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...
Curated OER
What Is War?
What kinds of human activity do we define as "warlike"? Middle and high schoolers examine various definitions of war and types of warfare, especially as these descriptions relate to the kinds of war we are witnessing at the beginning of...
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Police Action: The Korean War, 1950-1953
Students explore why the United States became involved in the war in Korea. They discuss the confict between Truman and MacArthur, culminating in the latter's dismissal from command. They identify on a world map foreign countires...
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Compare and Contrast Timelines of the World
Seventh graders create a classroom timeline of important world events. This lesson is meant to be used during the entire school year. As the school year goes along, events are added to the timeline as chosen by the class. The events are...
Curated OER
Human Rights And Refugees: The Right To Asylum
Young scholars read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, define asylum and identify when people have the right to asylum. They examine specific cases of asylum in recent times and consider some of the difficulties refugees face.
Curated OER
Memorandum of a Conference with President Eisenhower after Sputnik
Learners 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
Eisenhower's Foreign Policy
Good for setting the context for 20th century foreign policy issues, these slides describe key points in Latin America, the Middle East, the Far East, and Europe. US or World History classes will appreciate the concise list on each...
Curated OER
National Security; The Rosenbergs, Espionage
Students research the history of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg as a lens through which to consider that cases involving a breach of national security tend to be very complicated. They reflect that problems with national security have...
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Kansas in the Movies, the Cold War Period
Young scholars are instructed using a cross curricular type of lesson. The time period that they focus upon is the founding of the Soviet Union as a superpower in the world after WWII. The rise of communism is also taken into consideration.
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Truman and MacArthur
Students discuss and fill out a chart on how President Truman fired General MacArthur. In this Truman and MacArthur lesson plan, students study telegrams, letters, and other documents, and fill in a chart about supporting or not...
Curated OER
Fall of Soviet Union/Rise of Chinese Communism
Ninth graders examine the reasons for the fall of communism in the Soviet Union and the rise of communism in China. They listen to a lecture and complete slot notes, listen to and read the lyrics to the song "We Didn't Start the Fire"...
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The Chinese economic and political model.
Ninth graders study the unique and economic and political model of modern day People's Republic of China. They make an effort to determine if the unique brand of socialism with a market-type economy as currently practiced is ...
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Art and Politics
Students analyze the work of three artists whose art work illustrates important political and social events. For this art analysis lesson, students analyze the art of Jasper Johns, Charles Moore, and Andy Warhol. Students complete image...
Curated OER
The Carter Center’s Work in Sub-Saharan Africa
Students explore the state of Sub-Saharan Africa. In this geography skills lesson, students examine the work of the Carter Center in Africa as they investigate the strengths and weaknesses of linguistic, tribal, and religious...
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Personal Accounts of the Korean Civil War 1950-1953
Ninth graders evaluate primary source documents from the Korean Civil War to compare and contrast them to different countries. They identify the boundaries of the Korean Civil War and work in groups to investigate the story of a Korean...
Curated OER
Comfort Women
Ninth graders analyze connections between WW II, the Cold War and contemporary conflicts. They discover a more global perspective, as well as a greater sensitivity to the atrocities of war, and how the atrocities against the...
Curated OER
To Live
Learners explore Chinese life during the Cultural Revolution. They read and discuss a brief historical essay on 20th century China as well as viewing a fictionalized film account of the time period titled, "To Live". They write a...
Curated OER
East Asia--The Asian Holocaust
Ninth graders study the effects of the Asian Holocaust by comparing it to the Nazi Holocaust. They view a Power Point and discuss the comparisons between both Holocausts. As they compare and contrast both, they discuss their reactions...
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National Security
Students discuss the Rosenberg spy case during the Cold War. They research and report on a recent or current investigation into espionage by people working for the U.S. government. Students find out what they can from newspapers,...
Curated OER
Witch Hunt or Red Menace? Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945-1954
Students investigate what constitutes an "un-American" activity and why Soviet espionage was such an important issue in the 1940's and 1950's. Joseph McCarthy's impact on American anticommunism is examined in this lesson plan. There are...
Curated OER
Explosive Knowledge
Students examine China's suspected theft of American nuclear secrets, as a springboard for the creation of a research-based, multi-tiered timeline that traces the development, regulation, and use of nuclear weapons from the 1940's to today.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: The Presidency and the Cold War
View videos, photograph, and renderings of American presidents and their foreign counterparts in this image-rich examination of the post-World War II environment and the cold war that followed it. Includes a review of key foreign-policy...
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.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: The Presidency and the Cold War: Richard M. Nixon
The National Portrait Gallery explores the actions of presidents in regard to the Cold War. Read about the so-called anti-Communist warrior, Richard M. Nixon, and his opening of relations with Communist China. Watch Nixon's speech about...