SS.912.A.6.10

Try this 8-question multiple choice quiz to see how much you know about America in the 1950s. Foreign and domestic policy are both included in these questions.

Type: Assessment

Try this 13-question multiple choice quiz to see how much you know about post-WWII America and the beginnings of the Cold War.

Type: Assessment

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

Students will become familiar with the creation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War. This lesson will introduce students to the creation of both the Marshall Plan and Truman Docrtine, and how they were both used as tools to contain the spread of communism.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will review key terms and people during the Cold War era.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Who was primarily responsible for the Cold War: the United States or the Soviet Union? The teacher begins with a timeline and brief PowerPoint to set up early Cold War chronology. Students then receive 2 documents-Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech and the "Truman Doctrine" speech-answer guiding questions and formulating an initial (probably pro-American) hypothesis. They then corroborate this with another 2 documents-a telegram by Soviet ambassador Novikov and a critical speech by Henry Wallace-and formulate another (perhaps more sympathetic to the Soviet position) hypothesis. Students share answers and discuss as a class: which hypothesis is more believable? What further evidence would you like to see?

Type: Lesson Plan

Explore the beginnings of the Cold War from 1945 to 1953. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn why this rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union was a unique conflict in our nation's history and how the U.S. assumed the role of world leader after World War II.  Finally, you'll learn how the Korean War was a proxy war in the larger context of the Cold War.  

This is part 2 in a two-part series. CLICK HERE to open Part 1. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about the Second Red Scare that swept America in the early years of the Cold War with this interactive tutorial. You'll also learn about McCarthyism, the era of suspicion and persecution that gets its name from the actions of notorious Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, explore the beginnings of the Cold War from 1945 to 1953.  You'll learn why this rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union was a unique conflict in our nation's history, and how the U.S. assumed the role of world leader after World War II.  Finally, you'll learn how the Korean War was a proxy war in the larger context of the Cold War.  

CLICK HERE to open Part 2.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

This full-length video is a complete biography of Harry Truman, 33rd President of the United States. Topics touched on include the atomic bombing of Japan, the Cold War, and the Korean War. Teachers should find the video an excellent resource to review or learn more about this time period.

The webpage also includes numerous shorter videos, articles, and primary sources about Truman and this time period in history, as well as a teacher's guide for using the film in class.

Type: Resource Collection

Learn about key events in American history from World War II to the Vietnam War in this tutorial video provided by Khan Academy. In this brief historical overview, topics include the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Korean War, and the Space Race.

Type: Tutorial

In this tutorial video from Khan Academy, you'll learn about the origins of the Cold War. This unusual conflict pitted the United States (and its Western democratic allies) against the Soviet Union (and its communist satellite states). Although these nations never went to war directly, their rivalry would shape the world for decades!

Type: Tutorial

In this tutorial video brought to you by Khan Academy, you'll learn about the economic system called communism. This video explores the origins and history of communism and explains its connections to authoritarian forms of government.

Type: Tutorial

In this tutorial video from Khan Academy, you'll learn about the causes, course, and consequences of the Korean War.

Type: Tutorial

View a brief, funny video about our 33rd President, Harry S. Truman, the president who helped bring about an end to World War II and later got America involved in the Korean War.

Type: Tutorial