Cold War WebQuest: You only have 2 days to complete this group activity, you cannot goof
off and get this done! You will ONLY get Thursday & Friday to complete it!
The Cold War was a period of tension that created hostility between countries and
eventually affected most of the world between 1946-1991. While war and annihilation
seemed like a possibility at times, the countries that were involved in the Cold War opted
to gain control and power through other avenues other than total war. Many major events
happened during this time period that helped shape the 20th century.
Each team member must answer the General Knowledge Questions for themselves (the
textbook may be most useful for this!). You and your group (groups of 4) will then be
learning and researching about two of the 8 phases of the Cold War Era. Then each of you
in your group of 4 will become experts in the topics that you choose. It will be your
responsibility to gather the appropriate information, compile the data, and answer the
questions about each of your topics, then you must share that information with the rest of
your group. You will have only two days to do this, so you must work hard with no goofing
Cold War WebQuest: You only have 2 days to complete this group activity, you cannot goof
off and get this done! You will ONLY get Thursday & Friday to complete it!
off! This means you may have to do some of your research and prep as homework, so you
can teach your team on Friday!!!! You and your team’s knowledge will be tested on the
Monday after Spring Break with an exam….
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The Cold War: General Knowledge
What is the Cold War? What were the causes of the Cold War? What is domino theory?
What was the Iron Curtain? How did it develop?
Who was George Kennan? What was the containment policy? What was the Truman Doctrine?
What was the Marshall Plan? Compare this to the US reaction after WWI.
What was life in US like during Cold War? For women & minorities?
What was the 2nd Red Scare? Why did it happen? Who was Senator McCarthy and what was
his role in this period?
What events helped increase the fear of communism in the US in the late 1940s?
The 8 Major Topics
Korean War
Six Essential Questions:
1. What was the situation in Korea before the war began in 1950? What were the reasons the War started?
2. Was it actually a war? What countries were involved?
3. What were the key battles of the war? What was the outcome of the War?
4. Who were the historical personalities involved and what were their roles?
5. List the positions of the two (or more) sides of the conflict. How did the war end?
Use these links to help you find your information:
Korean War History Guide
Animated Korean War Map
The National Cold War Exhibition: Korean War
Video: Korean War
The Forgotten War
Military.com: Korean War Begins
Life.com Korea Picture Gallery #1
Life.com Korea Picture Gallery #2
Life.com Korea Picture Gallery #3
Vietnam War
Cold War WebQuest: You only have 2 days to complete this group activity, you cannot goof
off and get this done! You will ONLY get Thursday & Friday to complete it!
Six Essential Questions:
1. What were conditions in Vietnam before the US gets involved in the late 1950s? What were the reasons the War
started?
2. Was it actually a war?
3. What countries were involved?
4. What were some of the key events/battles of the war? What was the outcome of the War?
5. Who were the historical personalities involved and what were their roles? What role did television & public opinion play
in this war?
6. List the positions of the two (or more) sides of the conflict.
Use these links to help you with your information:
Battlefield of Vietnam
Vietnam Pix
National Cold War Exhibition: Vietnam War
History 1900's: Vietnam War
History and Timeline of the Vietnam
Digital History of the Vietnam War
Photo Gallery: History.com
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Six Essential Questions:
1. What is this event? Why did the United States feel they needed to invade?
2. Who did they get to invade?
3. What countries were involved?
4. What was the outcome of the invasion?
5. Who were the historical personalities involved and what were their roles?
6. List the positions of the two (or more) sides of the conflict.
Use these links to help you with your information:
History of Cuba: Bay of Pigs
Thinkquest: Bay of Pigs
The National Cold War Exhibit: Bay of Pigs Invasion
JFK Library: Bay of Pigs
Bay of Pigs Invasion Timeline
Life Magazine's Gallery of Pics for Bay of Pigs
Cuban Missile Crisis
Six Essential Questions
1. How were the missiles discovered?
2. Why were the missiles sent to Cuba?
3. What countries were involved?
4. Describe what the outcome was.
5. Who were the historical personalities involved and what were their roles?
6. List the positions of the two (or more) sides of the conflict.
Use these links to help you with your information:
National Security Archives: Cuban Missile Crisis
Cold War: Cuban Missile Crisis
National Cold War Exhibition: Cuban Missile Crisis
Video: Kennedy Address on the Cuban Missile Crisis (3:04)
Video: Cuban Missile Crisis (3:49)
History.com's Photo Gallery
National Security Agency's Photo Gallery
Berlin Wall
Six Essential Questions:
1. For what reasons was the Berlin Wall built?
Cold War WebQuest: You only have 2 days to complete this group activity, you cannot goof
off and get this done! You will ONLY get Thursday & Friday to complete it!
2. What impact did it have on Germany and its people?
3. What countries were involved?
4. Why was it considered a symbol of the Cold War?
5. Who were the historical personalities involved and what were their roles?
6. List the positions of the two (or more) sides of the conflict.
Use these links to help you with your information:
Retracing the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall Online
Berlin Wall History
Time Magazine's Photo Gallery of the Berlin Wall
Video: Berlin Wall (3:26)
Video: The Fall of the Berlin Wall (2:55)
Berlin Wall Timeline
Berlin Airlift
Six Essential Questions:
1. Why did the Airlift have to take place?
2. What impact did it have on the people of Germany and Eastern Europe?
3. What countries were involved?
4. Why was it considered a symbol of the Cold War?
5. Who were the historical personalities involved and what were their roles?
6. List the positions of the two (or more) sides of the conflict.
Use these links to help you with your information:
Harry S. Truman Library: Berlin Airlift
PBS's The American Experience: Berlin Airlift
Britain's Small Wars: The Berlin Airlift
Military History: Berlin Airlift
The National Cold War Exhibition: Berlin Airlift
Eagles Over Berlin: Berlin Airlift Photo Gallery
The Planes of the Berlin Airlift
Arms Race
Six Essential Questions:
1. Explain the growth of atomic weapons between the two superpowers.
2. Who were the two superpowers during the Cold War?
3. Who were the historical personalities and what were their roles?
4. List the achievements (firsts) of the Superpowers involved in the ArmsRace.
5. What were the outcomes of the Arms race between the two Cold War superpowers?
6. List the positions of the two (or more) sides of the conflict.
Use these links to help you with your information:
The History Learning Site: The Nuclear Arms Race
PBS's The Race for the Superbomb: The Nuclear Arms Race
Arms Race History
The Atomic Archives: Cold War History
National Archives UK: Nuclear Arms Race
Disarmament and Peace Org: Cold War
Space Race
Six Essential Questions:
1. Who were the two superpowers during the Cold War?
2. Who were the historical personalities and what were their roles?
3. Why was the launch of Sputnik so historically significant toward the space race?
4. List the achievements (firsts) of the Superpowers involved in the Space Race.
5. What were the outcomes of the Space race between the two Cold War superpowers?
6. List the positions of the two (or more) sides of the conflict.
Cold War WebQuest: You only have 2 days to complete this group activity, you cannot goof
off and get this done! You will ONLY get Thursday & Friday to complete it!
Use these links to help you with the information:
The Cold War and the Space Race
National Cold War Exhibition: Space Race
The Cold War Museum: Space Race
National Air and Space Museum: Space Race
The Space Race website
Digital History: The Space Race