Primary
PBS

Pbs News Hour: Essays and Dialogues: George Kennan

For Students 9th - 10th
Transcript of a NewsHour interview with George F. Kennan (1904-2005), the man credited with articulating the policy of containment that shaped U.S. foreign policy toward communism at the start of the cold war.
Handout
AllRefer

All refer.com: East Germany: Dissent

For Students 9th - 10th
Political dissent as practiced in East Germany is surveyed during the Cold War period.
Handout
Black Past

Black Past: Civil Rights Congress (1946 1956)

For Students 9th - 10th
This encyclopedia entry talks about the Civil Rights Congress, a group that gave legal defense for blacks, but was hampered by its support of the Communist Party during the Cold War.
Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Mutual Assured Destruction

For Students 9th - 10th
A complete description of the concept of Mutual Assured Destruction. Explains what the concept means, and how the concept was used during the Cold War and up to the George W. Bush Administration. Includes links to terms that may require...
Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: American Historama: Vietnam War Facts

For Students 9th - 10th
Numerous detailed facts concerning the Vietnam War (November 1, 1955-April 30, 1975) that began during the Cold War era.
Primary
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum: Soviet Arms Buildup in Cuba

For Students 9th - 10th
An audio recording of a speech given to Americans by John F. Kennedy on October 22, 1962 where he talks about the buildup of Soviet military power in Cuba. A transcript is also provided. [17:37]
Primary
University of Groningen

American History: Presidents: State of Union 1965

For Students 9th - 10th
Here one finds President Johnson's address to the nation in which he lays out his legislative priorities and his assessment of foreign affairs the early part of his administration.
Website
Other

Nuclearfiles.org: Truman and the Atom Bomb

For Students 9th - 10th
Read background information about Harry Truman and the development of the atomic bomb prior to his presidency. Includes excerpts from official documents and conversations during the Truman Administration.
Website
Other

Southwestern Academy: Eisenhower's Foreign Policy [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
A well-organized look at President Eisenhower's Cold War policies throughout his two terms as president. Find out about his policies toward the USSR, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East.
Lesson Plan
Ohio State University

Opper Project: Using Editorial Cartoons to Teach History (Lesson Plans)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Two dozen lessons that focus on using political cartoons as primary source resources for teaching American history. Lessons cover a range of topics in U.S. history from the Civil War era forward and are linked to Ohio content standards.
Lesson Plan
Ohio State University

Opper Project: Using Editorial Cartoons to Teach History (Lesson Plans)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Two dozen lessons that focus on using political cartoons as primary source resources for teaching American history. Lessons cover a range of topics in U.S. history from the Civil War era forward and are linked to Ohio content standards.
Primary
Mount Holyoke College

Effect on u.s. u.s.s.r. Relations From Bay of Pigs

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a telegram from the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State. It provides a typical example demonstrating the cold war relations and tensions.
eBook
Other

Islam in the Post Cold War Era: Ch. 6

For Students 9th - 10th
This history profiles various Islamic scholars in India whose interpretations of the Koran reflect the desire for reform in the modern era.
Website
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: The Politics of War

For Students 9th - 10th
Overview of the underpinnings of war terms negotiated between Allied leaders of Russia, Britain and the U.S. at Yalta in 1945.
Website
Digital History

Digital History: World War Ii and Japanese American Relocation [Pdf]

For Students 10th - 12th
This lesson plan is from a unit that covers the period from the Second World War up to the Cold War. It looks at Japanese aggression in China and Indochina prior to and during World War II, the quandary in the United States of whether or...
Primary
American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise

Jewish Virtual Library: u.s. Rejects the Use of Force

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is provided for by the Jewish Virtual Library. In a speech to the American people on October 31, 1956, Eisenhower denounces Israel's attack on Egypt.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1945 1980: The Cuban Missile Crisis

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the tense 1962 standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union that nearly resulted in nuclear war.
Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Strange Case of Alger Hiss [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is from a unit that covers the period from the Second World War up to the Cold War. It looks at the case of Alger Hiss who was accused in 1948 of belonging to the Communist Party, imprisoned, and who denied the association his...
Handout
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Women in the 1950s

For Students 9th - 10th
Looks at what life was like for women in 1950s America. Examines the tension between the expectations of conformity and domesticity and an emerging discontent as many women chose to continue working after World War II. Meanwhile, African...
Lesson Plan
US National Archives

Docs Teach: Nixon Visits China: The Week That Changed the World

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this activity, students will analyze images from President Nixon's visit to China in 1972 to determine the sequence of events and learn more about American and Chinese cultural differences.
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: The Daisy Girl Ad

For Students 7th - 8th
A learning module that begins with "The Daisy Girl Ad," accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free teacher and student...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall

For Students 9th - 10th
Konrad H. Jarausch details the history of the Berlin Wall.
Website
Other

The Churchill Centre: Winston S. Churchill

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource from the Churchill Centre includes the British prime minister's speeches, debates, and biographical information.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1945 1980: Anticommunism in the 1950s

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the Rosenberg trial, HUAC, and Joseph McCarthy.

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