Smithsonian Institution
Cuban Missile Crisis
The United States—specifically John F. Kennedy—played a large role during the Cuban Missile Crisis. A history resource poses questions that encourage critical thinking as well as in-depth analysis of images from the time period.
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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.
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Literature and the "Age of Anxiety" (1920s and 1930s).
Students 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 writings...
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World War II: Causes And Consequences
Students discuss the U.S. economy, society, and politics in the years following World War II. They explore the boom in advertising during this period by reviewing print advertisements from the late 1940s and early 1950s. Students view...
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End of Mandates and the Middle East
Ninth graders investigate the original mandates of the League of Nations regarding the Middle East. They listen to a lecture/PowerPoint presentation on the end of the mandate system, and complete a fill-in-the-blank worksheet that...
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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.
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Figures of Speech: Quiz 2
Hyperbole, simile, metaphor, and personification are spotlighted on an online/interactive quiz. Test takers read short passages and then identify the figures of speech used.
Harry S. Truman Library & Museum
Marshall Plan: Convince the American People
This is an excellent resource for US history classes, especially AP history. After learning some background on the Marshall Plan, the class, divided into two groups, researches opposing positions on this aid program. Groups read and...
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The Russian Years: Back in the USSR
Students examine communist Russia. In this lesson on changes in politics, students work in small groups to compare and contrast soviet communist era citizen rights to those of the US. They participate in discussion of a film and create a...
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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...
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NATO and Russia: Will the Expansion of NATO Cause a New Cold War?
Eleventh graders role play as participants in a NATO meeting focused on inviting a number of independent republics from the former Soviet Union to become members of NATO. They represent their countries after researching them.
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Cuban Missile Crisis
Eleventh graders determine how causation shaped the Cuban Missile Crisis. In this Cold War lesson, 11th graders examine photographs and documents related to the crisis and analyze the television address that President Kennedy made to the...
Cuba War and Peace: Lecture II 1952 to 2015
Students consider the causes and consequences of the Cuban Revolution, including the Batista regime, independence movements of Latin America and Cold War geopolitics. Particular attention is paid to the Eisenhower, Castro, Khrushchev and...
Cuba War and Peace: Essential Questions (2016)
Students (grades 8-12+) will understand the key geopolitical, historical, social and internal dynamics of U.S-Cuba relations, 1895-present. Learners evaluate the role of geography, imperialism, slavery, island ethnicity,...
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History of 1800's and 1900's
In this history of 1800's and 1900's learning exercise, students complete multiple choice questions about the history of the United States. Students complete 9 problems total.
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Stress Management
Stressed? Stressed high schoolers? Check out a lesson that includes a checklist of causes of stress, suggestions for ways to deal with stress, and a role-play activity. Definitely worth a look.
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Introduction to the Holocaust
Eighth graders examine the implications of the Holocaust. In this human justice lesson, 8th graders unknowingly participate in a segregation simulation and discuss its outcome. Students compare the simulation to the discrimination that...
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President John Kennedy
In this President John Kennedy worksheet, students read a 2 page article and then circle 8 multiple choice answers to 8 questions or facts referring back to the article on President John Kennedy.
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Activity #8 Simulation of Oil Spills
Students conduct an experiment to simulate an oil spill and identify the characteristics of oil in water. They evaluate the effectiveness of various cleanup methods. They discuss the how to clean up an oil spill, and what causes oil...
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World War II: Causes and Consequences
Tenth graders examine Hitler's occupation of Europe and the Allies' efforts to fight it. In this World War II lesson, 10th graders examine how World War II changed American society, especially for women. Students analyze a...
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Investigating the Cuban Perspective
Students examine different perspectives on the events during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Using the internet, they research the Cuban perspective on the issue and discover the need for empathy in a situation like this. They use primary...
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If We Knew Then What We Know Now -- Cuban Missile Crisis (Background)
Students examine the background of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Using the foreign policy decision-making process, they simulate and elaborate the processe involved. They identify the causes of the misconceptions that plagued the U.S.-Cuba...
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Korean War
Students visualize where the Korean Peninsula is located and what are some neighboring countries. They read a handout giving background information on Korea's 20th centuy history and Truman's Statement and answer questions in their...
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Celebrate The Four Seasons
Students investigate cause and effect and compare and contrast how recurring cycles are evident in multiple aspects of their education. They answer questions in the chosen field. Students model each aspect by interpreting, perceiving and...