Defining US: The American Experience
FCPS Teaching American History Grant
LESSON PLAN
Subject: __US History ____________________________ Grade: ______11_______________
Prepared by: Lynne Dubin_________________________ School: _Madison HS ___________
Title or Topic: __Truman’s Foreign Policy Decisions __________________________________
Instructional Time: ___one/two class periods ________________________________________
PART I.-CONTEXT
1. Essential Learning: (Big picture/concept to be learned.)
As President, Harry S. Truman made bold foreign policy decisions which still affect us today.
2. Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL):
VUS.12 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the United States foreign policy since World
War II by
a. Describing outcomes of World War II, including…the Marshall Plan
b. Explaining the origins of the Cold War, and describing the Truman Doctrine and the policy of
containment of Communism, the American role in wars in Korea …
c. Explaining the role of America’s military and veterans in defending freedom during the Cold
War.
3. Fairfax County Program of Studies (POS):
United States and Virginia History
12.1 D: Identify measures by the United States to ensure stability in Europe after the war.
12.1 E: Define and describe the containment policy of the United States.
12.1 G: Explain the reasons for, and the results of, the United States involvement in Korea…
4. National History Standard (Historical Thinking Standard)
 Historical Issue-Analysis and Decision-Making
5.
Learning Strategy(s) Objectives:
 Use Resources
 Take Notes
 Summarize
6. Connection to TAH grant:
Lesson content was inspired by lecture by Professor Errico and presentation by Professor
Denenberg
Pedagogy was inspired by emphasis on use of documents
PART II.
1. Assessment:
Students will prepare and present a portion of the chart dealing with foreign policy decisions made
by Harry Truman. (See attached materials.)
2. Instructional Strategies:
 Using hand out, discuss introductory questions.
 Review: factors to be considered in making foreign policy decisions. (Listed as
introduction to lesson on American Imperialism.)
 Divide class into 6 groups, each assigned one major foreign policy decision made by
President Truman. This will be considered the “Expert Groups.”
 Allow time for students to work on their assigned decision.
 Jigsaw the groups so that there are now groups of 6 where each student has done a
different assignment. These are considered “Sharing Groups.”
 Instruct students to share the contents of the last 3 columns, so every student can fill
in that portion of their charts.
 Reassemble full class for discussion of following questions:
A. How well did President Truman follow his own philosophy regarding decision
making?
B. To what extent do the major decisions he made continue to affect our world
today? How negative or positive are those effects?
3. Materials/Resources to be used:
Primary and secondary source documents taken from books & websites listed in bibliography.
Documents should be grouped by topic to be researched: Bombing of Hiroshima, Truman Doctrine,
Marshall Plan, Berlin Airlift, Recognition of Israel, and Participation in the Korean War.
Some suggestions are:
1. Bombing of Hiroshima
Official Bombing Order, July 25, 1945
Source: U.S. National Archives, Record Group 77, Records of the Office of the Chief of
Engineers, Manhattan Engineer District, TS Manhattan Project File '42 to '46, Folder 5B
"(Directives, Memos, Etc. to and from C/S, S/W, etc.)."
2. Truman Doctrine
The Avalon Project at Yale Law School
Truman Doctrine: PRESIDENT HARRY S. TRUMAN'S ADDRESS BEFORE A JOINT
SESSION OF CONGRESS, MARCH 12, 1947
3. Marshall Plan
 Harry S. Truman's letter to Herbert Hoover regarding Report no. 3, March 24, 1947
 The Airlift Begins Chapter section from:
Airbridge to Berlin --- The Berlin Crisis of 1948, its Origins and Aftermath
By D.M. Giangreco and Robert E. Griffin © 1988 (Used with permission)
4. Berlin Airlift
The Airlift Begins Chapter section from:
Airbridge to Berlin --- The Berlin Crisis of 1948, its Origins and Aftermath
By D.M. Giangreco and Robert E. Griffin © 1988 (Used with permission)
5. Recognition of Israel
Transcript of Press Release Announcing U.S. Recognition of Israel (1948),
http://www.classbrain.com
6. Participation in Korean War
Statement, dated June 27, 1950, by President Harry S. Truman, announcing his order to send
U.S. air and naval forces to help defend South Korea and explaining the rationale for his
decision. Papers of George M. Elsey obtained from truman.library.gov
4. Differentiation:
Selections used with students with weaker reading skills might be different or shortened.
5. Attachments:
 instruction sheet
 chart (three pages)
6. Annotated Bibliography:
www.nara.gov
Major site for United States government documents.
www.classbrain.com
Contains significant documents in U.S. history and some introductory material which explains their
importance.
www.Dannen.com/decision
This is an anti-atomic bomb site which contains documents related to Hiroshima.
Denenberg, Dennis and Lorraine Roscoe. 50 American Heroes Every Kid should Meet. Brookfield,
Connecticut: The Millbrook Press, 2001.
Short two page explanations of the contributions of 50 Americans whom these authors selected as most
important.
www.krohm.com
A website for a software development company that provided a link to primary source documents.
Miller, Merle. Plain Speaking. New York: Berkley Books, 1984.
This is a classic – an oral biography of Harry S. Truman which reflects his personal style and contains
portions of interviews of those closest to him in his career.
Monk, Linda R. Ordinary Americans. Alexandria, Virginia: Close Up Publishing, 2003.
U.S. history told through primary source documents which are mainly writings of “ordinary” Americans.
Truman, Harry S. Memoirs of Harry S. Truman 1945. Vols. I & II. New York: Da Capo Press, 1955.
Truman’s memoirs of his Presidential years, edited by him!
www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop
Contains documents and letters and related information on the Truman Presidency.
www.Yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/trudoc.ht
Site for primary source documents.
Attachment
Introduction To Jigsaw Assignment on Truman’s Foreign Policy
“The buck stops here.” Truman
“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” Mark Twain
“If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.” Truman (Denenberg 102)
“What I do know is when you have weak Presidents, you get weak results.” Truman (Miller 375)
“I have never known a man who kept so clearly in mind what were first things. Mr. Truman was unable
to make the simple complex in the way so many men in public life tend to do. …If one makes something
complex out of something simple, then one is able to delay making up one’s mind. And that was
something that never troubled Mr. Truman.” Statement by Dean Acheson (Miller 259)
Class discussion:
 Interpret each of the statements.
 Collectively, what do these statements tell us about Mr. Truman’s character? …decision making
ability?
Instructions for Jigsaw Assignment on Truman’s Foreign Policy
For this assignment you will be placed in one of six groups. Each group will be responsible for
one major foreign policy decision made by President Truman. For the decision assigned you
will:
 Read the source material you are given.

Read the related material in your textbook.

Discuss the decision with others in your group, focusing on the 6 columns to be filled in
on your portion of the chart.

All group members fill in the 6 blank columns for their topic on their individual charts.

Prepare to share this material with another group.

Groups will then be rearranged so that each new group of 6 has one member who did the
work for each of the decisions.
Attachment 2
Situation/Problem
Possible
Responses
Cons
Pros
Decision/Policy
Bombing of
Hiroshima
Truman
Doctrine
Results Then
Results Now
Situation/Problem
Possible
Responses
Cons
Pros
Decision/Policy
Marshall Plan
Berlin Airlift
Results Then
Results Now
Situation/Problem
Possible
Responses
Cons
Pros
Decision/Policy
Recognition of
Israel
Participation in
Korean War
Results Then
Results Now