Unit 5: The Cold War
Introduction: Students will learn about the effect of the Cold War on the United States, the Soviet Union, and
various other countries throughout the World following World War Two.
Grade Level:
Suggested Unit Pacing (# of days)
During this 5 week unit, students will learn about the effect of the Cold War on various
countries throughout the world and how the advent of nuclear weapons and communism
changed the World.
Conceptual
Overview
(information for
parents)
Week 1: Warsaw Pact and Creation of NATO, Countries of the Cold War (Red States vs. Blue
States)
Week 2: Containment Policy and McCarthyism
Week 3: Berlin Air Lift and Korean War
Week 4: Cuban Missile Crisis and Vietnam War
Week 5: Assessment with Constructed Response, Remediation/Enrichment
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Essential
Understanding
s (information
for students)
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Construct charts, graphs, and historical narratives to explain particular events of
issues over time.
Summarize the literal meaning of historical documents in order to establish context.
Use primary and secondary sources to interpret various historical perspectives.
Analyze the effects of social, economic, military and political conflict among
nations, regions, and groups (e.g. war, genocide, imperialism and colonization).
Evaluate the effectiveness of cooperative efforts and consensus building among
nations, regions, and groups (e.g. Humanitarian efforts, United Nations, World
Health Organization, Non Governmental Organizations, European Union and
Organization of American States.
Explain how increased global interaction accelerates the pace of innovation in
modern societies (e.g. advancements in transportation, communication networks
and business practices).
Construct maps, charts, and graphs to explain data about geographic phenomena
(e.g. migration patterns and population and resource distribution patterns).
Use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools (i.e. GPS
and GIS software) to interpret and draw conclusions about social, economic, and
environmental issues in modern societies and regions.
Explain how competition for resources affects the economic relationship among
nations (e.g. colonialism, imperialism, globalization and interdependence).
Explain the implications of economic decisions in national and international affairs
(e.g. OPEC, NAFTA, G20, WTO, EU and economic alliances).
Summarize the main characteristics of various economic systems (e.g. capitalism,
socialism, communism; market, mixed, command and traditional economies).
Explain how person financial decision-making impacts quality of life (e.g. credit
savings, investing, borrowing and giving).
Compare the requirements for (e.g. age, gender, legal and economic status) and
responsibilities of citizenship under various governments in modern societies (e.g.
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Essential Standards by Strand
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History
Geograph
y and &
Environm
ental
Literacy
Civics and
Governme
nt
Economics
and PFL
Culture
Learning
Targets
Essential
Terminology
Literacy
Integration
voting, taxes and military service).
Compare the sources of power and governmental authority in various societies (e.g.
monarchs, dictators, elected officials, anti-governmental groups and religious,
political factions).
Explain how culture unites and divides modern societies and regions (e.g.
enslavement of various peoples, caste system, religious conflict and Social
Darwinism).
7H.1.1, 7H.1.2 , 7H.1.3., 7H.2.1, 7H.2.2, 7H.2.3
7G.2.1, 7G.2.2
7C&G.1.3, 7C&G.1.4
7E.1.1 7E.1.2 , 7E.1.3, 7E.1.4
7C1.1
 Identify countries and regions involved in the Cold War.
 Explain the containment policy put forth by the United States.
 Explain how NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries were established.
 Understand the policies that led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
 Explain the Red Scare and the policies of Joseph McCarthy.
 Identify countries and regions involved in the Vietnam War.
 Analyze the establishment of the 38th Parallel
 Establish the point of view of the author and site counterpoints to the major arguments
in the text.
 Compare and contrast McCarthyism to other social movements during this time period.
 Create a dialogue between Kennedy and Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile crisis.
Develop this conversation based on your knowledge of the nations’ respective positions
in the Cold War.
 Answer open-ended questions to evaluate the available information, choose and
defend a position. Possible questions could be: Was Vietnam a war or a conflict? Who
won the Vietnam War? Was the division of Korea the best solution? Should America
have helped reconstruct Europe?
Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Soviet Union, China, Khrushchev, Kennedy, Warsaw Pact, NATO,
Containment, Propaganda, Nuclear Age, deterrent policy, communism, democracy, Berlin
Wall, Berlin Airlift, refugee, reconstruction, revolution, police action, war, Marshall Plan,
Truman Doctrine, The Red Scare, McCarthyism, Tiananmen Square Massacre, Collective
Security, Domino Theory, Glasnost, Satellite, 38th Parallel, Yates v. U.S. (1957), Blockade,
Space Race, Interballistic, U2 Spy Plane Fallout, Gary Powers, Bunker, Proliferation, SMART
treaty, ABM Treaty
Literacy Reading:
Standard
s
RH6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and
secondary sources.
RH6-8.3: Identify key steps in a description of a process related to history.
RH6-8.6: Identify aspects of a text that reveal author’s point of view or purpose.
RH6-8.8: Distinguish among fact, opinion and reason judgment in a text.
Writing:
WH6-8.1 Introduce and support claims with logical reasoning, relevant accurate
data and evidence that demonstrates an understanding of the topic using
credible sources.
WH6-8.7: Conduct a short research project to answer a question drawing on
several sources and generate additional focused questions to allow for other
avenues of exploration.
Lost In The War By Nancy Ante
The Journal Of Patrick Seamus By Ellen Emerson White
Literatur Freya On The Wall By T. Degens
e
The Hunt For Red October By Tom Clancy
Connecti
Red Storm Rising By Tom Clancy
ons
Advise And Consent By Allen Drury
Technolo
gy
Standard
s
NCES.07.IT.TT.1.1
NCES.07.IT.SE.1.1
NCES.07.IT.SE.1.2
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Technology
Integration
Resource
s
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wars.mrdonn.org/coldwar.html
www.pbs.org/wgbh/amexbombhttp://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-inHistory/Cuban-Missile-Crisis.aspx
www.cosmolearning.com/documentaries/cold-war-by-cnn-perspectives/
(Episodes 31-95)
http://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/history/v/cuban-missile-crisis
http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war - History Channel Cold War
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/coldwar/ - BBC Cold War
http://www.coldwar.org/ - Cold War Resources, Lesson Plans, and Readings
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/coldwar.htm - Learning Site Cold War
Lesson Plans and Reading
http://library.thinkquest.org/10826/timeline.htm - Timeline of the Cold War
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/125110/Cold-War
Encyclopedia Brittanica Cold War
http://www.history.com/topics/red-scare - History Channel Red Scare
http://www.slideshare.net/juliahornaday/second-red-scare-cold-war-ii
Slideshare Presentation Cold War
http://www.ducksters.com/history/cold_war/red_scare.php - Red Scare
Documents and Reading
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/hist409/red.html - Red Scare Documents and
Readings
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/arthurmiller/mccarthyism/484/ - PBS McCarthyism
http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/mccarthyism.htm
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McCarthyism detail
http://www.coldwar.org/articles/50s/senatorjosephmccarthy.asp
McCarthyism Articles and Documents
http://www.history.com/topics/korean-war - History Channel Korean War
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/korean_war.htm - Learning Site
Korean War
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/kowar/kowar.htm - US Navy
Korean War Documents and Pictures
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/history/korean-war.html
Background on the Korean War
http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/Cuban-Missile-Crisis.aspx - JFK
Library Cuban Missile Crisis
http://www.history.com/topics/cuban-missile-crisis - History Channel Cuban
Missile Crisis
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/archives/colc.html - Library of Congress
Primary Source Documents on Cold War
http://www.atomicarchive.com/History/coldwar/page13.shtml - Cuban
Missile Crisis Pictures and Documents
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/cuban_missile_crisis.htm - Learning
Site on Cuban Missile Crisis
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/ - NSA Documents on the
Cold War
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq90-1.htm - US Navy Documents on the
Cold War
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/msc_cubamenu.asp - Primary
Sources Cuban Missile Crisis
http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war - History Channel Vietnam War
http://www.slideshare.net/jmclark/korean-and-vietnam-war - Vietnam and
Korean War Slideshow
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/ - PBS Vietnam War Lesson Plans
and Documents
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/ - The History Place
Vietnam War
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/vietnam/vietnamwar.htm - Vietnam
War Documents and Lessons
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/vietnamwar/preview.we
ml - Brain Pop Vietnam War
http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/v/vietnam
_war/index.html - Vietnam War
http://www.mrfa.org/vnstats.htm - Vietnam War Statistics
http://www.spiritoffreedom.org/airlift.html - Berlin Air Lift Documents and
Lesson Plans
http://www.af.mil/information/heritage/spotlight.asp?id=123013864 – U.S.
Air Force Berlin Air Lift Documents
http://www.history.com/topics/berlin-airlift - History Channel Berlin Air Lift
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/airlift/ - PBS Berlin Air Lift
Cross
Curricular
Integration
Pre-/Postassessment
Assessment
On-going/
Formative
Assessment
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Pre-assessment
Informal observation
Test on the Cold War Era
Homework
Journal entries/ quick write
Peer and Class discussion
Constructed Response Assignments
Create a map demonstrating democratic and communist nations, Cold War
hot spots such as Berlin Air Lift, Korean Conflict, and Vietnam War.
 Create a dialogue between Kennedy and Khrushchev during the Cuban
Missile Crisis.
 Study and create political cartoons that show the different aspects of the
Cuban Missile Crisis/ Bay of Pigs Invasion.
 Compare the causes and effects of the Korean and Vietnam War on spread
of communism and containment policy.
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Summative
Considerations
for the
Learning Plan
Written dialogue of Kennedy/Khrushchev conversation and
performance (skit)
Illustrate a timeline of major events and major people during the Cold War.
Alphabet Summary - Come up with a person or event from the Cold War that
Reteaching begins with every letter of the alphabet (Use strategy from Buehl Book)
Enrich
ment
Research the Hollywood Ten and make a presentation based upon how the Red
Scare changed their careers.
"Here Comes the Reds" - Communism vs. Democracy - Based upon the rules of
checkers (Black Checkers = Democracy, Red Checkers = Communism)
"Battleship Blockade" - Game simulates the Naval Blockade of Cuba by U.S.
troops and how the Soviet Union tried to beat the blockade