Format
This program guides participants through an examination of primary sources, artifacts, and videos to learn how the Army developed new technology and strategies to keep Americans safe during the Cold War. Participants will be encouraged to answer questions based on artifact analysis. Time will allowed for questions and answers.
Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students will be better able to:
- Discuss the fear and anxiety the Cold War produced in American society.
- Identify how United States foreign policy shifted to contain the threat of Communism in Europe.
- Recognize the commitment of Soldiers to defend the United States.
Standards Alignment
National Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
State Standards
Virginia Studies
VS.1 .a– The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by analyzing and interpreting artifacts and primary sources to understand events in Virginia History.
United States History 1865 to Present
US1L.8. – The student will apply social science skills to understand the economic, social, and political transformation of the United States and the world between the end of World War II and the present by
a) describing the rebuilding of Europe and Japan after World War II, the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers
c) examining the role of the United States in defending freedom during the Cold War, including the wars in Korea and Vietnam, the Cuban missile crisis, the collapse of communism in Europe, and the rise of new challenges;
World History & Geography 1500 to Present
WHII.12 -The student will apply social science skills to understand the conflicts during the second half of the twentieth century by
a) explaining the causes of the Cold War, including the competition between the American and Soviet economic and political systems and the causes of the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe;
b) describing the major leaders and events of the Cold War, including the location of major conflicts;
Virginia & US History
VUS.12– The student will apply social science skills to understand the United States’ foreign policy during the Cold War era by
b) explaining the origins and early development of the Cold War and how it changed American foreign policy, with emphasis on the Truman Doctrine and the policy of containment of communism;
f) analyzing the domestic impact of the Cold War;