Learning Experience Plan

Subject: Social Studies Grade level: 8th Grade

Unit: Foreign Policy and Communism Length of LEP: 1 Day/25 Minutes
Topic: Why were Americans afraid of Communism?

Content Standards:
8.7 FOREIGN POLICY: The period after World War II has been characterized by an
ideological and political struggle, first between the United States and communism during
the Cold War, then between the United States and forces of instability in the Middle East.
Increased economic interdependence and competition, as well as environmental concerns,
are challenges faced by the United States.
8.7b The United States based its military and diplomatic policies from 1945 to 1990 on a policy
of containment of communism. Students will examine the policy of containment and its
application in the postwar period, including the Marshall Plan, the Korean War, the Cuban
missile crisis, and the Vietnam War.
Literacy Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate
summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

Learning Experience Outcomes Learning Experience Assessments

Students will:
Explain why the presence of Soviet
missiles in Cuba was a matter of
concern to the United States.
Explain how the crisis was resolved.
Cuban Missile Crisis document questions
Paragraphs or essays answering the
guiding questions.

Differentiation
Approaching
For students on this level, in
the independent practice, they
will be asked to answer one of
the questions asked in 1-2
paragraphs.
Curriculum Integration (Does this lesson correlate with any other content area? Describe.)
On-level
For students on this level, in
the independent practice, they
will be asked to answer all the
questions in 1-2 paragraphs.
Beyond
For students on this level, in the
independent practice, they will
be asked to answer all the
questions in one single longer
essay answering the question:
Why did the presence of Soviet
missiles in Cuba trigger an
international crisis, and how was
that crisis resolved?

Materials Procedures/Strategies
Kahoot Day 1

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Document Sponge Activity:
s A-C
Class will start with a game of Kahoot that reviews what the students have already
Document learned about the containment of communism and an overview of the Cuban Missile
questions Crisis.

Time/Sequ Anticipatory Set:

ence
pattern Why did the Russians pull their missiles out of Cuba?
organizer According to these documents, what deal did the U.S. strike with the U.S.S.R.?
Why was this deal kept secret?
PowerPoin Is this deal mentioned in the classroom textbook?
t Who seems more scared or on the defensive in this documents?
What does this event show you about how people felt during the Cold War?
Homewor
k sheet for Activating Prior Knowledge:
approachi
ng The students will participate in a game of Kahoot that will review what they already
students know about the containment of communism, this will help them understand why the
Cuban Missile Crisis was so important in History.
Homewor
k sheet for Direct Instruction:
students
on-level Instruction will start with a short video that gives an overview of the Cuban Missile
Crisis. The students will then answer the following questions:
Homewor According to the video, why did the Russians pull the missiles out of Cuba?
k sheet for What do you think they mean by delicate, behind-the-scenes negotiations?
beyond
students Play United Streaming Video Segment: The Hour of Maximum Danger-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUewcOEjJas

Together, the teacher and the students will then fill out a time/sequence pattern
organizer that will include important dates from the Cuban Missile Crisis. This will
include a PowerPoint that outlines all the dates for the students to fill in the graphic
organizer. This time line will give the students an accurate idea of how quickly
everything began and ended.

Guided Practice:

Three documents will be handed out to each student, in pairs the students will read the
documents and answer the following questions.

Independent Practice:

For homework, students will have to answer a certain amount of questions in a

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 designated format. For those who are approaching, they will pick one of the four
questions and answer them in 1-2 paragraphs. For those who are on-level they will
have to answer all four questions in 1-2 paragraphs. For those who are beyond, they
will have to answer all four questions in a long essay in which they also answer the
question: Why did the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba trigger an international
crisis, and how was that crisis revolved?
The main four questions are:
Why was the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba a problem for the United
States?
What options did Kennedy and his advisers consider in response to the missiles?
What course did Kennedy choose, and why?
How was the crisis ultimately resolved?

Closure:

As a class, we will finish by going over the answers for each document. Each pair will
need to provide at least one answer for all three documents, they will be recorded on
the board and students should write down all possible answers.
References:
https://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/missiles-october-cuban-missile-crisis-1962#sect-
assessment
http://sheg.stanford.edu/upload/Lessons/Unit%2011_Cold%20War/Cuban%20Missile%20Crisis
%20Lesson%20Plan.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUewcOEjJas

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Time Sequence Graphic Organizer: Name___________________

1959

1960

April, 1961

October 14-15, 1962

October 16, 1962

October 22, 1962

October 27, 1962

October 28, 1962

November 10, 1962

The Cuban Missile Crisis

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Document A: Letter From Chairman Khrushchev to President Kennedy (Modified)

Moscow, October 27, 1962.

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT,

I understand your concern for the security of the United States

You wish to ensure the security of your country, and this is understandable. But Cuba, too, wants
the same thing; all countries want to maintain their security. But how are we, the Soviet Union,
to [understand] the fact that you have surrounded the Soviet Union with military bases;
surrounded our allies with military bases; placed military bases literally around our country; and
stationed your missile armaments there? This is no secret. . . .Your missiles are located in Britain,
are located in Italy, and are aimed against us. Your missiles are located in Turkey.

You are disturbed over Cuba. You say that this disturbs you because it is 90 miles by sea from the
coast of the United States of America. But you have placed destructive missile weapons, which
you call offensive, in Turkey, literally next to us.

I therefore make this proposal: We are willing to remove from Cuba the [missiles] which you
regard as offensive. Your representatives will make a declaration to the effect that the United
States, for its part, . . . will remove its [missiles] from Turkey.

We, in making this pledge, will promise not to invade Turkey. . .The United States Government
will promise not to invade Cuba . . .

The greatest joy for all peoples would be the announcement of our agreement.

These are my proposals, Mr. President.

Respectfully yours,

N. Khrushchev

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Source: Letter from Soviet Chairman Kruschev to President Kennedy. U.S., Department of State,
FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1961- 1963, Volume XI, Cuban Missile
Crisis and Aftermath.
Document B: Letter from President Kennedy to Chairman Khrushchev (Modified)

Washington, October 27, 1962

Dear Mr. Chairman:

I have read your letter of Oct. 26th with great care and welcomed the statement of your
desire to seek a prompt solution to the problem. As I read your letter, the key elements of your
proposalsare as follows:
1) You would agree to remove these weapons from Cuba under appropriate United
Nations observation and supervision; and halt the further introduction of such weapons systems
into Cuba.
2) We, on our part, would agreea) to remove promptly the [blockade] now in effect and
(b) to give assurances against an invasion of Cuba, I am confident that other nations of the
Western Hemisphere would be prepared to do likewise.

There is no reason why we should not be able to complete these arrangements and announce
them to the world within a couple of days. The effect of such a settlement on easing world
tensions would enable us to work toward a more general arrangement regarding "other
armaments", as proposed in your letter.

But the first step, let me emphasize, is the cessation (end) of work on missile sites in Cuba . . . .
The continuation of this threat by linking these problems to the broader questions of European
and world security, would surely [be] a grave risk to the peace of the world. For this reason I
hope we can quickly agree along the lines outlined in this letter and in your letter of October 26.

John F. Kennedy

Source: Letter from President Kennedy to Chairman Kruschev. New York Times, Oct 27, 1962,
pg. 30.

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Document C: Russian Ambassador Cable to Soviet Foreign Ministry (Modified)

Dobrynins (Russias Ambassador to the United States) cable to the Soviet Foreign Ministry,
October 27, 1962.

Late tonight Robert Kennedy (President Kennedys Attorney General) invited me to come see
him. We talked alone.

Kennedy stated that, The US government is determined to get rid of those bases [in Cuba]up
to, in the extreme case, of bombing them, since, I repeat, they pose a great threat to the security
of the USA. In response I am sure the Soviets will respond and a real war will begin, in which
millions of Americans and Russians will die. We want to avoid that in any way we can, Im sure
that the government of the USSR has the same wish.

The most important thing for us is to get an agreement as soon as possible with the Soviet
government to halt further work on the construction of the missile bases in Cuba and take
measures under international control that would make it impossible to use these weapons.

And what about Turkey? I asked R. Kennedy

If that is the only obstacle to achieving the rules I mentioned earlier, then the president doesnt
see any difficulties in resolving this issue replied R. Kennedy. The greatest difficulty for the
president is the public discussion of the issue of Turkey. The deployment of missile bases in
Turkey was officially done by special decision of the NATO Council. To announce now a
unilateral (one-sided) decision by the president of the USA to withdraw missile bases from
Turkeythis would damage the entire structure of NATO and the US position as the leader of
NATO. However, President Kennedy is ready to come to agreement on that question with
Khrushchev. I think that in order to withdraw these bases from Turkey we need 4-5 months.
However, the president cant say anything public in this regard about Turkey.

R. Kennedy then warned that his comments about Turkey are extremely confidential; besides
him and his brother, only 2-3 people know about it in Washington.

The president also asked Khrushchev to give him an answer within the next day, Kennedy said
in conclusion.

Source: Russian Ambassador Dobrynin cable to Foreign Ministry, October 27, 1962. Russian
Foreign Ministry archives; publicly released in the early 1990s.

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Guiding Questions Name___________

Document A: Letter From Chairman Khrushchev to President Kennedy

1. What deal does Khrushchev propose to Kennedy?

2. What is the tone of this letter? Provide a quote to support your claim .

3. Do you think Khrushchev has the upper hand? Why or why not?

Document B: Letter from President Kennedy to Chairman Khrushchev

4. In this letter Kennedy restates Khrushchevs proposals. Does Kennedy include
everything Khrushchev proposed? If not, why might have he left something out?

5. What is the tone of this letter? Provide a quote to support your claim.

6. Do you think Kennedy has the upper hand? Why or why not?

Document C: Russian Ambassador Cable to Soviet Foreign Ministry

7. What new information do you learn from Robert Kennedy?

8. Why do you think this exchange happened in a private meeting (rather than in an
official letter)? [Remember, Document B was published in the New York Times].

9. How do you think Robert Kennedy felt during this meeting? Provide evidence.

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Cuban Missile Crisis Homework:
Name________________________

Instructions:
Please choose from the list of four questions and answer one question in 1-2 paragraphs. This
paragraph may either be answered on this sheet of paper or typed and attached.
Why was the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba a problem for the United States?
What options did Kennedy and his advisers consider in response to the missiles?
What course did Kennedy choose, and why?
How was the crisis ultimately resolved?

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Cuban Missile Crisis Homework:
Name_________________________

Instructions:
Please answer all four questions regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1-2 paragraphs. These can
either be completed on this sheet or typed and attached.
Why was the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba a problem for the United States?
What options did Kennedy and his advisers consider in response to the missiles?
What course did Kennedy choose, and why?
How was the crisis ultimately resolved?

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Cuban Missile Crisis Homework:
Name_________________________

Instructions:
Please type a 5-6 paragraph essay answering the question: Why did the presence of Soviet
missiles in Cuba trigger an international crisis, and how was that crisis resolved? Within your
response these four questions must also be addressed:
Why was the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba a problem for the United States?
What options did Kennedy and his advisers consider in response to the missiles?
What course did Kennedy choose, and why?
How was the crisis ultimately resolved?

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