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

Lesson 3: Making A Difference

Grades

9-10
11-12

Subjects

History
Language
Political Science
Social Studies

Overview of Lesson Plan

Students review the activities of conscientious objectors (COs) to bring public attention to conditions and abuses at state mental hospitals and training schools during World War II and the years immediately following and examine two major questions: (1) Did the COs make a difference in how people with mental illness and mental retardation were treated in society?; and (2) How can citizens make a difference on public policy issues?

Standards

1. Construct reasoned judgments about specific cultural responses to persistent human issues.
2. Systematically employ processes of critical historical inquiry to reconstruct and reinterpret the past, such as using a variety of sources and checking their credibility, validating and weighing evidence for claims, and searching for causality.
3. Analyze the extent to which groups and institutions meet individual needs and promote the common good in contemporary and historical settings.
4. Evaluate the extent to which governments achieve their stated ideas and policies at home or abroad.
5. Analyze and evaluate the influence of various forms of citizen action on public policy.

Objectives

1. To understand the actions taken by COs during and immediately after World War II to improve the treatment of people with mental illness and mental retardation in society.
2. To examine the impact of the COs' actions on public opinion and government policies.
3. To identify ways in which citizens can influence government policy.

Questions to Consider

1. What were ways the COs tried to draw public attention to conditions in state institutions?
2. How did the COs try to improve public attitudes toward people with mental illness?
3. How can the effectiveness of the COs activities be evaluated?
4. What can citizens do improve the treatment of groups of people in society?

Resources and Materials

NOTE: Some of these links may lead to external web sites.
1. Out of Sight, Out of Mind:
a. Paragraphs 1058-1091.
b. Paragraphs 1107-1111.
2. Steve Taylor, "Conscientious Objectors at State Institutions."
3. Steve Taylor, "Did the Conscientious Objectors Make a Difference?"
4. Steve Taylor, "Life and Popular Culture in the 1940s."
5. Gordon Zahn, "Abandon hope," "State school unnatural, maltreats children," and "Slaves or patients?"

Activities and Procedures

1. Homework: Students read the paragraphs from Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Zahn's articles, and the essays.
2. Class discussion: In small groups, students discuss the following topic: "Identify the five most important things COs did during or after the war to improve the treatment of people with mental illness. Explain why these are important." The class comes back together, and each group reports on its conclusions in a teacher led discussion.
3. Essays: Students write short essays on the following question: "According to the author of Out of Sight, Out of Mind, what are things that citizens can do to improve the treatment of people with mental illness?"
4. Class discussion: Students break into two groups to examine paragraphs 1107-1111. They discuss the statement: "Are you willing to reread those incidents, point to them, and say, `I allowed that to happen, and I'll let it happen again'?" Both groups discuss what the author meant by this statement. One group is assigned to identify arguments in agreement with the statement, and the other arguments in disagreement. One student in each group acts as a recorder of the group's arguments. The class comes back together. One or two students present their group's arguments in a back-and-forth discussion moderated by the teacher.
5. Editorial: Students are instructed to write a brief paper, in the form of a newspaper editorial, in the questions, "Did the COs during World War II serve their country?"

Eras

1921-1960

Disability

Developmental Disabilities
Intellectual Disabilities
Mental Illness
Mental Retardation
Psychiatric Disabilities

Topics

Almshouse
Exposés
Government
Hospital
Law
Media
Mental Hospital
Psychiatric Center
State School
Training School

Copyright

Author(s)

Steven J. Taylor, Ph.D.

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CHP	Disability Studies for Teachers
Center on Human Policy
Welcome About Us Lessons Search Essays Evaluation Differentiated Instruction Contact Sitemap There have been 1864 unique visits to this page.	Unit 5: "Out of Sight, Out of Mind:" Conscientious Objectors in World War II Lesson 3: Making A Difference Grades 9-10 11-12 Subjects History Language Political Science Social Studies Overview of Lesson Plan Students review the activities of conscientious objectors (COs) to bring public attention to conditions and abuses at state mental hospitals and training schools during World War II and the years immediately following and examine two major questions: (1) Did the COs make a difference in how people with mental illness and mental retardation were treated in society?; and (2) How can citizens make a difference on public policy issues? Standards 1. Construct reasoned judgments about specific cultural responses to persistent human issues. 2. Systematically employ processes of critical historical inquiry to reconstruct and reinterpret the past, such as using a variety of sources and checking their credibility, validating and weighing evidence for claims, and searching for causality. 3. Analyze the extent to which groups and institutions meet individual needs and promote the common good in contemporary and historical settings. 4. Evaluate the extent to which governments achieve their stated ideas and policies at home or abroad. 5. Analyze and evaluate the influence of various forms of citizen action on public policy. Objectives 1. To understand the actions taken by COs during and immediately after World War II to improve the treatment of people with mental illness and mental retardation in society. 2. To examine the impact of the COs' actions on public opinion and government policies. 3. To identify ways in which citizens can influence government policy. Questions to Consider 1. What were ways the COs tried to draw public attention to conditions in state institutions? 2. How did the COs try to improve public attitudes toward people with mental illness? 3. How can the effectiveness of the COs activities be evaluated? 4. What can citizens do improve the treatment of groups of people in society? Resources and Materials NOTE: Some of these links may lead to external web sites. 1. Out of Sight, Out of Mind: a. Paragraphs 1058-1091. b. Paragraphs 1107-1111. 2. Steve Taylor, "Conscientious Objectors at State Institutions." 3. Steve Taylor, "Did the Conscientious Objectors Make a Difference?" 4. Steve Taylor, "Life and Popular Culture in the 1940s." 5. Gordon Zahn, "Abandon hope," "State school unnatural, maltreats children," and "Slaves or patients?" Activities and Procedures 1. Homework: Students read the paragraphs from Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Zahn's articles, and the essays. 2. Class discussion: In small groups, students discuss the following topic: "Identify the five most important things COs did during or after the war to improve the treatment of people with mental illness. Explain why these are important." The class comes back together, and each group reports on its conclusions in a teacher led discussion. 3. Essays: Students write short essays on the following question: "According to the author of Out of Sight, Out of Mind, what are things that citizens can do to improve the treatment of people with mental illness?" 4. Class discussion: Students break into two groups to examine paragraphs 1107-1111. They discuss the statement: "Are you willing to reread those incidents, point to them, and say, `I allowed that to happen, and I'll let it happen again'?" Both groups discuss what the author meant by this statement. One group is assigned to identify arguments in agreement with the statement, and the other arguments in disagreement. One student in each group acts as a recorder of the group's arguments. The class comes back together. One or two students present their group's arguments in a back-and-forth discussion moderated by the teacher. 5. Editorial: Students are instructed to write a brief paper, in the form of a newspaper editorial, in the questions, "Did the COs during World War II serve their country?" Eras 1921-1960 Disability Developmental Disabilities Intellectual Disabilities Mental Illness Mental Retardation Psychiatric Disabilities Topics Almshouse Exposés Government Hospital Law Media Mental Hospital Psychiatric Center State School Training School Copyright ©Syracuse University, 2003. All rights reserved. Author(s) Steven J. Taylor, Ph.D. Evaluate this lesson Lesson for printing Lesson as PDF

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