Teaching program—Chapter 7: The Cold War (1945 - 1990)
Unit 1
Big Idea
Key knowledge and skills
Resources
VELS standards (adapted)
How do
international
powers emerge?
History:
1 Emerging world powers after
WWII
2 The influence of communism in
the post-war period
3 The end of colonialism
Oxford Big Ideas
History Level 6,
pp. 206–211
Humanities — History, Level 6
1 Students analyse events which
contribute to Australia’s social,
political and cultural development.
2 Students analyse the impact of war
and conflict in the twentieth century.
3 They compare different
perspectives about a significant
event and make links between
historical and contemporary events.
Thinking processes:
1 Reasoning, process and
inquiry
2 Thinking creatively
Civics and Citizenship:
1 Looking globally at the world
Suggested answers to
all unit activities at
www.bigideas.com
Suggested rubrics for
Big Ideas activities at
www.bigideas.com.
Worksheet 7.1 (and
suggested answers
where appropriate) at
www.bigideas.com.
‘Communist countries’
worksheet (and
suggested answers
where appropriate) at
www.bigideas.com.
Thinking processes, Level 6
1 Students process and synthesise
complex information and complete
activities focusing on problem
solving and decision making which
involve a wide range and
complexity of variables and
solutions.
2 Students experiment with
innovative possibilities within the
parameters of a task.
Civics and Citizenship, Level 6
1 Students take a global perspective
when analysing an issue.
Learning sequence
WEEK 1— THE RISE OF NEW INTERNATIONAL POWERS
1
Ask the students, in turns, to read through pages 206 to 211.
2
Ask students to recall the changes seen in world power and order at the end of World War I and contrast and
compare them to what happened at the end of World War II. Why did traditional powers such as Great
Britain and France decline in position while the USA and Russia, later the USSR, become so strong?
3
Carry out a comparison and contrast on the board of both the USA and the USSR at the end of the war.
4
Read the section on decolonisation on page 209 of the textbook again and get students to suggest how this
reflected the declining position of the ‘old’ powers of the old.
5
Complete Questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 and 21 on page 211 for class and
homework.
WEEK 2 — EAST AND WEST
1
Read and discuss pages 209 and 210 of the textbook. Have students discuss why the Cold War developed
as it did and the importance of the successful communist revolution in China in this process.
2
Ask students to complete the questions on page 210.
3
Once you have completed this, reread the chapter and then complete the remaining questions on page 211.
Oxford Big Ideas History Level 6 ISBN 978 0 19 556562 1
© Oxford University Press Australia
Teaching program—Chapter 7: The Cold War (1945 - 1990)
Unit 2
Big Idea
Key knowledge and skills
Resources
VELS standards (adapted)
How do
international
powers
compete?
History:
1 The Cold War
2 Cold War conflicts
3 Vietnam
4 Sources – understanding
perspectives
Oxford Big Ideas
History Level 6,
pp.212–223
Humanities — History, Level 6
5 Students analyse events which
contributed to Australia’s social,
political and cultural development.
6 They compare different
perspectives about a significant
event and make links between
historical and contemporary issues.
7 They analyse changes in
technology, medicine and
communication.
Thinking processes:
1 Understanding bias and
perspective.
Civics and Citizenship:
1 Looking at global issues and their
relevance to Australia.
Suggested answers to
all unit activities at
www.bigideas.com
Suggested rubric for
Big Ideas activities at
www.bigideas.com
Worksheet 7.2 (and
suggested answers
where appropriate) at
www.bigideas.com.
Student rubric for Fresh
Ideas feature on
‘Analysing sources’ at
www.bigideas.com
Thinking processes, Level 6
1 Students discriminate in the way
they use a variety of resources
2 They generate questions that
explore perspectives.
Civics and Citizenship, Level 6
1 Students take a global perspective
when analysing an issue, and
develop their own opinions on
international issues.
Learning sequence
WEEK 1— THE COLD WAR
1
Discuss the concept of a ‘cold’ war—a war fought indirectly rather than through combat. Get students to
discuss the sort of actions or events that might have or did occur during the Cold War.
2
After looking at the photographs, drawings and other illustrations from pages 212 – 217 get students to
suggest what these illustrate or say about ways in which the Cold War was ‘fought’. Write their thoughts on
the board.
3
As a class, read through the same pages, getting students to make point notes. Once you have completed
this, ask them to compare the thoughts they had generated based on the visual material. What extra or
different information have they gained? Were their points inspired by images whose subject matter was not
covered in the textual material? If so, why? What does the double page graphic on pages 214 and 215 tell us
about the history of the Cold War and its strong and weak points?
4
Complete the questions on page 216.
5
After you have done this, ask the students to complete Questions 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15 and 20 on
page 223.
6
Read pages 218 and 219 carefully and get students to create a page in their book labelled ‘Analysing
Sources’. They are to carry out the steps set out in the Fresh Ideas exercise carefully.
Oxford Big Ideas History Level 6 ISBN 978 0 19 556562 1
© Oxford University Press Australia
WEEK 2 — CUBA AND VIETNAM: CASE STUDIES
1
Get students to divide the page in their exercise book in half and to take point notes about the information on
pages 218 to 222. One column can be headed ‘Cuba’ and the other ‘Vietnam’.
2
As a class, discuss both events and add to the list not only the actual adversaries but also their key
supporters in each case. Make a comparison between the two events to look for similarities or differences in
the way in which they were handled or the way in which they developed.
3
Complete the questions on page 219 and 222 respectively under the correct columns. The initial three
questions on page 219 can be discussed but not included under the ‘Cuba’ heading. As students are doing
this get them to consider Source 7.31 carefully, explaining that this photograph, in various forms, is viewed
as a ‘classic’ illustration of the Vietnam War. Ask them what feelings and thoughts it triggers in them and why
it might have become such a well-known image of the war. See if some students are interested in expanding
and extending their knowledge by finding out more about the photograph and the people displayed in it.
4
Having done this move on to the remainder of the questions on page 223.
5
Discuss this and then complete the ‘Continuity and Change’ worksheet for homework .
Oxford Big Ideas History Level 6 ISBN 978 0 19 556562 1
© Oxford University Press Australia
Teaching program—Chapter 7: The Cold War (1945 - 1990)
Unit 3
Big Idea
Key knowledge and skills
Resources
VELS standards (adapted)
What impact do
international
powers have on
small nations?
History:
1 Australia and alliances.
2 The impact of the Cold War on
Australia.
Oxford Big Ideas
History Level 6,
pp. 224–231
Humanities — History, Level 6
1 Students analyse events which
contribute to Australia’s social,
political and cultural development.
2 Students analyse the impact of key
wars and conflicts.
3 They identify, comprehend and
evaluate a range of primary and
secondary sources, including visual
sources.
Thinking processes:
1 How societal views and
attitudes undergo challenge
and change.
2 Making logical comparisons.
3 Cause and effect
Civics and Citizenship
1 The effects of the Cold War on
the Australian view of the
world.
Suggested answers to
all unit activities at
www.bigideas.com
Suggested rubric for
Big Ideas activities at
www.bigideas.com
Worksheet 7.3 (and
suggested answers
where appropriate) at
www.bigideas.com.
Thinking processes, Level 6
1 Students discriminate in the way
that they use a variety of sources.
2 They take calculated risks when
defining tasks and generating
solutions.
3 They use specific terms to discuss
their thinking, select and use
thinking processes and tools
appropriate to particular tasks, and
evaluate their effectiveness.
Civics and Citizenship, Level 6
1 Students take a global perspective
when analysing an issue, and
describe the role of global
organisations in responding to
international issues.
LEARNING SEQUENCE
WEEK 1— AUSTRALIA AND THE COLD WAR
1
Start the class by asking the students how and where Australia was involved in the Cold War? While they may mention
Vietnam see if they are aware of other involvement against communism in areas such as Korea, Malaysia etc. They should
be able to mention some of these events after their previous work
2
Read pages 224 – 230 as a class. Get students to read about and then complete the questions on page 225 before moving
on to look at the Australian reaction to communism in Asia. Look for similarities and differences between Australia and the
United States of America in their reactions to it, refer back to the previous work when you are doing this. Get students to list
these and then compare their lists to each others’.
3
Students need to try and understand the ‘fear’ that existed about the spread of communism through Asia and this will
enable them to understand things such as the split of the Labor Party or the reaction to the Petrov Affair .
4
Interested students could carry out more research into the attempt to ban the communist part in Australia. Students could
debate whether in a ‘democracy’ any political parties should be banned.
1
As a class the students should carry out some research on either the Petrov Affair of the DLP split. They could look at why
repercussions at that time and possible carry out a ‘hypothetical’ on what would happen if a ‘spy’ were to defect openly in
Australia now or if there were an attempt to ban a political party that already existed.
5
Students should then complete the relevant Big Idea questions on page 231; questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12, and 13. As a
class you could then watch the Marcoo video and discuss the question set out in the Big Ideas section and Australia’s
attitude towards nuclear weapons now as opposed to then.
Oxford Big Ideas History Level 6 ISBN 978 0 19 556562 1
© Oxford University Press Australia
WEEK 2
— AUSTRALIA AND VIETNAM
1
Read pages 228 – 230 and discuss the attitudes shown on these pages towards communism in general and communism in
Asia in particular. See if you can set these attitudes out in sequence or in a timeline.
2
Look carefully at the graphics at the same time and discuss how these reflect attitudes or changing views as well. Think
about the effect a photograph such as Source 7.41 might have on an audience in Australia at the time it was published.
How might it affect Australia’s political relationship with the USA?
3
Get students to reflect on the final section on the Cold War and to explain why Australia pulled out from Vietnam and
whether this reflected a changed attitude towards just Vietnam or towards the Cold War as a whole.
4
Complete the questions on page 230.
5
Complete the remaining questions from the Big Ideas page, page 231.
Oxford Big Ideas History Level 6 ISBN 978 0 19 556562 1
© Oxford University Press Australia
Teaching program— Chapter 7: Transferring ideas: The alliance
system before World War I
Big Idea
Key knowledge and skills
Resources
VELS standards (adapted)
How do countries
interact?
History:
1 Pre-World War I alliances.
2 Arms races- Empires playing
games.
3 The political consequences of
international competition.
Oxford Big Ideas
History Level 6,
pp. 232–233
Humanities — History, Level 6
1 Students analyse the impact of
some key wars and conflicts in the
twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
2 Students critically evaluate sources
of evidence for context, information,
reliability, completeness, objectivity
and bias.
Thinking processes:
1 How are political and historical
decisions made?
2 What are the results of ‘poor’
international diplomacy?
Suggested answers
and rubric for
Transferring ideas
activities at
www.bigideas.com
.
Thinking processes, Level 6
1 Students discriminate in the way
they use a variety of sources.
2 They make informed decisions
based on their analysis of various
perspectives and sometimes
contradictory, information.
LESSON (IF COMPLETED IN CLASS)
1
Complete the Transferring Ideas spread in class or as homework as an assessable item. If desired, each of the activities
may be completed by a group who then provided their thoughts and findings to the rest of the class.
2
In completing this exercise on the pre-war alliances, students will need to think back to the chapter on World War I and use
established knowledge as well as further research to inform their answers.
Oxford Big Ideas History Level 6 ISBN 978 0 19 556562 1
© Oxford University Press Australia