Give students the intelligence reports from December 6, 1941—and make them decide whether the United States should have seen Pearl Harbor coming. 

In this CSI-style investigation, students step into the role of intelligence analysts in the hours before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Working through eight reconstructed intelligence documents—radar reports, diplomatic messages, rumors, newspaper dispatches, and memos—students must determine which warnings are credible, which are misleading, and what overall pattern is emerging.

Instead of memorizing December 7th, students experience the uncertainty that shaped decision-making in real time. The activity builds source analysis, reliability evaluation, pattern recognition, and structured CER writing.

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What’s Included
Eight historically grounded intelligence documents
Pacific Region reference map
Mission briefing and Analyst Worksheet
Pattern analysis page CER writing prompt
Scoring rubric
Teacher guide

What Students Will Learn
Explain the causes of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Evaluate credibility and bias in intelligence documents
Distinguish between strong evidence and weak or misleading clues Identify patterns across multiple sources
Construct a Claim–Evidence–Reasoning assessment
Understand how uncertainty influenced decision-making prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor

Grades: 8-12
Duration: 1-2 Days
DOK: Levels 2-3
Format: Paper