Activity Title: Word Cloud of Einstein Letter to President Roosevelt

School: Graves County Middle School

Teacher(s): Lockard and Mills Grade(s): 8Content Area(s): ScienceSummary of Activity (Please address who, what, when, where, and how): WR.CI.3.EinsteinsLettertoRoosevelt.8

During the nuclear chemistry unit in 8th grade science, students are asked to study a word cloud constructed using an app called Tag Cloud. The word cloud comes from Albert Einstein’s letter to President Roosevelt in 1939. Using the words from the cloud, they are asked to write a prediction of what the text the words were taken from is about.

After discussing their predictions, they are given a copy of Einstein’s letter (81/2 x 11 size) and asked to answer several questions about the letter. The word cloud, the letter, and the questions are found below:

Einstein Letter. In the summer of 1939, a group of physicists, including several who had fled Hitler’s Germany, met to discuss their fears of Germany developing a uranium-based weapon. It was decided that the best course of action was to immediately inform President Roosevelt of their concerns. Because Albert Einstein had a previous personal relationship with the Roosevelts and was internationally well-known for his expertise, a letter informing the President about the dangers of a nuclear chain reaction bomb was drafted for Einstein’s signature. This August 2, 1939 letter was

personally delivered to the President on October 11, 1939 (the outbreak of the war intervened) by Alexander Sachs, a longtime economic adviser to FDR. After learning the letter’s contents, President Roosevelt told his military adviser General Edwin M. Watson, “This requires action.” The action FDR required would evolve into the Manhattan Project. From the President’s Secretary’s Files.

Questions

1. Who wrote this letter? (Read the information above the letter carefully!)2. Is this a persuasive writing? Justify your answer with passages from the letter.3. What does Einstein recommend to the president?4. What do you think (specifically) prompted the scientists to meet and write this letter? (Use the information in the letter and passages to support your answer.)5. What did Roosevelt do as a result of the letter?6. Do you think the actions of the scientists affected history? Why or why not?

Evidence/Data (e.g. Compressed photos, video links, student work)

Program Review Evidence Form