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,...
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 Rise and Fall of Joseph McCarthy
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.
Curated OER
Russia's Conversion From Communism to Capitalism
Learners study Russia's conversion from a communist nation to a capitalist nation.
Curated OER
The Red Scare
Students identify and interpret issues of Nativism and Protectionism in early 20th Century America. They analyze the roots of anti-immigrant movements in the Post-World War One United States. Finally, students identify and explore the...
Curated OER
Communism and Containment
Students "discover" top secret documents that describe the "Patriot" program. They are assigned the task of educating the American people about the threat of Soviets taking over America, including the key points of the Truman Doctrine...
Curated OER
Communist Revolution
Students examine the Russian Communist Revolution of 1917. They watch and discuss a video, take notes and answer video discussion questions, and read and evaluate newspaper articles about how Lenin and Stalin are viewed today in the...
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China and Communism
Sixth graders discuss what might happen if United States government took over media ownership, read Junior Scholastic article entitled "China Looks to the Future," and create chart comparing Chinese Communist government to United States...
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McCarthyism: The Effects of the Anti-Communism Fear
Students read a flowchart and look at corresponding photos to explore the anti-communist fears in the mid-twentieth century and the impact Senator Joseph McCarthy had on those fears.
Curated OER
South Koreans in the Vietnam War
Young scholars consider why South Koreans fought in the Vietnam War. In this Vietnam War lesson, students engage in an activity through which they investigate why South Koreans fought in the Vietnam War and how their...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Rise and Fall of Joseph McCarthy
"I have here in my hand . . ." The war against Communism and Joseph McCarthy’s place in it are the focus of a series of lessons examining postwar America from 1945-1954. Joseph McCarthy takes center stage in this, the final lesson...
Curated OER
Witch Hunt or Red Menace? Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945-1954
Young scholars 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 Cold War: Anti-Communism at Home
Eleventh graders take a closer look at the Red Scare. In this Cold War lesson, 11th graders read the provided literature about anti-communism in the United States and then respond to the provided discussion questions that accompany the...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Lesson 2
Young scholars explore the beginning of Communism. In this World History lesson, students exhibit their knowledge of Communism and the Marshall Plan through completion of a map activity.
Curated OER
Follow the Marx
Young scholars explore communism from historical and theoretical perspectives to present to fellow classmates at a teach-in. Each team of students be responsible for researching and presenting on one of the suggested topics in the activity.
Curated OER
Investigate The Role of Women in China
Students study the changing role of women in Communist China. They view a slideshow to interpret the images and watch a video that shows the changing roles. They write a prediction of how women's roles change in the next 10 years.
Curated OER
Tiananmen Square
Students identify and explain the Tiananmen Square incident of June 1989.
Studentsl compare what it is to be an American Citizen (Democracy) vs.
Chinese Citizen (Communism). Students identify and define various vocabulary terms,...
Curated OER
Bratislava Old and New
Students explore the capital of Slovak. For this World History lesson, students read an article that describes specific details about Bratislava, Slovak, then complete numerous activities that are centered around the article, such...
Curated OER
World War II - War Comes to Hawaii
Ninth graders use geographic representations to organize, analyze, and present information on people, places, and environments. They use tools and methods of geographers to construct, interpret, and evaluate qualitative and quantitative...
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Introduction to China
Compare and contrast the distinctive characteristics of art forms from various cultural, historical, and social contexts, and describe how the same subject matter is represented differently in works of art across cultures and time...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Nazi Party Platform
Not all party platforms stay democratic. A resource covers many political issues in Germany during the time of World War II, and teaches pupils about the Nazi party platform and what went wrong. Individuals participate in a warm-up...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Soviet Espionage in America
The war against Communism and Joseph McCarthy’s place in it are the focus of a series of three lessons examining postwar America from 1945-1950. This first instructional activity asks groups to read an introduction that describes the...
Curated OER
People Power
High schoolers view a television program that explores many Eastern European residents' discontentment with communism. They work in groups to research living conditions in an Eastern European country before communism, under communism and...
Curated OER
McCarthyism: The Political Cartoons of Herb Block
Students examine McCarthyism. In this Cold War instructional activity, 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...