FIRST TERM SEMINAR: THE MANHATTAN PROJECT
FTS-100-126
Fall 2008
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
9:00 - 9:50 am, Old Main 205
Instructor:
Dr. Chris Gilbert
Office:
Old Main 204B
Chris’s web page: http://www.gustavus.edu/~cgilbert
Office phone: 933-6093
Home phone: 934-7993
E-mail: [email protected]
Class home page (more info on p. 2): http://www.gustavus.edu/~cgilbert/fts/ftshome.htm
Chris’s Office Hours:
Monday, 10:30 – 11:30 am, 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Wednesday, 10:30 – 11:30 am
Friday, 10:30 – 11:30 am
COURSE OVERVIEW: Over sixty years ago, an international team of scientists developed, tested,
and delivered the first nuclear warheads, forever altering global politics, science, and the meaning of
national security. We will examine this World War II effort, known as the Manhattan Project. We
will focus on the background history in physics and politics that led to the Manhattan Project and its
German competition; the value judgments made by government officials, scientists, and military
leaders; and the impact of this project on its participants and on history. We will give special
attention to three historical events: the 1941 trip of German bomb project leader Werner Heisenberg
to Copenhagen, Denmark; the two-year period of intense research at Los Alamos, New Mexico and
other U.S. sites prior to the first atomic test in July, 1945; and the use of the atomic bomb on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in August, 1945.
FIRST TERM SEMINAR COMPONENTS: All First Term Seminar (FTS) courses have common
elements in addition to their focus on a specific topic. Students will have classroom experiences and
assignments that involve critical thinking, questions of ethics and values, oral communication
and discussion, writing, and use of library resources. The instructor also serves as your academic
advisor for the first year (and perhaps beyond); issues surrounding academic program planning and
success in college will be addressed as part of the seminar.
BOOKS: All books are available in the Book Mark, and all are required:
Richard Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic Bomb
Thomas Powers, Heisenberg’s War: The Secret History of the German Bomb
Cynthia Kelly, ed., Remembering the Manhattan Project
John Hersey, Hiroshima
Michael Frayn, Copenhagen
Andrea Lunsford, Everyday Writer; this book is common to all FTS classes and will serve as
a resource throughout your Gustavus education
CLASS FORMAT: The best way to think about this class is that you will talk WITH each other and
with your instructor. We will interact, think, and learn together, as all good communities of scholars
must do. We will discuss readings and questions as a whole group; we will also divide frequently
into smaller groups for more intensive discussion of the readings and to consider the larger issues
raised by our subject matter.
Manhattan Project FTS – Fall 2008
Page 2
CLASS HOME PAGE AND WEBSITE: The class home page (URL listed on page 1) contains this
syllabus and additional materials about the Manhattan Project, as well as links to important Gustavus
campus resources. It will be kept updated with class handouts and other useful material; in some
cases the class website will be the only place to obtain some handouts and readings. If you miss a
class or misplace something from class, this is the first place you should visit. Bookmark the URL
on page 1 – you are likely to need it more than once!
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING: Most of your grade is based on writing assignments; there are no
in-class exams and no final exam. Specific information about each writing assignment is included
later in this syllabus.
Syllabus
Paper page
1
5
2
6
3
Brief description
Position paper on exploiting nuclear fission
for military use
Length
Final
Rewrite
due date option
3 pages
September 30
YES
Biography of one participant in the
Manhattan Project; paper will be written
jointly with a classmate
4 pages
October 9
NO
7
Midterm take-home essay exam
6 pages
October 17
NO
4
8
Research paper on a specific topic related to
the Manhattan Project
6-7 pages
December 8
YES
5
9
7-9 pages
December 18
YES
Values question paper focused on some
ethical or moral issue raised during the
course
Students will also make an oral presentation on the topic of Paper 4 during the last two weeks of
class; more informal presentations and writing exercises will be assigned during the semester.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Paper 1 (position paper)
Paper 2 (biography)
Paper 3 (midterm essays)
Paper 4 (research)
Paper 5 (values)
Presentation on Paper 4
10%
10%
15%
20%
25%
5%
Participation and attendance
15%
GRADING:
A = 93.000 average and above
A- = 90.000 through 92.999
B+ = 87.000 through 89.999
B = 83.000 through 86.999
B- = 80.000 through 82.999
grades C+ and lower calculated on same
scale; minimum average for passing
grade (D) = 60.000
Manhattan Project FTS – Fall 2008
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YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO THIS CLASS:
Always read assigned material IN ADVANCE of class
Come to class prepared to DISCUSS what you have read and to offer questions and
informed opinions
Make it a habit to ATTEND EVERY CLASS; if you are unable to attend, please advise
me in advance whenever possible, or soon afterward
ADDITIONAL CLASS POLICIES TO NOTE
HAND THINGS IN ON TIME, PLEASE: In general, grades for specific assignments will be reduced
at least one letter grade for each day late. Get in the habit, early in your college career, of planning
ahead so that assignments will be completed and turned in on time, for this class and all your other
classes, too.
CELL PHONES, IPODS, and other such electronic devices: Turn them OFF when class is in session
– no ringing, no vibrating, no IM, no distractions for yourself or your classmates.
SCHEDULE CONFLICTS: Students with advance notice of schedule conflicts (e.g., school-related
activities that conflict with our class time) should present a list of these to the instructor at the
beginning of the semester. There should be few or no schedule conflicts that cannot be resolved in
ways acceptable to you and to me; the key is early notification. The Academic Schedule Conflicts
policy found in the College Catalog exists to inform you of your obligations and to help us work out
any problems.
MAKE-UP WORK: The standard assignment should you miss class (for any reason) is to write out
responses to at least three of the day’s discussion questions; these responses are due one class period
after you have returned to class.
POLICY ON EXCEPTIONS: It is expected that all assignments will be completed by indicated due
dates. Because of events beyond your control (e.g. illness), I realize that sometimes this is not
possible despite good-faith efforts on your part. Therefore, exceptions and extensions will be
considered on an individual basis. In general, nonacademic personal commitments and end-ofsemester travel plans are NOT valid reasons for requesting extensions or exceptions. Nor are
activities scheduled well in advance, e.g. extracurricular activities or obligations for other
classes. As with class attendance, please inform me well in advance of such conflicts. This policy is
consistent with the Academic Schedule Conflicts policy found in the College Catalog.
ACCOMMODATIONS for students with documented disabilities: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) work together to ensure “reasonable
accommodation” and non-discrimination for students with disabilities in higher education. A student
who has a physical, psychiatric/emotional, medical, learning, or attentional disability that may have
an effect on the student’s ability to complete assigned course work should contact Laurie Bickett, the
Disability Services Coordinator in the Advising Center ([email protected] or x6286), who will
review the concerns and decide with the student what accommodations are necessary. Following this
review, the student and I will determine specific, reasonable accommodations for our course,
maintaining confidentiality throughout the process.
Manhattan Project FTS – Fall 2008
Page 4
ACADEMIC HONESTY: Plagiarism or cheating in any form corrupts the intent of all that we do as a
community of scholars. Consistent with the Gustavus Academic Honesty Policy (found in the
College Catalog) and the Honor Code (also in the College Catalog), the policies and procedures for
this course are as follows:
•
Violations of the Academic Honesty Policy will result in at least a grade of 0 for the
specific assignment, and failure for the course in the case of egregious violations.
Students accused and/or penalized for these violations, AND students who become
aware of such violations, have specific rights and responsibilities, as outlined in the
Honor Code section of the College Catalog.
•
Each graded paper must contain the statement "On my honor, I pledge that I have
not given, received, or tolerated others' use of unauthorized aid in completing
this work." Students are required to sign on each exam or paper; typing the statement
on a paper submitted electronically is equivalent to signing.
•
Students CAN consult with each another and with the professor while working on
assignments and preparing for exams; these are examples of "authorized aid." Papers
turned in for a grade should only consist of each student's own work (paper 2 is an
exception and should constitute only the work of the students writing the paper
together).
Manhattan Project FTS – Fall 2008
Page 5
PAPER 1: POSITION PAPER
Your task for Paper 1 is to write a paper that takes a position on ONE of the following theses,
presenting evidence that supports your own position on the chosen statement.
The exploitation of nuclear fission’s potential for weapons was driven by:
A. Nationalism
B. The spirit of the times in physics
C. Great physicists with new insights
In choosing A, B, or C, your paper should clearly define the thesis; present evidence that you
believe supports the thesis; and document the evidence appropriately (i.e., cite Rhodes and/or
Powers). If applicable, present some evidence that might contradict or refute your thesis; document
this evidence as well.
Your primary source for this paper will be the Rhodes book; the Powers book may be helpful
as well. You may use sources other than these books, but this is NOT expected or desired. Consult
Lunsford’s Everyday Writer while writing and revising this paper, for assistance with proper writing.
DETAILS
approximately 3 pages (600-700 words), maximum of 4 pages
typed, double spaced, no title page (but give the paper a title)
free of grammatical and spelling errors
all sources consulted (including Rhodes and Powers) must be properly listed in a
bibliography at the end of the paper; all information used from these sources should be cited
in the paper using a consistent citation style (probably either footnotes, endnotes, or in-text
citations)
IMPORTANT DATES
Week of September 15
Chris available during office hours, plus during class time on
Tuesday, September 16, to discuss this paper assignment
Monday, September 22
first draft due by 5 pm, Chris’s office
Monday, September 22
E-mail papers to other students in your peer writing group
(groups of 4 will be posted on the class website); papers must
be read and commented on by Friday, September 26 (specific
instructions will be posted on class website)
Friday, September 26
in class: discuss papers within groups, exchange papers with
comments; Chris will return papers with his comments at the
end of this class
Tuesday, September 30
final version of paper due in class (bring to class)
Manhattan Project FTS – Fall 2008
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PAPER 2: BIOGRAPHY PAPER
For this assignment your task is to work with another student to prepare a brief biography of
one of the figures involved with the Manhattan Project. The goals of this assignment are:
to learn more about one of the participants
to gain experience utilizing library resources for research
to develop your writing skills further
In addition, you must manage these tasks in close collaboration with another class member.
One paper should be turned in by each pair of students, and the same grade will be assigned to
each student. You are jointly responsible for determining how the workload will be divided and
how your team will proceed with research and writing. There is no rewrite option for this paper;
together you and your partner should be able to produce a well written, well researched paper by
collaboration and helping each other with writing and organization.
PARTNERS: You may choose your own partner for this assignment.
TOPICS: Choose one of the figures from the list below. Each team will study a different person.
Research and write about that person’s direct contribution to or role in the Manhattan Project; the
person’s indirect contribution (if not directly involved); and the person’s future life and career after
the Project’s completion and the end of World War II – in other words, what happened to your
subject? What did he go on to accomplish? Did the Project and his experience in it affect his future
in any meaningful ways?
POSSIBLE SUBJECTS: Hans Bethe, Vannevar Bush, Arthur Holly Compton, Richard
Feynman, Leslie Groves, Philip Morrison, I.I. Rabi, Robert Serber, Henry Stimson, Edward
Teller, Stanislaw Ulam
DETAILS
approximately 4 pages (800-900 words), maximum of 5 pages
typed, double spaced, no title page necessary (but give the paper a title)
free of grammatical and spelling errors
all sources consulted must be properly listed in a bibliography at the end of the paper; all
information used from these sources should be cited in the paper using a consistent citation
style
IMPORTANT DATES
Tuesday, September 23
Wednesday, September 24
Week of September 29
selection of partners and subjects in class
class meets in library to review library resources
Chris available for conferences during office hours
Thursday, October 9
final paper due by 5 pm, Chris’s office
Manhattan Project FTS – Fall 2008
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PAPER 3: MIDTERM ESSAY EXAM
The midterm exam will be a take-home assignment. You will write three essays from a
choice of several questions. Essays will cover all the major topic areas we have studied in the first
half of the semester – politics, science, and values/ethics questions. Each essay will be weighted
equally for grading, although the length of your answers may vary.
Your answers to these questions should reflect your knowledge of the material covered in this
class. As with an in-class exam, where I would not expect you to include citations as you write
answers, I do not expect that your essays for this exam will include citations except for direct quotes,
which should always be cited appropriately.
DETAILS
approximately 2 pages per essay; absolute maximum of 6 pages (total) for your three answers
typed, double spaced, no title page or title
free of grammatical and spelling errors
direct quotations should be cited in the paper using a consistent citation style; no final list of
works cited or consulted is necessary for this assignment
IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, October 13
questions will be posted on the class web site no later than this date
Friday, October 17
essays due by 5 pm, Chris’s office
NOTE ON COLLABORATION: If you wish, you may discuss the exam questions in general
terms with your classmates; the paper you turn in should be your own, independent work.
Manhattan Project FTS – Fall 2008
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PAPER 4: RESEARCH PAPER
The fourth paper builds on skills utilized in the previous assignments: writing skills and use
of library resources.
The topic for this paper is some aspect of the Manhattan Project or related political and
scientific developments during and after World War II. A list of topics will be posted on the class
web site by October 27. You may choose any topic from the list, keeping in mind that one or more
of your classmates may also choose the same topic, hence resources may need to be shared.
DETAILS
approximately 6-7 pages, 8 pages maximum
typed, double spaced, with a separate cover page and a title
free of grammatical and spelling errors
all sources consulted must be properly listed in a bibliography at the end of the paper; all
information used from these sources should be cited in the paper using a consistent citation
style
your paper must include at least 3 sources that are NOT class books or readings
IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, October 27
topics list posted on class web site
Monday, November 3
selection of topics to be completed by this date
Tuesday, November 4
library session focused on finding appropriate sources for your topic
Monday, November 17
another library session, focused on evaluating the quality of your
sources; a preliminary paper outline and list of sources to be used in
the paper is due at the beginning of this class period
November 3-21
Chris available for conferencing during office hours
Tuesday, November 25
first draft due by 5 pm, Chris’s office
Tuesday, December 2
first drafts returned with Chris’s comments
Monday, December 8
final version due in class
PRESENTATIONS: Each student will make a 10-minute presentation on this paper during the last
week of class. Presenters for the five designated dates (December 8, 9, 10, 12) will be posted on the
class web site after Thanksgiving break, along with more details about the presentation, which will
be graded.
Manhattan Project FTS – Fall 2008
Page 9
PAPER 5: VALUES QUESTIONS
Your final paper for this seminar must focus on values – analyzing some moral or ethical
question raised by the Manhattan Project, the German bomb project, the bombing of Hiroshima
and/or Nagasaki, and/or the Copenhagen meeting between Bohr and Heisenberg. This paper
accounts for 25 percent of your class grade and constitutes your “final examination” for the class.
You should think about this paper as a way of summing up and analyzing key issues that we have
considered during the semester. Having learned about the Manhattan Project, the German project,
and what resulted from these efforts, what does it all mean? What lessons should be drawn from one
or more of these events?
It is acceptable for this paper to be a continuation and extension of the first, second, or fourth
paper you wrote. For example, you could expand on your position paper about the values questions
relating to the exploitation of nuclear fission for weapons; you could revisit the subject of your
biography paper to examine that person’s values or how your subject handled ethical questions; or
you could explore the ethical dimensions of the research topic you wrote about for paper 4. None of
these ideas is a requirement; if some other ethical/moral topic or question interests you, feel free to
choose and write about that topic (in previous semesters, about half of all students have started fresh
for this paper and about half have drawn upon a previous paper). The choice of topics is entirely up
to you, within the guidelines presented here.
This paper is not a “research paper.” However, it may utilize any and all materials used in
class or discovered through your own research. It is not possible to write this paper without using
some source material; thus usual guidelines about proper citations are in effect.
DETAILS
approximately 7-9 pages; 6 pages minimum, 11 pages maximum
typed, double spaced, with a separate cover page and a title
free of grammatical and spelling errors
all sources consulted must be properly listed in a bibliography at the end of the paper; all
information used from these sources should be cited in the paper using a consistent citation
style
IMPORTANT DATES
anytime after Thanksgiving
conferencing (not required but always welcome)
Friday, December 12
first draft (optional) due by 5 pm, Chris’s office
Monday, December 15
first drafts returned with Chris’s comments
Thursday, December 18
final version due by 12 NOON, Chris’s office
NOTE ON DRAFTS: Turning in a first draft is OPTIONAL for this paper, in recognition of the
fact that we will all be very busy at this point in the semester. First drafts MUST be turned in by the
designated date in order for me to have enough time to read and comment on them.
Manhattan Project FTS – Fall 2008
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DAILY SCHEDULE - TOPICS, READING ASSIGNMENTS
The web version of this syllabus will have links to any handouts distributed in class; click on links in
the "Topics covered" column for the handouts. If this schedule changes for some reason, the web
version will be changed and should be considered the official schedule; I promise not to change the
schedule without alerting you first! Numbers in the Reading column are chapters unless indicated
by pp. (for specific page numbers).
Date
Topics covered
Reading
Assignments
& announcements
WEEK 1
T September 2
Intro to course
None
W September 3
Why the Manhattan Project
matters
Kelly 2 (both selections)
F September 5
Szilard’s revelation
Rhodes 1-2
Start reading – get ahead
early!
WEEK 2
M September 8
Bohr and war
Rhodes 3-4
T September 9
Writing day I
None; brief writing
assignment will be due
in class; bring Everyday
Writer to class today
W September 10
Men from Mars
Rhodes 5
F September 12
Machines
Rhodes 6
Start thinking about your
first paper!
WEEK 3
M September 15
Scientific exodus
Rhodes 7-8
Office hours all week
available for individual
conferences on Paper 1
T September 16
Writing day II
None/no class
Chris in office at class time
for individual conferences
on Paper 1
W September 17
An extensive burst
Rhodes 9
F September 19
Neutron physics
Rhodes 10
Manhattan Project FTS – Fall 2008
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WEEK 4
M September 22
Campus knowledge day:
Overview of Gustavus
graduation requirements,
January Interim Experience
None
Paper 1 first draft due by 5
pm at Chris’s office; groups
for Paper 1 review posted –
send your paper to other
group members!
T September 23
Heisenberg and the German
physics community
Powers Intro, 1-4
Selection of partners,
subjects for Paper 2 in class
W September 24
Library Day I: sources for
the biography paper
None
Meet in Library Eclassroom
F September 26
Writing Day III: paper draft
group discussions
classmates’ first paper
drafts
Return paper drafts (with
comments) in class today
WEEK 5
M September 29
The Uranium Club
Powers 5-10
Office hours all week
available for conferences on
Paper 2
T September 30
Campus knowledge day:
Career Center visit
None
Meet in Career Center;
Paper 1 final version due
in class
W October 1
Fission possibilities
Rhodes 11; Kelly pp.
41-46, 177-180
F October 3
War breaks out
Rhodes 12
WEEK 6
M October 6
Copenhagen meeting
Powers 11-14
T October 7
NO CLASS
NOBEL CONFERENCE
W October 8
NO CLASS
NOBEL CONFERENCE
F October 10
Moving forward
Powers 15-17
Paper 2 due by Thursday,
October 9, 5 pm, Chris’s
office
WEEK 7
M October 13
The first reactor
Rhodes 13
T October 14
Campus knowledge day:
Academic advising services
None
Paper 3/midterm questions
posted on website by today
Manhattan Project FTS – Fall 2008
W October 15
Los Alamos, at last
F October 17
NO CLASS
Page 12
Rhodes 14; Kelly pp.
53-60
Paper 3 (midterm) due by
5 pm, Chris’s office
WEEK 8
M October 20
NO CLASS
FALL BREAK
T October 21
NO CLASS
FALL BREAK
W October 22
Library Day II: citations
Bring Everyday Writer
to class
F October 24
Sabotage and espionage
Powers 18-24
Meet in Library Eclassroom
WEEK 9
M October 27
Problem solving
Rhodes 15; Kelly 5
Paper 4 topics posted
T October 28
Campus knowledge day:
off-campus study
opportunities
None
Meet at International and
Cultural Education Center
W October 29
Implosion
Rhodes 16
F October 31
Tracking German progress
Powers 25-29
WEEK 10
M November 3
The ALSOS mission
Powers 30-34
Select paper 4 topics by
today
T November 4
Library Day III: finding
resources for research
None
Meet in library Eclassroom; Office hours all
week available for
individual conferences on
Paper 4
W November 5
Preparing for Trinity and
beyond
Rhodes 17
F November 7
The Trinity test
Rhodes 18
WEEK 11
M November 10
Science in a time of war
Kelly 4
T November 11
Hiroshima
Rhodes 19
W November 12
The bomb’s effects
Hiroshima 1-4
F November 14
Aftermath of the bomb
Hiroshima 5; Kelly pp.
47-52
your research for Paper 4
should be underway by now
Manhattan Project FTS – Fall 2008
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WEEK 12
M November 17
Library Day IV: Evaluating
sources for research
Your Paper 4 sources
T November 18
After Trinity, Part I
Watch The Day After
Trinity
W November 19
After Trinity, Part II
Finish watching the Day
After Trinity
F November 21
Assessing the German
failure
Powers 35-37 and pp.
478-484
Meet in Library Eclassroom; Paper 4
preliminary source list
due in class
Office hours W and F
available for individual
conferences on Paper 4
WEEK 13
M November 24
Assessing the Allied
success
Rhodes Epilogue; Kelly
6, 7
T November 25
Campus knowledge day:
Center for Vocational
Reflection
None
W November 26
NO CLASS
THANKSGIVING BREAK
F November 28
NO CLASS
THANKSGIVING BREAK
Paper 4 first draft due by 5
pm
WEEK 14
M December 1
Back to Copenhagen
Copenhagen, I
conferences for Paper 5 can
take place anytime this
week or next
T December 2
Resolving the mysteries of
Copenhagen
Copenhagen, II and
Postscript
Paper 4 drafts returned by
today
W December 3
Using the bomb: student
perspectives
None
F December 5
Campus knowledge day:
topic to be announced
None
Manhattan Project FTS – Fall 2008
Page 14
WEEK 15
M December 8
Paper 4 presentations
None/4-5 presentations
T December 9
Presentations
None/3-4 presentations
W December 10
Presentations
None/3-4 presentations
F December 12
Presentations, course
evaluations
None/3 presentations
Paper 4 final version due
in class
Paper 5 drafts (optional)
due by 5 pm
FINALS WEEK
M December 15
(first day of finals)
Th December 18
(last day of finals)
Paper 5 drafts with
comments available for
pick-up at Chris’s office
Paper 5 final version due
by NOON, Chris’s office!!