Why Study Foreign Policy?
Historical subjects oftentimes lack the widespread appeal other subjects conjure. The perception revolving around these classes alludes students to think they only have to remember dates and what happened, as opposed to why it was significant. Thinking back to my own classes studying the Cold War, much of what we did in class was learn the who, what, when, where aspects whereas there was little attention paid towards the why aspect. Each student will approach this unit with varied amounts of background knowledge which they use as a lens to view new information. Students will have the opportunity to form different perspectives on events during the Cold War, which is a good thing, as it means students have analyzed and experienced the sources on a deep enough level to justify differing viewpoints.
Through utilizing differentiated instructional methods, my goal is to describe and have students experience the Cold War in innovative ways. The big ideas in this unit include the establishment of peacekeeping entities and military alliances, differences in desires for the post-WWII world between the Western nations and the Soviet Union, effects of Communism on policy enactment both abroad and domestically, and American entry into the Vietnam War. These ideas will serve as a base or framework for studying the Cold War, and with completion of each section of the unit, students will build a more complete idea of the major components occurring during the Cold War. It is critical for students to analyze and think critically about questions raised in this unit. Questions such as the effectiveness of the United Nations and the differences in ambitions between the United States and Soviet Union in controlling the post-WWII world, as this is where the why it is significant questions will be answered. Students will display their analytical skills by completing various graphic organizers, writing assignments such as Quick Writes, hypothetical letters to foreign leaders, and engaging each other in a mock debate depicting the Yalta Conference.
The Cold War arises out of tensions carried over from World War II and its effects are still being felt to this day. The U.S. became incredibly involved in global issues during the Twentieth Century and, as a result, our involvement in the Cold War reflected our desire to maintain our status as a superpower. As students complete the World War II unit we will begin studying eras of history that many students can more easily personally relate with. Some of the topics covered in the Cold War unit occurred recent enough to be remembered by parents or grandparents of students. Students and teachers both benefit from the incredible amount of primary source material available while studying Twentieth Century U.S. history. This era of history is full of photographs, newspapers, music, speeches, diaries, and myriad other primary sources. Some of the primary sources used in this unit include Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War” song, letters written by JFK, political cartoons, and photos from the Vietnam War. Online primary source databases make access to these sources easier than ever before. Through primary source analysis students will have an opportunity to raise their own questions and form opinions based on their individual findings.
Through utilizing differentiated instructional methods, my goal is to describe and have students experience the Cold War in innovative ways. The big ideas in this unit include the establishment of peacekeeping entities and military alliances, differences in desires for the post-WWII world between the Western nations and the Soviet Union, effects of Communism on policy enactment both abroad and domestically, and American entry into the Vietnam War. These ideas will serve as a base or framework for studying the Cold War, and with completion of each section of the unit, students will build a more complete idea of the major components occurring during the Cold War. It is critical for students to analyze and think critically about questions raised in this unit. Questions such as the effectiveness of the United Nations and the differences in ambitions between the United States and Soviet Union in controlling the post-WWII world, as this is where the why it is significant questions will be answered. Students will display their analytical skills by completing various graphic organizers, writing assignments such as Quick Writes, hypothetical letters to foreign leaders, and engaging each other in a mock debate depicting the Yalta Conference.
The Cold War arises out of tensions carried over from World War II and its effects are still being felt to this day. The U.S. became incredibly involved in global issues during the Twentieth Century and, as a result, our involvement in the Cold War reflected our desire to maintain our status as a superpower. As students complete the World War II unit we will begin studying eras of history that many students can more easily personally relate with. Some of the topics covered in the Cold War unit occurred recent enough to be remembered by parents or grandparents of students. Students and teachers both benefit from the incredible amount of primary source material available while studying Twentieth Century U.S. history. This era of history is full of photographs, newspapers, music, speeches, diaries, and myriad other primary sources. Some of the primary sources used in this unit include Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War” song, letters written by JFK, political cartoons, and photos from the Vietnam War. Online primary source databases make access to these sources easier than ever before. Through primary source analysis students will have an opportunity to raise their own questions and form opinions based on their individual findings.