Pearl Harbor Cloze Activity is an engaging History literacy resource designed to help students develop their understanding of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Students read an extended historical account and fill in missing words using a supplied Key Words box.

What the activity covers

Students learn about:

The date and location of the attack
The Japanese attack on the American naval base
The destruction of ships and aircraft
American casualties
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s response
The growing tensions between Japan and the United States
American economic sanctions and the oil embargo
The Japanese plan to destroy the Pacific Fleet
The destruction of the USS Arizona and damage to other battleships
The role of aircraft carriers
The American decision to enter World War II
Germany and Italy subsequently declaring war on the United States
Key Words

The word bank includes:

oil • conflict • December • Germany • USS Arizona • Hawaii • surprise • battleships • Japan • Sunday • Pacific Fleet • Roosevelt • Congress • Aircraft carriers • war

Additional Activities

The resource also includes a large circular/diagram-style activity area following the Key Words section, providing an opportunity for an additional written or visual response. The later pages provide the completed answers, allowing students or teachers to check their work.

Skills Developed

Reading comprehension
Historical vocabulary
Contextual understanding
Recall and retrieval
Spelling and literacy
Understanding cause and consequence
Knowledge of the events leading to US entry into WWII
Suggested age: KS3–KS4 / approximately ages 11–16.