Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Cold War: How Did It Start? How Did It End?
What is the difference between a Cold War and a Hot War? Scholars research the beginning of the Cold War. They analyze diary entries as well as excerpts from various events during the 45-year standoff. To finish, they prepare final...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
End of the Cold War
How significant was the Cold War during the 20th century? After reading and analyzing speeches by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, learners consider the historical context of foreign policy decisions made during the Cold...
Student Handouts
End to the Cold War
Introduce your class to topics relating to the Cold War through a brief reading selection. Class members read the passage and answer four questions, which are provided on the bottom of the page.
Curated OER
Cold War
Eleventh graders analyze U.S. foreign policy since World War II, tracing origins and geopolitical consequences (foreign and domestic) of the Cold War and containment policy.
Curated OER
What Is War?
What kinds of human activity do we define as "warlike"? Middle and high schoolers examine various definitions of war and types of warfare, especially as these descriptions relate to the kinds of war we are witnessing at the beginning of...
Curated OER
Breaking News English: U.S. Missile Shield
In this U.S. missile shield learning exercise, students read the article, answer true and false questions, complete synonym matching, complete phrase matching, complete a gap fill, answer short answer questions, answer discussion...
Curated OER
U.S. History: Lincoln As Commander-In-Chief
Students examine and determine Abraham Lincoln's effectiveness as commander-in-chief during the Civil War. Role-playing as historians, they write essays evaluating Lincoln's performance after conducting Internet research from provided...
National Endowment for the Humanities
A Wrinkle in Time: The Board Game
Tackle some big questions about A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle with a board game project. As learners brainstorm for and complete their board games, they consider what helps and hinders Meg on her journey and why she succeeds in...
Curated OER
The Kennedy Years
Eighth graders read text and view films about the Kennedy administration. In this preseidential administration lesson, 8th graders interview someone who lived during Sputnik, write summaries of lectures, and create posters demonstrating...
Curated OER
The Arms Race - From the Beginning to the End
Ninth graders focus on the political and technological developments of the Cold War. They, in groups, read and summarize the speech they are given. They should provide a short presentation based on their interpretation.
National Endowment for the Humanities
The House Un-American Activities Committee
Was the House Un-American Activities Committee justified in investigating subversive influences in the entertainment industry? Part two of the three-part series of lessons that examine the anti-communism movement after World War II,...
Curated OER
The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962
Sixth graders explain the importance the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and the role it played in the Cold War. After studying the crisis, 6th graders compose an essay describing the crisis and how the U.S. became vulnerable to nuclear...
Student Handouts
Examining Primary Sources: Rudyard Kipling, “The White Man’s Burden” (1899)
Combine literature and history with the poem "The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling. Pupils read the poem and answer four questions about the text.
Curated OER
Defense Mechanisms
Young scholars examine the Cold War roots of the recent debate over the construction of United States and Russian missile defense shields. They begin by reading and discussing the article, Putin Says Russia Would Counter U.S. Shield.
Curated OER
Radioactive: An Interdisciplinary Study of Marie and Pierre Curie
Use this innovative text to show the far-reaching influence of the dynamic Curie couple
Student Handouts
Writing Exercises: The Presidency of Bill Clinton
How much do your pupils know about the Clinton administration? For this resource, class members respond to five questions about the Clinton presidency. They may need to research online or in their textbooks to find the information...
Curated OER
Weather Anomalies
Ninth graders participate in a simulation of a select scientific team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
McGraw Hill
Study Guide for Hatchet
Use this packet as a companion to your study of Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. The resource breaks the novel up into several chunks, and for each chunk provides activities, background information, vocabulary, graphic organizers, and response...
Curated OER
A Different Kind of Rock Star: Part 2
Students examine our society's fascination with Mars. In this journalism instructional activity students read an article that outlines the various ways Mars has captured our imagination and are given topics for discussion...
K12 Reader
Context Clues: The Meaning Is There!
Learning how to use context clues is helpful for both reading comprehension skills and to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words. As they read ten sentences with underlined words, learners choose the most...
Curated OER
Oral Histories
Distinguish the difference between primary and secondary sources. High schoolers discover how to conduct an interview using an individual as a primary source, and why it is important to get a real-life perspective. They either video or...
Prestwick House
The Great Gatsby
Here's a fresh twist on a comprehension quiz. Readers of The Great Gatsby use their answers to questions about the story to complete a crossword puzzle.