University of California
Hot Spots Research Project
The Cold War was only between the US and the USSR, right? Wrong! Scholars use primary and secondary resources to analyze the global impact of the Cold War. The fourth installment of an eight-part series culminates in the creation of a...
University of California
Anti-Communism at Home
Have you ever been accused of something without cause? The sixth installment of an eight-part series asks scholars to create a museum exhibit on the anti-communist activities in the United States at the start of the Cold War. To make...
Curated OER
The Tet Offensive and the Vietnam War
High schoolers discover how the United States became involved in the Vietnam War, the importance of the Tet Offensive in turning American public opinion against the war, and how the Vietnam War is still a part of American life and culture.
Curated OER
Understanding JFK's Presidency through his Speeches
Students reflect and discuss the major events that happened in the United States in the 1950's and 1960's. In this U.S. History lesson plan, students read and analyze the famous speeches during this time frame, then complete a worksheet...
Center for History Education
A Presidential Decision - The Bay of Pigs
The instructional activity examines President Kennedy's response to the Bay of Pigs Crisis and Cold War tensions. Academics learn how the information President Kennedy had affected his response to the question of whether to invade Cuba....
Curated OER
The Consequences of World War II
Ninth graders explore the aftermath of World War II. In this World War II lesson, 9th graders investigate the consequences of the war as they complete a post-assessment project that requires them to compose essays on the topic.
Curated OER
1960 America: Foreign Policy
The 1960's marked shifts in American culture, politics, and policy. Your class groups up to research a series of primary source documents resulting in a timeline and a 15 minute oral presentation. Active learning all the way.
Curated OER
Geographic Context for War
Students explore the geography of Korea. In this Korean War lesson, students examine maps of the country and label landforms, bodies of water, climate, population centers, and neighboring countries to determine the significance of...
Curated OER
Civil War Photographs: What Do You See?
A study of an image from The Library of Congress collection Civil War Photographs 1861-1865 launches an investigation of the connection between the Civil War and American industrialization. After analyzing “Petersburg, Va. The...
Curated OER
The Cold War: Planning for Survival
Students prepare a documentary-style dramatization about government and personal measures taken to ensure survival in the event of nuclear war.
The New York Times
Kiev in Chaos: Teaching About the Crisis in Ukraine
Provide a historical context for the political unrest between Russia and Ukraine that began in late 2013. Learners review their prior knowledge and chronicle new understandings with a KWL chart, watch a video explaining the Ukrainian...
Curated OER
Jazz and World War II: A Rally to Resistance, A Catalyst for Victory
Students examine the impact of WWII on the development of jazz music and consider how jazz music helped to boost morale of both soldiers and those left at home. They identify the function of jazz as a cultural export and discuss its...
Curated OER
1950's Popular Culture
Students gain a basic understanding of Capitalism and Communism, the ideologies that fueled the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Curated OER
Literature and the "Age of Anxiety" (1920s and 1930s).
High schoolers examine historical events of the 1920s, World War II and the Cold War. They discover how literature reflects the economic, political, social, religious and historical concerns of a culture. Students compare literature...
Curated OER
Foreign Policy: Containment
Students examine opinions regarding the American policy of containment. In this Cold War lesson plan, students read articles by George F. Kennan and Walter Lippmann. Students compare the perspectives of the 2 men on U.S. foreign policy.
Curated OER
Cuban Missile Crisis
Eleventh graders determine how causation shaped the Cuban Missile Crisis. In this Cold War instructional activity, 11th graders examine photographs and documents related to the crisis and analyze the television address that President...
Stanford University
Korean War
Learners study the cause of the Korean War. For this World history lesson, High schoolers read excerpts from two different textbooks, one from South Korea, and one from North Korea. They discuss how the cause of the war differs depending...
Curated OER
Multiple Perspectives on the Korean War
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Korean War lesson, students examine and analyze primary sources regarding U.S. involvement in the Korean War.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Refugees From Vietnam and Cambodia
The United States may have pulled its troops from the Vietnam War in 1973, but the conflict was far from over for the citizens living in Asia at the time. An informative resource lets learners know about the wave of over 220,000...
Curated OER
W.A.R.M.E.R. Comprehension Worksheet
In this Cold War worksheet, students respond to 6 short answer questions regarding the end of the Cold War that feature the letters of the word "warmer" as mnemonic hooks.
Curated OER
McCarthyism: The Political Cartoons of Herb Block
Students examine McCarthyism. In this Cold War lesson, students analyze 6 political cartoons by Herb Block that capture the essence of the Red Scare. Students discuss the cartoons and the fear of communism that permeated America.
Curated OER
Thaw in the Cold War: Eisenhower and Khrushchev at Gettysburg
Middle schoolers discover how President Eisenhower's brand of diplomacy at this Pennsylvania farm temporarily eased the tensions of the Cold War.
Curated OER
Perceptions of German Unification Over Time
Through a series of readings and handouts, learners will study the shifts in perception that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. The history lesson focuses on periods of change in post WWII German history that led to a changed...
Curated OER
The United Nations: Fifty Years of Keeping the Peace
Students examine the work of the United Nations. For this United Nations lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the history of the United Nations. Students respond to discussion questions pertaining to...