By focusing on the question of whether it was right or wrong to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, this social studies unit seeks to illuminate the political, military, scientific, and moral complexities involved in making far-reaching decisions today. Sections of the unit use primary materials from American, Japanese, and English sources to explore the following questions: (1) What was the choice in terms of Japanese versus American lives? (2) Was the A-bomb a military necessity? (3) As the agony of the atomic scientists and the Japanese reaction to the Potsdam Declaration are reviewed in light of recent history, was there a better way to win the war? (4) Was Russia the reason that the United States used the bomb? and (5) Was the use of the A-bomb morally defensible? Included are excerpts from the opinions of atomic scientists, military officers, and political leaders. [Not available in hard copy due to marginal legibility of original document.] (Author/JB)