Speak your mind! The lesson explores the difference in free speech between the United States and the Soviet Union. Academics review the constitutions of both governments, political cartoons, and case studies to understand how freedom of...

How significant was the Cold War during the 20th century? After reading and analyzing speeches by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, learners consider the historical context of foreign policy decisions made during the Cold...

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"...

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...

Cold War tensions led to hostile actions. Scholars use primary sources to understand the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis during President Kennedy's administration. The lesson plan provides primary sources and a graphic organizer...

The Rosenbergs—executed for their role in a Soviet-era spy ring—continue the captivate the American imagination. Using a history lab format, young historians examine the trove of documents associated with the case, including photographs...

Ninth graders examine the major events and significance of the Korean War, including U.S. involvement in the war. In this World History lesson plan, 9th graders read primary source materials to understand the political, social,...

The war against Communism and Joseph McCarthy’s place in it are the focus of a series of three lessons examining postwar America from 1945-1950. This first lesson plan asks groups to read an introduction that describes the Verona Project...

Was the House Un-American Activities Committee justified in investigating subversive influences in the entertainment industry? Part two of the three-part series of lessons that examine the anti-communism movement after World War II,...

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...

Get high school historians to step outside their own shoes by responding to JFK's inaugural address from the perspective of a civil rights activist, a soviet diplomat, or a Cuban exile. After a class discussion about the address,...

Students investigate the early years of the Cold War and the origins of containment. Both supporters as well as critics are probed to examine the differences that emerged in the months following the end of the war in Europe. This unit...

High schoolers examine the Russian Communist Revolution of 1917. They watch and discuss a video, take notes and answer video discussion questions, and read and evaluate newspaper articles about how Lenin and Stalin are viewed today in...

Tenth graders explore the origins of the Cold War.  In this Cold War lesson plan, 10th graders analyze selected songs and identify what historical events they reference.  Students create a musical collage or timeline for the...

Students uncover the roots of the Cold War. In this Cold War lesson, students research the political philosophies of the Soviet Union and the United States during the era as they define key vocabulary and discuss government systems....

High schoolers examine the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In this NATO lesson, students research the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech, and the Berlin airlift and how...

Young scholars consider why South Koreans fought in the Vietnam War. In this Vietnam War lesson plan, high schoolers engage in an activity through which they investigate why South Koreans fought in the Vietnam War and how their...

Propaganda is an important topic that most high school social studies teachers address. Here, learners compare and contrast methods of public persuasion during WWII with those used in the contemporary War on Terror. Research, discussion,...

Students gain a basic understanding of Capitalism and Communism, the ideologies that fueled the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Students brainstorm names of astronauts from NASA space missions. They are explained that the Cold War was not actually a war but pervasive tension that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union for several decades...

In this 1960s American history worksheet, students identify the 7 terms that best match 7 descriptions, eliminate 3 false statements, and identify 2 historical themes pertaining to Kennedy's new frontier and Johnson's Great Society.

Students examine how the author tries to capture the reader's imagination immediately, through imagery--and hold on to it. They locate Ukraine on a world map and understand Lenin's role in the establishment of Russian communism and the...

Tenth graders analyze the reasons to why Great Britain wants to leave the European Union. In this European Union lesson, 10th graders read an article and answer comprehension questions. Students participate in a debate on the European...

In this U.S. history scenario worksheet, learners use their critical thinking skills to explain how the U.S. would respond in a scenario that involves the Soviet Union sending support to Communist rebels in Nicaragua.