Curated OER
L I V I N G U N D E R C O M M U N I S M
Learners examine a communist regime and what it means to live within a communist societyl.
Curated OER
South Koreans in the Vietnam War
Young scholars consider why South Koreans fought in the Vietnam War. In this Vietnam War lesson, high schoolers engage in an activity through which they investigate why South Koreans fought in the Vietnam War and how their participation...
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,...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Analyzing the Inaugural Address
Get high school historians to step outside their own shoes by responding to JFK's inaugural address from the perspective of a civil rights activist, a soviet diplomat, or a Cuban exile. After a class discussion about the address, the...
Curated OER
Review of our Presidents from the Progressive Era to Cold War
Covering the main events of the Cold War, this (mistitled) presentation includes photographs, political cartoons, and amusing graphics to illustrate its points. The information on the slides is helpful for an overview of the Cold War,...
Humanities Texas
Primary Source Worksheet: Excerpt from Reagan's Speech to the National Association of Evangelicals
Ronald Reagan's 1983 speech to the National Association of Evangelicals (also know as the "Evil Empire Speech") offers readers with an opportunity to practice their skills at reading informational text, specifically primary source...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Putin's Illiberal Democracy
Is Russia really a democracy? High school scholars explore Russian democracy under the leadership of President Putin. The resource provides opportunity for group discussion, writing, and research to understand Russia's political history,...
Fluence Learning
Writing About Informational Text The Berlin Wall
On June 26, 1963 President John F. Kennedy delivered his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech close to the Berlin Wall at the Rudolph Wilde Platz. On June 12, 1987 President Ronald Reagan Delivered his famous "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down...
Curated OER
Capturing the Reader With Vivid Images
Students examine how the author tries to capture the reader's imagination immediately, through imagery--and hold on to it. They locate Ukraine on a world map and understand Lenin's role in the establishment of Russian communism and the...
Curated OER
The Role Of NATO
Students examine the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In this NATO instructional activity, students research the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech, and the Berlin airlift...
Curated OER
Witch Hunt or Red Menace? Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945-1954
Students investigate what constitutes an "un-American" activity and why Soviet espionage was such an important issue in the 1940's and 1950's. Joseph McCarthy's impact on American anticommunism is examined in this lesson. There are three...
Curated OER
Milestones in the Space Program
Middle schoolers brainstorm names of astronauts from NASA space missions. They are explained that the Cold War was not actually a war but pervasive tension that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union for several decades...
Curated OER
What Would the United States Do?
In this U.S. history scenario worksheet, students use their critical thinking skills to explain how the U.S. would respond in a scenario that involves the Soviet Union sending support to Communist rebels in Nicaragua.
National Endowment for the Humanities
American Diplocmacy in World War II
The end of World War II saw the world deeply changed over the last few years. Four thorough lessons explore post-war Europe, America, and Asia through reading assignments and discussion questions about the Grand Alliance and the signing...
Curated OER
Witch Hunt or Red Menace? Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945-1954
Students investigate the goals and methods of the House Un-American Activities Committee and offer an opinion regarding whether their investigation of Hollywood was justifiable.
Curated OER
The Russian Revolution
Students complete a matching game based on geographic features of Russia and label a map with these features. In this geography and politics lesson, students identify resources and populations in Russia and complete a T-Chart on a video...
Curated OER
A Command Economic System
Learners discover the Command Economic System, which is found in countries like the Former Soviet Union, North Korea, and China. Students identify five characteristics unique to the Command Economy.
Curated OER
Fighting 20th-Century Tyranny
Students examine political regimes of the 1900s. In this government structures lesson, students watch "Fighting 20th Century Tyranny," and discuss the Holocaust and communism. Students simulate mock interviews with the individuals in the...
Curated OER
Telegram from Senator Joseph McCarthy to President Harry S. Truman
Students research Senator Joseph McCarthy's February 9, 1950 speech, given at Wheeling, West Virginia, in which he claimed more than 200 State Department employees were members of the Communist Party.
Curated OER
Kansas in the Movies, the Cold War Period
Young scholars are instructed using a cross curricular type of instructional activity. The time period that they focus upon is the founding of the Soviet Union as a superpower in the world after WWII. The rise of communism is also taken...
Curated OER
The Cold War Era (1945 - 1991)
Provide learners with an excellent resource focused on the Cold War Era. Starting in 1945 and going all the way to 1991, the Cold War Era included major historical events, such as the Berlin Wall, Warsaw Pact, the Korean War, and the...
Curated OER
The Origins of the Cold War, 1945-1949
Students investigate the early years of the Cold War and the origins of containment. Both supporters as well as critics are probed to examine the differences that emerged in the months following the end of the war in Europe. This unit...
Curated OER
Why Is North Korea Going At It Alone?
Students examine the division of North and South Korea. They identify the ideological differences and the tensions between the two countries. They discuss the threat of nuclear weapons as well.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Herblock at 100
In celebration of renowned cartoonist Herb Block's Library of Congress exhibition, this handout includes 2 of his famous political cartoons for scholars to analyze. Background information describes "Herblock's" career, and talking points...