AJ Conte

Unit Plan
TD 528: Secondary Teaching Methods
November 10, 2016

UNITED STATES HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY (10th Grade)

Course Description
This course will examine the development, growth, and challenges of our institutions and culture
from the period of industrial growth after the Civil War to the present. The course emphasis will
be on having students gain an historical, economic, political, and geographic perspective on the
United States. Students will develop inquiry and communication skills through selected research;
presentations; and class debates, interpretation and critical analysis of primary source material,
and civic centered participation projects while developing an appreciation for the wide variety of
human experiences.

Unit Titles
World War II
The Cold War and the United States
Domestic Change: Social, Political, and Economic
Contemporary America

The Cold War and the United States Abstract

In this unit, students will develop an understanding about the causes of the Cold War, foreign and
domestic policies during the Cold War, and factors that led to the end of the Cold War. During
the unit, students will have a chance to engage in discussion about differences between the US
and USSR, and how the policies during the Cold War affected everyday life for citizens and the
anxiety that it caused within the American psyche, as well as the foreign policy that was pursued
during the time period. By developing a deeper understanding of factors that led to the Cold War
and how policies played out during the time, students will be able to draw connections between
the Cold War and the modern age, such as similarities and differences with the War on Terror
through class discussion and research of primary and secondary sources to create a presentation.
Students will move beyond a simple us vs. them view of the Cold War and use primary
documents to examine differing opinions within the United States to better understand problems
during this time period, such as segregation, that led some people to agree with the USSRs
criticisms of America. Throughout the unit, students will use primary and secondary sources to
examine and understand the difference between direct and indirect conflict between the US and
USSR, as well as the beliefs that caused both countries to pursue proxy wars against the other,
such as the arms race, and the long-term effects of these conflicts. In addition, students will
understand how these factors led to the end of the Cold War. Students will appreciate how Cold
War mindsets still affect us today and the vestiges of the Cold War that still exist. These will be
demonstrated through a museum exhibit that students create and present to the class. Finally,
students will demonstrate their learning through frequent opportunities for discussion with a
partner and as a class about what we are learning, as well as thinking routines such as See-Think-
Wonder with regard to media that demonstrate everyday life during the Cold War. Additionally,
they will have many chances to make comparisons between what they are learning and what is
happening today, including several interactive assignments such as class debates and simulations.
In the end, students will have a better idea about why the Cold War happened, what life was like
during the Cold War, and its significance in the history of the US in the second half of the
twentieth century and beyond.

Unit Focus Questions

1) Does what happens between governments of nations really affect those nations' citizens?
2) Does history prove who was right and who was wrong in any particular conflict??

Key Concepts
Systems
Conflict
Ideology
Perspective

Benchmarks
Students will be able to:
1. Describe the factors that contributed to the Cold War (8.1.1)
Differences in the civic, ideological and political values, and the economic and
governmental institutions of the U.S. and U.S.S.R.
Diplomatic and political actions by both the U.S .and U.S.S.R. in the last years of and
years following WWII. (National Geography Standard 13)
2. Compare the causes and consequences of the setbacks and successes of the American policy of
containing the Soviet Union (8.1.2)
The development of a U.S. national security establishment
 The direct and/or armed conflicts with Communism
U.S. involvement in Vietnam, and the foreign and domestic consequences of the war
Indirect (or proxy) confrontations within specific world regions
The arms race (National Geography Standard 13)
3. Describe and analyze the factors that led to the end of the Cold War (8.1.3)
4. Analyze major domestic issues in the Post-World War II era and the policies designed to meet
the challenges by (8.2.2)
describing issues challenging Americans such as domestic anticommunism
(McCarthyism), labor, poverty, health care, infrastructure, immigration, and the
environment (National Geography Standards 9 and 14)
evaluating policy decisions and legislative actions to meet these challenges (e.g., G.I.
Bill of Rights (1944), Taft-Hartley Act (1947), Twenty-Second Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution (1951), Federal Highways Act (1956), National Defense Act (1957), E.P.A.
(1970)) (National Geography Standards 12 and 14)

Assessment Tasks
1. Students will take on the role of a museum curator designing an exhibit on the Cold War that
will inform and engage young people. Using the primary and secondary sources that we have
used in class, they must design an exhibit about the course of the Cold War, including reasons
why it started, what everyday life was like for people living during the time period, and what led
to its end. Students will then have a chance to meet with a curator from a local museum to share
their projects. (8.1.1, 8.2.2, 8.1.3)
2. Students will create a news report discussing a major foreign policy event that escalated
tensions during the Cold War, such as the U2 Incident, Bay of Pigs Invasion, Cuban Missile
Crisis, or the Building of the Berlin Wall. Students must give background on the event, what
happened, and why the event was significant in the escalating tensions during the Cold War.
They will either video tape this report, or they will present it in class (8.1.2, 8.2.2)
3. Students will have divided into groups and create a campaign ad that either supports or
opposes Senator Joseph McCarthys re-election, which will be focused on his methods to fight
Communism. This ad will require students to use primary sources from individuals from the time
period (provided by the instructor and researched) as well as secondary sources to argue for their
side. Students will explain what their group stands for and present their ad to the class. This will
be part of a larger lesson on the Red Scare, where students would connect this period to the
current debate over liberty vs. security in the US (8.1.1, 8.1.2, 8.2.2)
Catalogue of Lessons
Early Cold War Tensions
1. Sources of Tension
This lesson will focus on the early years of the Cold War from 1945-1948. We will begin
with a discussion between the difference between the US and USSR politically. Next, we will do
an expert jigsaw on the Yalta Conference and the Potsdam Conference and shows how the end of
WWII created tension. Half the class will read about the Yalta Conference to review what we
learned during the WWII Unit and the other half will read about the Potsdam Conference.
Students will be paired up so that they can discuss with each other what the goals were of each
conference and what agreements were reached at each. Next students will have a guided reading
on how that cooperation broke down. Students will end class with a discussion and writing
activity where they will be tasked with answering the question of what caused the Cold War and
if one side was more responsible than the other.
2. Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan
This lesson will begin with students answering Students will learn about concepts like
Containment Theory and the Domino Effect. Students will have selected readings on the Truman
Doctrine, which became the foundation for US foreign policy during the Cold War and led to the
formation of NATO. They will also learn about the Marshall Plan with selected readings and the
relationship between it and the Truman Doctrine. After they are done reading and filling out a
graphic organizer, students will look at a map of the spread of Communism in the 1940s in
places like China. Students will become familiar with terms like Iron Curtain.
We will examine the differences between the map during WWII and by the end of the
1940s, paying special attention to countries that were part of NATO and ones that were behind
the Iron Curtain We will finish by asking the question how the Truman Doctrine still affects US
foreign policy today and discussing that as a class. (8.1.1; 8.1.2)
3. The Korean War
Students will learn about the Korean War. We will begin by examining Trumans decision
to intervene in Korea we will use the information from yesterday to see how the Korean War fit
into a strategy of containment. Students will view John Greens Crash Course about the Korean
War and read selected secondary sources about the conflict they will converse with their
shoulder partner while they fill out a graphic organizer and answer questions related to what they
have seen and read.
Next, we will use an interactive timeline to examine important dates in the war. They will
also have a map of Asia so they can locate Korea and the 38th Parallel to place the events
geographically that they are reading about. We will have a class discussion of how Korea fit into
the Truman Doctrine and what its long-term effects were, such as how North Korea and South
Korea signed an armistice but not a peace treaty, so the Korean War could restart.
 Finally, students will have a writing assignment as an exit ticket explaining how and why
the US entered the Korean War and what its involvement looked like. (8.1.1; 8.1.2)

The Cold War at Home

4. McCarthyism and the Red Scare Day 1
We will cover McCarthyism and the effect that the Cold War had on creating paranoia
that impacted domestic policy during the Cold War. Students will participate in an opening
activity where they will split into teams and tasked with building a house of cards. However, I
will tell them that there is a red in their group who is trying to help the other team. After students
finish building their card houses, I will ask them who the Red is in their group. Students will be
encouraged to accuse each other, but they will find out that there was not a Red in the group. I
will ask students to explain why they made the choice they did and if they felt pressured to do so.
That will be used to segue into the main point for the lesson. Students will read about events that
led up to the Second Red Scare they will read about Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs and how
they created fear among Americans of Communist infiltration. They will also read and analyze
two important primary source documents: Senator Joseph McCarthys Wheeling Speech and his
Telegram to President Truman. Connections will be drawn between our primary source
documents and modern events, like the War on Terror. I will divide students into groups and give
them the information for Assessment Task #3, which they will be presenting at the end of class
tomorrow. They will have the remainder of the class to work on that. (8.2.2)
5. McCarthyism and the Red Scare Day 2
Continuing from yesterday, students will work on their group projects and present them
to the class (Assessment Task #3). When students are not presenting, they will be filling out a
sheet with information that they learned from the group that was presenting. After all groups
have presented, we will discuss the downfall of McCarthy. Students will keep notes as they read
about the end of the Red Scare and we will debrief on what they have read. We will end class
with a short writing activity and discussion on if it is ever right for the government to repress
civil liberties where students will use what they have learned to defend their opinion. (8.2.2)
6. The Cold War at Home
We will examine how the paranoia of the Red Scare affected everyday life for Americans
during the 1950s. We will do an activity with the Cold War PSAs Duck and Cover and Survival
Under an Atomic Attack where students will watch them and compare-and-contrast the two,
discuss the audiences that they were made for, and their purpose. After we finish, the students
will do a short writing activity using what they have learned to describe how they would feel
based on the videos and the sort of atmosphere that it created. Next, we will examine some other
hallmarks of life during the Cold War, such as bomb shelters. Students will get a feel for what
life was like by reading primary sources in addition to viewing the videos from earlier. The
primary sources that we look at will tie back to what we have already learned about paranoia.
(8.2.2)
7. Eisenhower, the U-2 Incident and the Military-Industrial Complex
 Several international events happened at the beginning of the 1960s that led to increasing
tensions between the US and USSR. One of these events was the U-2 Incident where a US spy
plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. Students will begin making a prediction about what
the U-2 Incident was based off a list of impression words I will give them. We will discuss as a
class their thoughts and use that as a springboard into reading about the details of the incident
and how it increased tensions during the Cold War. Students will keep notes as they read and use
those to complete a writing activity explaining how the incident and Eisenhowers reaction
escalated tensions between the US and USSR.
Next, students will explore Eisenhowers Farewell Address and the predictions that he
made on the development of the US Security State. They will watch selected sections of the
farewell address, especially his warnings against the military-industrial complex. Students will
consider the pros and cons of defense spending during the Cold War and today. For this, we will
look at levels of defense spending today, what it goes toward, and arguments on whether or not it
is effective. We will have an in-class debate about defense spending based on what weve read
students will be allowed to change groups during the debate. We will end class with a writing
prompt on the same subject. (8.1.2)

1960s: Increasing Tensions

8. Kennedy, Bay of Pigs, and the Cuban Missile Crisis
In this lesson, Students will learn about the causes and effects of the Bay of Pigs Invasion
using primary and secondary sources. We will then cover one of the tensest moments of the Cold
War: The Cuban Missile Crisis. Students will begin class with a writing activity and students will
share their answers. We will then have primary and secondary sources so students can learn
about the Bay of Pigs Invasion what it was and what caused it- then they will do an expert
jigsaw. After they finish, students will do a Think-Pair-Share based on their reading and
discussion they will be tasked with answering the following question: How did the Bay of Pigs
fiasco encourage Castros acceptance of Soviet aid? Students will have time to discuss with their
partner while I will circulate and elicit responses. After time to discuss, we will transition to a
full class discussion of the question.
After that, we will discuss how the Bay of Pigs led to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Students
will play a Twine Game simulating the Cuban Missile Crisis where they will take on the role of
President Kennedy and decide what to do. After they finish, we will discuss what they just did
compared to what happened and read about the aftermath of the Crisis. We will finish with a
writing Exit Slip with the following questions: How did the United States naval quarantine of
Cuba lead to a nuclear showdown between the Soviet Union and the United States in October of
1962? How did the United States government use the policy of brinkmanship in the Cuban
Missile Crisis? (8.1.2)
9. Escalating Tensions
We will begin class by recapping from the previous days lesson that tensions were high
after the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis and there were some actions take to de-
escalate tensions, but there were events during this period that also escalated tensions as well.
Students will be focusing on the Berlin Crisis, the Building of the Berlin Wall, and the Limited
Test Ban Treaty. I will divide students into group and task each one with researching one of the
topics. I will have primary and secondary sources for them to read. As students are reading, they
will take notes about their topic and whether it escalated or de-escalated tension during the Cold
War. After the three groups are done, they will present to the class on their topic and explain it to
the class. Students will end class by working on their Newscast (Assessment Task #2), which
will be presented on Friday. (8.1.2)
10. Space Race
We will look at one of the biggest proxy battles between the US and USSR the Space
Race. Class will begin with students working on a KWL Chart students will fill out the K and
W sections concerning what they already know about the Space Race and the role it played in the
Cold War. They will leave the L part blank until the end of the lesson. We will discuss student
answers to the K and W portions. After that, we will move into background information.
Students will watch portions from American Experiences Race to the Moon. While they are
reading, students will fill out a graphic organizer about the different topics that are addressed.
After they finish reading, we will discuss their answers to the graphic organizer. We will then fill
out the L section of the KWL chart. Finally, students will do a writing activity where they
imagine they are a citizen during the Space Race and describe what life was like during that time.
(8.1.2)

Vietnam and the End of the Cold War

11. Vietnam War Day 1
Class will begin with a writing activity I will make a statement to the students
that is thought-provoking and related to our learning goal for the day: Following World War II,
France refused to release its imperialistic rule of Indochina. In 1950, fearing that France
would lose control of Vietnam to the communists, the United States began supplying
millions in economic aid. Students will then get into groups of three to generate questions they
have based on that statement, such as Why did France still control lands in Indochina? or Was
the United States able to help France keep communists out of China?
After they have had time to discuss, I will have volunteers read their questions, which
will be written on the board. We will stop periodically throughout the lesson as questions are
answered. Students will examine how the US got involved in Vietnam, what our involvement in
the war looked like, and how it ended. Students will be divided into groups and will examine the
policies from 1940s-1960s that led the United States into Vietnam they will have a mixture of
primary and secondary sources for each presidential administration and be asked to answer the
questions: Why was each speech important? What was each president trying to convey? What
was the purpose of each speech?. We will use these documents to also discuss the course of the
war in Vietnam under Presidents Johnson and Nixon. This will include reading the Gulf of
Tonkin Resolution and events such as the Mai Lai Massacre and Tet Offensive. We will discuss
the ending of the war and its effects at home in class the next day. We will end class by
debriefing each group will share their findings and students not in that group will fill out the
section for each administration on their graphic organizer. (8.1.2)
12. Vietnam War Day 2
This lesson will examine the effect the Vietnam War had on US foreign and domestic
policy. Students will learn about the counterculture that arose from opposition to the Vietnam
War. Students will do an activity analyzing protest songs about Vietnam. They will listen to
Fortunate Son and analyze the lyrics. (8.1.2)
13. End of Cold War Day 1
Students will analyze events post-Vietnam War that contributed to the end of the Cold
War we will begin with an overview of the 70s and 80s, specifically examining changes in
American policies during this time. Students will read about the policy of dtente that was
pursued during the 70s and how that was changed during the 80s when Ronald Reagan came into
office with the Reagan Doctrine. Students will be divided into groups and each will be tasked
with a different factor, such as the Strategic Defense Initiative, INF and START treaties. They
will fill out a graphic organizer to keep track of important concepts as they read. Students will do
an expert jigsaw where they will explain their factor and how it contributed to the end of the
Cold War. Students will then examine a chart showing the military build-up that took place and
we will discuss the role this played in ending the Cold War. Students will have the remainder of
class to work on their museum exhibit. (8.1.3)
14. End of Cold War Day 2
We will conclude our unit on the Cold War by examining changes in the Soviet Union.
Students will watch the end of John Greens Crash Course about the end of the Cold War and
then do a guided reading that will act as a companion to the reading that they did yesterday. We
will learn about the fall of the Berlin Wall, watch a video of its destruction and discuss its
significance, like how it helped lead to the reunification of Germany. Using what we learned in
yesterdays class, students will discuss what policies were most influential in the eventual
dissolution of the Soviet Union. Students will finish with an activity where they will create their
own Berlin Wall graffiti, using words and symbols based on what we have learned about in class
today and yesterday. (8.1.3)
15. Presentation Day
Students will present their Museum Exhibits (Assessment Task #3)

Instructional Resources
Equipment / Manipulative
Library
Computer Lab
Student Resources
Textbook: History Alive! Pursuing American Ideals
Chapter 38: Origins of the Cold War
Chapter 39: The Cold War Expands
Chapter 40: Fighting the Cold War at Home
Chapter 50: The United States Gets Involved in Vietnam
Chapter 51: Facing Frustration in Vietnam
Chapter 56: Ending the Cold War
Videos / Images
The Cold War in Asia: Crash Course US History #38: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Y2IcmLkuhG0
USA vs USSR Fight! The Cold War: Crash Course World History #39:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9HjvHZfCUI
Duck and Cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QxVwafUFgY
Survival Under Atomic Attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsHUIxt1iMw
President Eisenhowers Farewell Address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyBNmecVtdU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEvEmkMNYHY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saVnq3snkeI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNJGWX6wsM8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C72ISMF_D0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1eA5bUzVjA
He May Be A Communist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWeZ5SKXvj8
Fall of Berlin Wall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmRPP2WXX0U
Fortunate Son: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40JmEj0_aVM
Reagan Ending the Cold War: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/bonus-
video/presidents-endwar-reagan/
Kennedy We Choose to Go to the Moon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwFvJog2dMw
American Experience Race to the Moon http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/moon/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:South_Vietnam_Map.jpg
Articles / Maps
Early Cold War Tensions
o Yalta Conference Agreements: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/wwii/yalta.asp
o Postdam Conference Agreements:
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/decade17.asp
o Containment Policy: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?
smtID=2&psid=3403
o Truman Doctrine:
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/postwar-politics-and-
origins-cold-war/resources/origins-cold-war-containment-policy
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/trudoc.asp
https://www.trumanlibrary.org/teacher/doctrine.htm (Activity 6 and 7)
o Marshall Plan
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/marshall/marsh-dates.html
https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/marshall-plan
o Berlin Airlift + Formation of NATO
http://www.coldwar.org/articles/40s/berlin_blockade.asp
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers/themes/berlin-blockade-
formation-nato.html
o Korean War
Overview: http://www.history.com/topics/korean-war
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/postwar-politics-and-
origins-cold-war/resources/guided-readings-korean-war
Map of Asia: http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/cn_asia_pol.pdf
o Domino Theory http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/domino-theory
The Cold War at Home
o http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/dwightdeisenhowerfarewell.html
o http://www.npr.org/2011/01/17/132942244/ikes-warning-of-military-expansion-
50-years-later
o http://tah.eastconn.org/tah/0910CP1_ReportCardPresentDayAmerican.pdf
o http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/red-scare
o https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/herblocks-history/fire.html
1960s: Increasing Tension
o U2 Incident: http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/u2-spy-incident
o Bay of Pigs Invasion: https://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/The-Bay-of-
Pigs.aspx
o Cuban Missile Crisis: https://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/Cuban-
Missile-Crisis.aspx
o Berlin Wall
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/13/newsid_3054000/3054
060.stm
o Nuclear Test Ban Treaty: https://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/Nuclear-
Test-Ban-Treaty.aspx
 o Sputnik: http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/

Vietnam and the End of the Cold War

o http://www.ushistory.org/us/59e.asp
o Eisenhower Vietnam Speech
http://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst306/documents/domino.html
o JFK Vietnam Speech http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPOF-
135-015.aspx
o Johnson Vietnam Speech http://millercenter.org/president/speeches/detail/4041
o Nixon Vietnam Speech http://millercenter.org/president/speeches/detail/3884
o Vietnam Timeline: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/timeline/
o Fortunate Son Lyrics http://www.creedence-online.net/lyrics/fortunate_son.php
o Regan Doctrine: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-reagan-doctrine-
is-announced
o INF Treaty https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/INFtreaty
o Perestroika and Glasnost http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1985-2/perestroika-and-
glasnost/
o Fall of Soviet Union
http://www.coldwar.org/articles/90s/fall_of_the_soviet_union.asp

Graphic Organizers
http://images.slideplayer.com/13/3926471/slides/slide_8.jpg
http://images.slideplayer.com/13/3926471/slides/slide_19.jpg
Learning Activities
DBQs (Document Based Questions)
Quick Reads
Free Writes
https://twinery.org/2/#stories/f81de76b-41d4-282c-3368-5c0b1b5a8b12/play

Teacher Resources
http://sheg.stanford.edu/upload/Lessons/Unit%2011_Cold%20War/Cold%20War%20Lesson
%20Plan3.pdf
https://edsitement.neh.gov/sites/edsitement.neh.gov/files/worksheets/ColdWar01.pdf
http://richonneww2.weebly.com/the-cold-war-begins-yalta-and-potsdam.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C72ISMF_D0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2IcmLkuhG0
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/history-lessons-grades-9-12/128121-the-cold-war-at-home/
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/history-lessons-grades-9-12/128300-lesson-plan-the-
vietnam-war/
https://tradshad.wordpress.com/writings/cold-war-influences-on-american-culture-politics-and-
economics/
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/sixties/resources/analyzing-protest-songs-1960s
http://sheg.stanford.edu/upload/Lessons/Unit%2012_Cold%20War%20Culture%20and%20Civil
%20Rights/Anti-Vietnam%20War%20Movement%20Lesson%20Plan.pdf
Activity 6 and 7: https://www.trumanlibrary.org/teacher/doctrine.htm
http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/evans/his135/Events/nato49/nato49.html