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Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Becoming Visible

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The television and interstate highways both came of age in 1950s America. Scholars use film, text, and discussion to explore how these and other cultural icons shaped the literature of the time. Pupils also create a family history...
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Unit Plan
Los Angeles Unified School District

Capitalism and Socialism

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Capitalism, socialism, communism ... these may seem like a whole bunch of isms to your scholars. High schoolers won't  confuse them after completing an informative resource. Your class masters how to use primary sources to critically...
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Lesson Plan
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Historical Thinking Matters

Spanish-American War: 3 Day Lesson

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Why did the United States choose to invade Cuba in 1898? As part of a 3-day lesson, your young historians will first develop working hypotheses to answer this question, then work with a variety of historical primary source documents that...
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PPT
Curated OER

Restructuring the Post War World: 1945-Present

For Teachers 10th - 12th
You have just entered the Cold War Zone, with 96 slides at your disposal. From changes in government in China, The Marshall Plan, and the Iron Curtain, to the Vietnam War and Ronald Regan, this presentation will help you cover it all. A...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Rise and Fall of Joseph McCarthy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze documents, cartoons, speeches and articles about Joseph McCarthy and his crusade against "Un-American" activities. They guide their research with a worksheet and participate in class discussions about their findings.
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Cold War Case Files: The Rosenberg Trial - Was Justice Fairly Served?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Rosenbergs—executed for their role in a Soviet-era spy ring—continue the captivate the American imagination. Using a history lab format, young historians examine the trove of documents associated with the case, including photographs...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Guatemalan Coup of 1954: How Did the Cold War Influence American Foreign Policy Decisions?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Was it all about the bananas—or the fear of a communist threat? Young historians use a history lab to examine documents from the American-led 1954 Guatemalan coup. Using graphics, government documents, and speeches, they examine the...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

A Presidential Decision - The Bay of Pigs

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The lesson 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. Scholars read...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Speaking Freely In the Soviet Union's Autocratic Government

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Speak your mind! The instructional activity explores the difference in free speech between the United States and the Soviet Union. Academics review the constitutions of both governments, political cartoons, and case studies to understand...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Introduction to the Domino Theory and Containment Policy in Vietnam

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Scholars analyze a propaganda poster against communism. The resource uses the poster to examine the domino theory and containment policies used by the United States to stop the spread of communism in Vietnam. Scholars work in pairs or...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Analyzing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Original Draft Resolution)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Breaking news, President Johnson addresses the nation! Scholars watch a video of President Johnson's address to Congress regarding the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. The activity focuses on the  motivation behind the resolution and the...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Containment in Korea: Entering the Korean War

For Teachers 6th - 8th
An interesting resource explores President Truman's decision to enter into the Korean War to contain the spread of communism. Historians analyze the document using an online worksheet before participating in group discussion on the...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Analyzing US Involvement in the Vietnam War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
War: unavoidable or a necessary evil? A thought-provoking activity explores the United States' long involvement in the Vietnam War as well as the aftermath. Scholars research and summarize primary documents and complete online worksheets...
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Worksheet
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Putin's Illiberal Democracy

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
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,...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Rereading and Close Reading: Communism, “The Vietnam Wars,” and “Last Respects” (Pages 85 and 86)

For Teachers 8th Standards
What might a papaya symbolize? Using the resource, scholars look for examples of symbolism in the novel Inside Out & Back Again. They also participate in a silent discussion called a Chalk Talk, writing their responses to a...
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PPT
Elizabethtown Area School District

The Berlin Airlift

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
After World War II, the Soviet Union and the Allied forces divided Germany into equal quadrants, but Joseph Stalin's increasing mistrust led to nearly 12 months of blocked access to West Berlin—and the 2.3 million people who still lived...
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Website
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Smithsonian Institution

Vietnam

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
What do Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, and communism have in common? They all have something to do with the Vietnam War. Scholars engage in readings, view related images, and read about important artifacts on the website.
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Website
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Smithsonian Institution

Cold War

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
The Cold War was not necessarily always cold in temperature, but the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union sure was frigid! Scholars read various passages, view exhibition graphics, and observe an artifact from the...
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Website
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Smithsonian Institution

Korean War

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
North and South Korea: two regions divided. The story of the Korean War describes the events that occurred when these two regions' ideologies clashed. The resource uses various images and descriptions of artifacts, in addition to...
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Lesson Plan
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University of California

Containing Communism Abroad

For Teachers 11th Standards
Learn more about the policy of the United States to contain communism during the Cold War. The fifth installment of an eight-part series looks at primary and secondary materials about a challenging time in history. After analyzing the...
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Lesson Plan
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University of California

The Vietnam War (1945 – 1975)

For Teachers 11th Standards
Have you ever wanted to do something so perfectly you wound up not doing it well at all? Young historians use primary and secondary documents to analyze the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. The issues surrounding the...
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Lesson Plan
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University of California

Anti-Communism at Home

For Teachers 11th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
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University of California

Hot Spots Research Project

For Teachers 10th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
Prestwick House

Reading Nonfiction: Analyzing Joseph McCarthy's "Enemies from Within" Speech

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Looking for a lesson that teaches class members how to analyze nonfiction? Use Joseph McCarthy's famous "Enemies from Within" speech as a instructional text. Worksheet questions direct readers' attention to the many historical references...