Sacrifice For Freedom

Sacrifice for Freedom is an educational program designed to immerse selected 10th and 11th grade students and their teachers from across the United States in the history of World War II in the Pacific.

From the National History Day website: “Teams selected will work over the course of six months to research the context of World War II in the Pacific and specifically, the life of a Silent Hero® who died in World War II and is buried in or memorialized at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.”

The program involves a week-long visit to Hawai`i to study World War II in the Pacific, and culminates in students eulogizing their selected Silent Hero at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Learning Objectives

Through this program, students will be able to

Increase their knowledge of World War II in the Pacific
Produce a eulogy and hone public speaking abilities
Develop historical research skills as they investigate a military member buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Understand how context plays a part in understanding historical events

Through this program, teachers will be able to

Deepen their understanding of World War II in the Pacific and how it impacts United States history as a whole
Broaden their writing skills by helping students understand the purpose and style of eulogies
Develop mentoring skills to assist their students in their research
Bring interdisciplinary knowledge back to their classrooms

Testimonials

“This was truly an experience of a lifetime. I learned so much and met great people at my time at Pacific Historic Parks.” - Yasmin 2022 Cohort

“A top quality program.” - Chris 2022 Cohort

“This was genuinely one the best experiences of my life. It was an amazing journey.” - Olivia 2022 Cohort

“Amazing process and experience. Would recommend and do it again.” - Regina 2022 Cohort

“This organization helped to make my dreams a reality and I’m super thankful for the opportunity.” - Nicolas 2022 Cohort

“It is hard to put into words what this experience meant to me. It was outstanding and I know we are learned so much.” - Erin 2022 Cohort

“This program has taught me that history is the fabric that connects our world together, woven into everything in some way, and the stories of the past need to be told and remembered so that we understand how the world came to be the way it is, and how we can learn from it going into the future.” - Napu 2022 Cohort

“Once and a life time hands on history.” - Megan 2022 Cohort

Standards

Common Core

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.8 Evaluate an author's premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.8 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3)

D2.His.1.9-12. Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.

D2.His.3.9-12. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context.

D2.His.5.9-12. Analyze how historical contexts shaped and continue to shape people’s perspectives.

D2.His.12.9-12. Use questions generated about multiple historical sources to pursue further inquiry and investigate additional sources.

D2.His.16.9-12. Integrate evidence from multiple relevant historical sources and interpretations into a reasoned argument about the past.

D3.1.9-12. Gather relevant information from multiple sources representing a wide range of views while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.

Testimonials

“This was truly an experience of a lifetime. I learned so much and met great people at my time at Pacific Historic Parks.” - Yasmin 2022 Cohort

“A top quality program.” - Chris 2022 Cohort

“This was genuinely one the best experiences of my life. It was an amazing journey.” - Olivia 2022 Cohort

“Amazing process and experience. Would recommend and do it again.” - Regina 2022 Cohort

“This organization helped to make my dreams a reality and I’m super thankful for the opportunity.” - Nicolas 2022 Cohort

“It is hard to put into words what this experience meant to me. It was outstanding and I know we are learned so much.” - Erin 2022 Cohort

“Once and a life time hands on history.” - Megan 2022 Cohort

FAQs+

How can I participate in the Sacrifice for Freedom program?

Applications are typically released through the National History Day organization, with deadlines in November/December for trips the following year.

What are the requirements for the program?

Information regarding the application process and program are available on the National History Day organization website.

What do students and teachers do while visiting Hawai`i?

The week-long program is designed to give students and teachers the full experience of Hawai`i and how the War in the Pacific impacted it. This involves trips to partner sites (linked below), and former participants have been able to visit `Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum, Diamond Head, Hawaii Army Museum, and Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. The specific schedule changes each year depending on availability and logistics of each site.

Partner Website Links/Logos

The Sacrifice for Freedom program is sponsored and organized by Pacific Historic Parks in collaboration with

PHAM

BOW

NHD