Smithsonian Institution
POWs
Why did Vietnam POWs and their families receive more media attention than POWs in previous wars? To answer this question, class members view artifacts, read articles, and engage in class discussion. Individuals then assume the...
University of California
Decolonization
The ripple effect from one small event can impact many others. Young historians research the ripple effect World War II had on decolonization in the second installment of an eight-part series. Through primary and secondary documents as...
Curated OER
"Police Action": The Korean War, 1950-1953
High schoolers investigate facts about the war in Korea in the 1950's and attempt to classify American foreign policy as a triumph or a failure. Why the U.S. became involved and the unpopularity of the war in America forms the focus of...
Curated OER
The End of WWII and The Beginning of the Cold War
In this end of World War II and Cold War study guide worksheet, students fill in 44 blanks in a passage with the appropriate words to complete the sentences regarding the time period.
National Endowment for the Humanities
American Diplocmacy in World War II
The end of World War II saw the world deeply changed over the last few years. Four thorough lessons explore post-war Europe, America, and Asia through reading assignments and discussion questions about the Grand Alliance and the signing...
Curated OER
Creating a Newscast on the Cold War
Students research the events of a specific year of the Cold War. In this Cold War lesson plan, students investigate the causes of the Cold War and highlight the events of a particular year. Students create a...
Curated OER
The Cold War
Tenth graders explore the origins of the Cold War. In this Cold War lesson, 10th graders analyze selected songs and identify what historical events they reference. Students create a musical collage or timeline for the period...
Curated OER
The United States and the Soviet Union were Engaged in a Cold War
Students work together at figuring out the definition for what cold war means. For this social science lesson, students listen to "The Butter Battle Book" by Dr. Seuss and recognize how this story relates to the cold war between the...
Curated OER
Warring Philosophies: The Cold War
Students explain why the Cold War took place and ended. They analyze its significance as a 29th century event. Students identify the differences between the USA and USSR during the Cold War.
Curated OER
Locating The Cold War
Students identify major players in the Cold War and place them on a world map. They identify the two superpowers location on the map as well as their allies. Students analyze how the world divided itself.
Curated OER
The Cold War in Popular Music
Pupils analyze pop culture songs to identify cold war themes and chart. They comprehend and explain why the Cold War took place and ended and assess its significance as a 20th century event. Students conduct a song analysis of the Billy...
Curated OER
Introduction to the Early Origins of the Cold War
In this Cold War worksheet, students read a 4-paragraph selection about post World War II diplomacy and then list key dates and events noted in the selection.
Curated OER
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Learners explore facets of the Cold War. In this Cold War history lesson, students research a Cold War event in order to write a news story about the events that features direct quotations and images.
Curated OER
A Timeline of Cold War Events
Young scholars create a timeline of the major events of the Cold War and explain their effect on Canada. They utilize a worksheet and a website imbedded in this plan which guide their research and presentations.
The New York Times
The Cold War: Crossword
This crossword puzzle focuses on clues related to The Cold War. It also has unrelated clues that would be a challenge to middle schoolers, but should be manageable to secondary students; particularly juniors taking US history. There are...
Curated OER
The Brief American Pageant: The Resurgence of Conservatism
Take a short trip back in time with this presentation, which details the political and electoral contexts of 1980's and 1990's America. Covering the Gulf War as well as domestic economics, these slides feature easy-to-read charts and...
Curated OER
End of World War II and the Beginning of the Cold War
In this end of World War II and Cold War study guide worksheet, learners fill in the blanks in a 6-paragraph passage with the appropriate words to complete the sentences regarding the time period.
Curated OER
The Cold War at Home
Eleventh graders discover the perspective of Cold War on the American homefront. In this Cold War lesson, 11th graders watch Duck and Cover video segments that instruct citizens what to do in case of nuclear attack. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
Intro to the Cold War
Eleventh graders examine the Cold War. In this American History lesson, 11th graders develop answers to comprehension questions about the song "We Didn't Start the Fire". Students write a persuasive essay at the end of the...
Curated OER
End of Mandates and the Middle East
Ninth graders investigate the original mandates of the League of Nations regarding the Middle East. They listen to a lecture/PowerPoint presentation on the end of the mandate system, and complete a fill-in-the-blank worksheet that...
Student Handouts
Examining Primary Sources: Rudyard Kipling, “The White Man’s Burden” (1899)
Combine literature and history with the poem "The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling. Pupils read the poem and answer four questions about the text.
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.
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...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Analyzing the Inaugural Address
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,...