Curated OER
McCarthyism: The Political Cartoons of Herb Block
Students examine McCarthyism. In this Cold War 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 America.
Curated OER
W.A.R.M.E.R. Comprehension Worksheet
In this Cold War worksheet, students respond to 6 short answer questions regarding the end of the Cold War that feature the letters of the word "warmer" as mnemonic hooks.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Refugees From Vietnam and Cambodia
The United States may have pulled its troops from the Vietnam War in 1973, but the conflict was far from over for the citizens living in Asia at the time. An informative resource lets learners know about the wave of over 220,000...
Curated OER
Perceptions of German Unification Over Time
Through a series of readings and handouts, learners will study the shifts in perception that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. The history instructional activity focuses on periods of change in post WWII German history that led to a...
Curated OER
Post-WWII De-Colonization
The end of WWII brought big changes around the world, not the least of which occur in the increasingly decolonized continent of Africa. This slideshow details the developing countries of Ghana, Kenya, Congo, Nigeria, and South Africa, to...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Sources of Discord, 1945-1946
From Allies to enemies within a year. Scholars research the falling out between the United States and the Soviet Union from 1945-1946 in the first lesson of a three-part series. Using primary source materials, group work, and interactive...
Curated OER
Brave New World
Students view a video about the effects of World War II on the map of Europe. They discuss the video and answer questions. They work together to identify accomplishments that best represent American culture.
Curated OER
Resolving Kennedy's Legacy
Eleventh graders investigate the medical condition that plagued John F. Kennedy throughout his life. In this US History instructional activity, 11th graders read and analyze uncovered documents in relation to Kennedy. Students write a...
Curated OER
The Causes of Prohibition
Eleventh graders explore the origins of the Prohibition Movement in the United States. In small groups, they analyze the influence of World War I in the passage of the eighteenth amendment. Students explain how different demographics of...
Curated OER
Mapping the Cold War Arms Race
Seventh graders create a visual representation of the Cold War Arms Race. Using a map of the world, they identify where the events where the Cold War to place.
Students analyze the events and create a journal entry explaining how a...
Curated OER
Decoding US Foreign Policy: The Iran-Contra Affair
This is a really good lesson. Learners explore US Foreign Policy, the Reagan Administration, and the Iran-Contra Affair through various documents and readers theater. Worksheets, script, and web links are all included. Teaching can't get...
PBS
The Sixties: Dylan Plugs in and Sells Out
Before Woodstock, there was Newport. Get plugged in to the social changes of the 1960s with a lesson that looks at Bob Dylan's performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival as a symbol of the radical changes that marked the era.
Curated OER
Recurring Nightmares
Does history really repeat itself? Encourage your middle and high schoolers to answer this age-old question by reading the attached articles on the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and the Iraq Crisis of 2002. How similar or different are...
Curated OER
Coup to Revolution: U.S. foreign Policy in Iran
Students read and discuss the Iran country Profile from the CIA World Factbook. They describe the current relationship between the United States and Iran. Students complete additional readings, and answer questions about them. They...
Curated OER
School Desegregation in South Carolina
Eleventh graders interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this North Carolina history lesson, 11th graders examine the Briggs v. Elliott case in order to understand the difference in the state and...
Curated OER
Memorandum of a Conference with President Eisenhower after Sputnik
Students use the National Archives to research how the United States and the Soviet Union south to maintain its supremacy after World War II.
Curated OER
Korean War
Young scholars 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...
Curated OER
What Was the Year Quiz?
In this 20th century events worksheet, students determine the year that each of the important events from the 20th century occurred. Students answer 40 questions.
Curated OER
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.
Delegation of the European Union to the United States
The Founding and Development of the European Union
How did Europe transition from a period of conflict to a period of sustained peace? As class members continue their study of the history and development of the European Union, groups examine the events in six time periods, from the EU's...
Curated OER
The Living Weapon
Students explore American history, military strategy and scientific discovery near the end of the World War II era. They examine the principles of the Cold War, pacifism, and the desire to keep government programs secret from the...
Curated OER
Art and the Berlin Wall
Students study the relationship between Cold War politics, the people who were affected by it, and the artists who examined it. They create their own "walls" using a spray paint graffiti procedure.
Curated OER
Secret Services
Students examine news about an espionage case. They work in small groups to research espionage and spy trials of the Cold War era. Students create oral presentations detailing presentations in specific cases.
Curated OER
Debating the bomb
Young scholars research how the development of the atomic bomb affected people in World War II. In this American History lesson, students participate in a debate about the bombs use. Young scholars investigate how it has affected...