exposés
• Government
• Hospital
• Media
• Mental Hospital
• Psychiatric Center
• State School
• Training School

Copyright

• ©Syracuse University, 2003.  All rights reserved.

Author(s)

• Steven J. Taylor, Ph.D.

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