Curated OER
Memorandum of a Conference with President Eisenhower after Sputnik
High schoolers document and list excerpts from a document that shows how calmly officials reacted to the launching of Sputnik. They research contemporary magazines and newspaper articles of the day as well.
Curated OER
Just a "Fellow Traveler" in the Human Experience
Students connect the events of early space exploration to their lives today. After viewing a teacher created gallery, they discuss how the launch of Sputnik and how space exploration in general has positively or negatively affected...
Curated OER
Eisenhower & the New Modern Republicanism (5)
In this online interactive history worksheet, students respond to 10 matching questions regarding the presidency of Eisenhower and New Modern Republicanism. Students may check their answers immediately
Curated OER
Christa McAuliffe: Teacher in Space
Students study the life of Christa McAuliffe who was on the Challenger space shuttle lost their lives when the ship exploded.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Teaching Math & Science in Age of Sputnik
Why did the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik throw the fields of mathematics and science into tremendous demand in the United States? Find the many ways this revolutionary event impacted children from the 1950s to become the...
University of Wisconsin
The Why Files: Sputnik's Legacy
This exploratory article (published September 11, 1997) outlines the history of the Sputnik Space program, but also includes the response within the United States educational system to speedily ramp up the study of science, math and...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: The Start of the Space Race
Looks at the USSR's launch of Sputnik and the galvanizing effect it had on America's motivation to fund aerospace research. NASA was soon formed and more funding was put in place for public education in the sciences and math.
University of Wisconsin
The Why Files: Sputnik's Legacy
Easy-to-read history of the Soviet satellite launch that began the race for space between the Soviet Union and United States. Click on "next" at the bottom to advance to the next page.
Flow of History
Flow of History: The Height of the Cold War (1957 72)
The events surrounding the Cold War at its very height are the focus. Text plus a colored graphic flowchart make the topic visually appealing and of interest to both students and educators.