Lesson Plan
(Vietnam- Dien Bien Phu, origins of the war, and early U.S. involvement)
Teacher Name: John Frazier Grade level(s):9-12 Course: World History or American
History
Describe the classroom or homework activity to be performed (individual
assignment, cooperative learning, cross curricular, technology based,
using artifacts and/or primary sources, etc.)

Individual, technology based, primary sources and cooperative learning

This lesson incorporates multiple activities. First, students will work
individually and then with a partner. They will use computers, primary
resources, and secondary resources to help gain information and then
present that information to other classmates. Students will be interpreting
and analyzing primary resources mostly in the form of videos. This lesson
will incorporate many different activities. The teacher will need access to
several computers. A projector will be helpful, but not required. Note: If
you like this methodology, I developed a similar lesson on the Ruhr Crisis
that is posted under the 2009 summer teachers’ conference.
Rationale (why are you doing this?)

The Vietnam War was an important event in U.S. and World History.
Students need to fully understand the beginning phases of the war. I want
the students to see the Vietnam War in the larger context of the Cold War.
Required time frame: Approximately, one ninety minute class or two forty-five
minute classes. The larger the class size the more time the lesson will take.
Where in the teacher conference did you get the idea for this activity or
assignment (speaker, document, photograph, activity, audio recording,
other)?



Vietnam Veterans panel
Gary Hess's book Presidential Decisions for War.
Presidential Decision presentation by Marsha Sharp.
Lesson objectives – the student will:



understand the origins of the Vietnam War and how the U.S. became
involved.
be able to describe the battle of Dien Bien Phu and how it led to French
withdrawal from Vietnam.
analyze the Vietnam War within the larger context of the Cold War.
District, state, or national performance and knowledge
standards/goals/skills met (be specific when referencing): From the Missouri
Show Me Standards

SS 6. relationships of the individual and groups to institutions and cultural
traditions

SS 2. continuity and change in the history of Missouri, the United States
and the world

SS 6. relationships of the individual and groups to institutions and cultural
traditions
Secondary materials (book, article, video documentary, etc.) needed – cite
title and other detailed information:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th7tImvzutc narration of video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur9qVP2As3Y narration of video

www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_
music/filmi_sangeet/media/1954_Dien_Bien_P.jpg&imgrefurl=http://chandr
akantha.com/articles/indian_music/filmi_sangeet/film_song_1954.html&h=
253&w=375&sz=53&tbnid=_MQOg9vDH0glM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dimages%2Bof%2
BDien%2BBien%2BPhu&hl=en&usg=__DGO5JG7zyfWgBBzgVYhp4qCWf8=&sa=X&ei=CUAyTJ6mJtCinQe9mvCKBA&ved=0CBYQ9QEw
AA description of 1954 events.
Primary sources (document, photograph, artifact, diary or letter, audio or
visual recording, etc.) needed – cite detailed information:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur9qVP2As3Y images

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th7tImvzutc images

www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_
music/filmi_sangeet/media/1954_Dien_Bien_P.jpg&imgrefurl=http://chandr
akantha.com/articles/indian_music/filmi_sangeet/film_song_1954.html&h=
253&w=375&sz=53&tbnid=_MQOg9vDH0glM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dimages%2Bof%2
BDien%2BBien%2BPhu&hl=en&usg=__DGO5JG7zyfWgBBzgVYhp4qCWf8=&sa=X&ei=CUAyTJ6mJtCinQe9mvCKBA&ved=0CBYQ9QEw
AA images

http://www.arqnet.pt/imagens3/imag050501.jpg
Fully describe the activity or assignment in detail. What will both you and
the students do?

Divide the class into two equal groups. Group 1 and 2 will work on their
projects simultaneously until it is time to give the group presentations.
Teacher should be moving around the room, insuring that all students are
participating and completing the assigned tasks.

GROUP 1: The first group of students will listen and watch the video on
the website link listed below on the origins of the crisis. The video is titled
“Battlefield Vietnam Dien Bien Phu.” The video describes the origins of the
war involving France, the beginning of U.S. involvement, and a brief
description of the battle of Dien Bien. The website link is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur9qVP2As3Y

Students from group one will pair off. Each pair will work at a single
computer constructing a set of notes on this video while they are watching
it. Students should be each individually taking the notes, not consulting
one another. Each student should construct their own set of notes. Then
the students, now working with their partner, will construct a page
summary of the video explaining the importance of the French failure in
Vietnam, how the conflict played itself out in the larger Cold War, and how
that led to direct U.S. involvement. Students should use their notes they
just created to help them construct the paper. The teacher will then have
each pair of students from group one present their summary of the French
failures in Vietnam crisis to group two. Group two students will take notes
on the presentations.

GROUP 2: The second group of students will listen and watch the video
on the website link listed below on the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. The video
is titled "Dien Bien Phu documentary.” This video describes in detail the
battle of Dien Bien Phu The website link is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th7tImvzutc

Students from group two will pair off. Each pair will work at a single
computer constructing a set of notes on this video while they are watching
it. Students should be each working individually at taking the notes, not
consulting one another. Each student should construct a set of notes.
Then the students, now working with their partner, will construct a page
summary of the video explaining the importance of the Battle of Dien Bien
Phu. Students should use their notes to help them construct the paper.
The teacher will then have each pair of students from group two present
their summary of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu to group one. Group one
students will take notes on the presentations.

Both videos are approximately ten minutes in length.

If time remains, students can look at the images of defeated French troops
on the following websites dealing with Vietnam and Dien Bien Phu on
1954 events:

www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_
music/filmi_sangeet/media/1954_Dien_Bien_P.jpg&imgrefurl=http://chandr
akantha.com/articles/indian_music/filmi_sangeet/film_song_1954.html&h=
253&w=375&sz=53&tbnid=_MQOg9vDH0glM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dimages%2Bof%2
BDien%2BBien%2BPhu&hl=en&usg=__DGO5JG7zyfWgBBzgVYhp4qCWf8=&sa=X&ei=CUAyTJ6mJtCinQe9mvCKBA&ved=0CBYQ9QEw
AA

http://www.arqnet.pt/imagens3/imag050501.jpg

The teacher should create student directed questions about the images on
the above websites. These questions can either be presented orally by the
teacher or written on paper and passed out to the students. An example
question would be: “What do these images tell us about the French's
failure at Dien Bien Phu?”
Assessment: fully explain your assessment method in detail or create and
attach your scoring guide:

In the scoring guide, the teacher should use his or her knowledge about
the level of students they teach, matching student achievement with an
appropriate score. This scoring guide is attended to hold students
accountable for all aspects this lesson plan incorporates.
Scoring Guide:

Student name __________________________ Group 1 or 2

Individual notes on video 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Written summary with partner 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Presentation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Taking notes on opposite group’s presentation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Total points ____/40