Harbor’s Unsung Heroes

This worksheet helps students in Grades 5, 6, and 7 strengthen reading comprehension, historical reasoning, and critical thinking by examining two mini-biographies connected to the attack on Pearl Harbor. By reading about Doris Miller and Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, learners explore contrasting experiences of heroism, leadership, responsibility, and legacy within the same historical event. Through close-reading questions and short constructed responses, students analyze how individual actions and decisions shaped understanding of courage and accountability during World War II.

Learning Goals

• Biographical Reading (Grades 5-7) – Understand key details from short biographies of historical figures
• Historical Understanding – Analyze individual roles during the attack on Pearl Harbor
• Critical Thinking – Evaluate actions, choices, and their lasting impact
• Written Responses – Answer text-based questions using clear, complete sentences

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper elementary and middle school ELA and social studies standards
• Contrasting Perspectives – Encourages comparison of different roles and experiences within one event
• Close-Reading Questions – Supports deeper comprehension beyond surface details
• Flexible Use – Ideal for classwork, guided reading, assessments, or homeschool instruction
• Builds Historical Empathy – Helps students appreciate diverse contributions and viewpoints

This Harbor’s Unsung Heroes worksheet helps students move beyond dates and events to understand the people behind history. By analyzing the lives and actions of Doris Miller and Admiral Kimmel, learners strengthen biographical reading skills, historical interpretation, and thoughtful written explanation. It’s a no-prep, engaging resource for classroom and homeschool settings focused on understanding leadership, heroism, and responsibility in World War II history.

This worksheet is part of our Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Worksheets collection.