SS.912.CG.3.1

Power point about political ideologies and the Cold War.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will be introduced to the origins of communism, the growing threat of the Soviet Union after War II, and the impact of the Red Scare on the United States and its citizens. This is lesson 1 of 3 in a mini-unit integrating civics and U.S. History.

Type: Lesson Plan

A guided practice incorporating primary source text used to demonstrate the growing threat of communism and its effect on U.S. citizens during the Red Scare.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this Korean War lesson, students will activate background knowledge by analyzing a quote on containment. They will investigate the Korean War through primary sources while creating a map of the war. The map focuses on the 38th Parallel, major battles, the new Demarcation Line, and Demilitarized Zone. Students will compare their maps from the beginning of the lesson to their final map in order to reflect on the Korean War.

This lesson can be done independently, in small groups, or in stations.

This is lesson 2 of 3 in a mini-unit integrating Civics and History

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will build upon prior knowledge of containment by analysis of primary sources that support and critique how to respond to the spread of communism. They will categorize these sources as ‘for’ or ‘against’ containment and the Truman Doctrine to represent there was disagreements on the best way to handle the USSR. Students will answer reflection questions connecting the view of communism seen in the sources to the Truman Doctrine. Then, students will create two of their own political cartoons, one in support and one against containment. The teacher can choose to extend the activity by doing a gallery walk of the cartoons.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will learn about early events of the Cold War and containment through analysis of primary sources of the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan. They will annotate the sources and answer critical thinking questions about why containment was imperative and how certain political ideologies conflict with democracy. This is lesson 2 in a mini unit integrating civics and social studies.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will learn about the early stages of the Cold War when the United States and Soviet Union navigated how to both be superpowers through a short reading. Then, they will identify and color countries on a map that exemplifies the divide between the East and West. This is lesson 1 of 3 in a mini unit integrating civics and social studies.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will be using primary sources to create an annotated timeline on the causes of WWII. The events start with the Treaty of Versailles and end with Hitler’s invasion of Poland. Students are tasked with describing how one event led to another to analyze how the Treaty of Versailles created instability in Europe and a climate for totalitarian dictators to take control. Ultimately, students will reflect on how dictators gained power and how their policies contrasted with democracy.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will review different forms of government and engage in a discussion and reflection of the advantages offered by the United States' constitutional republic. A slideshow, graphic organizer, pretest, and class activity allow students to apply their knowledge.

Type: Lesson Plan

This Grades 9-12 Civics Family Guide provides some ideas and activities to support civics education when at home, out and about, and in the community. The activities provided align to the civics learning benchmarks within Standard 3 at these grade levels.

Type: Teaching Idea

This teaching resource provides the tools to help students analyze President George W. Bush’s “9/11 Address to the Nation.” This resource will help students examine the president’s rhetoric and how he uses figurative language to achieve his different purposes. This includes his use of both imagery and alliteration. Students will also examine how the president uses the rhetorical device antithesis to achieve his purposes.

Type: Text Resource

Born in 1949, under the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin, Tatiana Menaker grew up in communist Soviet Union (now the Russian Federation), witnessing first-hand the inequalities that occurred under Stalin’s rule. “Refuseniks,” Tatiana and her family applied for permission to emigrate and became “Refuseniks” when they were denied permission to emigrate. Eventually, Tatiana engineered a plan that would allow her and her family to escape the Soviet Union.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Lily Tang Williams was born in communist China during Mao Zedong’s rule. She witnessed Mao’s Cultural Revolution first hand as she was growing up. She was a member of the Young Pioneers and the Red Guard, but yearned to come to the United States to learn about and live in a democracy. In 1988, she was able to come to the United States for schooling and was granted asylum status.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation