Westcott, Patrick and Martha Graham Viator. “Dear Miss Breed: Using Primary Documents to Advance Student Understanding of Japanese Internment Camps.” (2008)

The internment of Japanese American citizens during World War II is a case of prejudice and discrimination and part of national policy that is sparsely covered in most US high school textbooks. The authors detail an inquiry study on this topic aimed at middle and high school students. The core of the study is a book by Joanne Oppenheim, Dear Miss Breed, which recounts the stories of 19 children and their families who were interned in US concentration camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The book contains correspondence with Carla Breed, a children’s librarian, in response to her letters and care packages. Its use as a resource highlights the power of emphasizing human connections to events rather than presenting disembodied facts. The paper outlines all the stages of the inquiry study from preparation and planning to an assessment rubric. A useful selection of trusted websites are also given as suggestions for student research.