The Cold War was not a true war, but a period of time after World War 2 during which rival nations competed to determine whether Democracy or Communism was superior. The fight was led by the US and Soviet Union, who raced to develop superior arms (weapons) power and space technology. Though America and the USSR did not officially fight one another, they were on opposite sides of wars such as Korea and Vietnam. The Cold War ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
In Class Activities:
- Learned about the origins of the Cold War
- Defined the Marshall Plan and discussed its impact
- Played a leaning game to demonstrate the fears each nation had of stepping away from the conflict
- Reviewed the Arms and Space race
- Briefly overviewed the Korean and Vietnam wars
- Discussed the end of the Cold War and Built replica Berlin Walls with cylindrical tops such as those seen in this photo (the wall had many portions that were designed differently)
Optional Lesson Extension Activities:
- Interactive online games - http://www.wartgames.com/themes/world/coldwar.html
- The kids asked for more information about the Cold War, specifically the Korean and Vietnam wars, as we had to cover them very (Very, VERY!) quickly. You can find a lot of appropriate videos at this site - http://www.neok12.com/Cold-War.htm
- Spies (and fear of spying) were a big part of the Cold War. Learn true spy stories at http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/spies_cold_war.htm
Assignment:
- Read History Cards #31 & 32
- Practice your timeline
