The Cold War Begins

Hello gang,
I hope you had a safe and restful weekend. We have ended our run in World War II, the US arising not only as victors but true superpowers on the world stage. There will be some major "fallout" (no pun intended) from actions taken during the War. We will witness a former ally (USSR) becoming the United States worst enemy for a prolonged period (almost the rest of the century). The Cold War was not a true "war" in the sense that the two rivals never directly fought with one another. Rather it is more like a chess match where the two flex their muscles in terms of technology, political control of world regions, and weapons buildup. It was a terrifying time for many Americans as these rivals gained nuclear capabilities that, if used, would have devastating impacts for the entire world. Yikes!

Day 1 Agenda April 14 ---Cold War
Outcome(s):
By the end of class students will have a better understanding of the origins of the Cold War and the early events that influenced the Cold War era.

Lesson Activities/ Resources:
1)Focus: Small group activity: hand out definition sheet (such as socialism, etc.) Have students write one quote that summarizes the belief or philosophy

2) Origins of Cold War PowerPoint/discussion
3)Hand out TCI 1.2 Slide handouts. Students will read the handout and create a timeline of early events in the cold war. (May be done in groups and presented or individually as time allows)
For each event, do the following:
· Place the event in the appropriate location of the timeline with a label and date(s)
· Write a short paragraph or two to five bullets of important information about the event
· Draw a “thumbs up or thumbs down for the event to indicate whether you think the country or countries involved should be praised or condemned for their actions. Write a short justification statement to accompany each symbol
Example
I think the US should be praised for approving the Marshall Plan because many countries were
relieved from economic hardship and Western Europe was saved from communist aggression
_______1947_____________________________________________________________
*The plan provided 17 billion dollars to rebuild Western Europe after WWII
*The plan was designed to cement American ties to Western Europe. It was also intended to prevent the spread of communism
4)Review the roots of the Cold War


Daily Assessment:
Exit Question: Create a metaphor for the U.S. role in the early Cold War.
The role of the United States in the Cold War was like________________ because
*A police officer on campus * A referee at a basketball game
* A bully on the playground * A gunfighter in the Wild West
Explain why

Unit: Cold War
Day: 2

Outcome(s): By the end of class students will have a better understanding of the origins of the Cold War and the early events that influenced the Cold War era.
Explain how Communists came to power in China and how the US reacted
Summarize the events of the Korean War
Describe the efforts of Senator Joseph McCarthy to investigate alleged Communist influence in the United States
1) Focus: Answer skill builder questions 1 and 2 on page 604
2)Instruct/Assess: Review Timeline/ McCarthyism PowerPoint
3)Watch the Presidents video Truman-Eisenhower (or farther if time)
Exit Question: How did the fear of Communism at home and abroad guide American politics in the 1950’s?
Discuss 2 actions taken in response to the communist threat at home or abroad.
Have a great week!