Cold War Project
Context:
Growing out of post-World War II tensions between the two nations, the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted for much of the second half of the 20th century resulted in mutual suspicions, heightened tensions and a series of international incidents that brought the world’s superpowers to the brink of disaster. The Cold War lasted almost 50 years, from 1945-1991. The standoff consumed the presidencies of nine administrations from Harry Truman through George H.W. Bush.
Assignment:
Your task with your group members is to profile your assigned president and present how they dealt with the Cold War:
Context:
Growing out of post-World War II tensions between the two nations, the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted for much of the second half of the 20th century resulted in mutual suspicions, heightened tensions and a series of international incidents that brought the world’s superpowers to the brink of disaster. The Cold War lasted almost 50 years, from 1945-1991. The standoff consumed the presidencies of nine administrations from Harry Truman through George H.W. Bush.
Assignment:
Your task with your group members is to profile your assigned president and present how they dealt with the Cold War:
- As a group, your task is to review specific documents related to your assigned president and how they handled the Cold War.
- You will have to create a 10 minute presentation highlighting your president’s policies, as well as their successes and failures during the Cold War. Also, ensure to focus on the speeches provided to you for each president.
- You will be provided with a reading and speech(es) which you will have to review with your group members. In addition, their are videos that contain the speeches you will be reading, biographies of each president, and other documentary style footage to help you with your project.
- You may create a power-point, prezi, video, website, online poster, or any other means to present the material.
- Your main objective is to focus specifically on the president your assigned and how they handled the Cold War and evaluate their record dealing with the Cold War.
Project Steps:
1. First thing you need to do is to watch the following video for homework and take notes about the successes and failures, as well as the approach the president took regarding the Cold War:
1. First thing you need to do is to watch the following video for homework and take notes about the successes and failures, as well as the approach the president took regarding the Cold War:
Watch this if you have Truman, Eisenhower, JFK or LBJ:
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Watch this if you have Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan or Bush:
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2. Review the Miller Center (University of Virginia) biographies of your selected president and take notes using the two-column note page handed out to you.
3. Review the crash course and Adam Norris clips to get background on the different moments of the Cold War.
4. Review and analyze the provided speeches and documents for your president.
5. Review the speeches and documents with your partners and ensure you understand the speeches.
6. Review the accompanying videos for your president. Some of them are audio/video of the speeches you have to read and analyze. Other clips are documentary in style and discuss your president in the Cold War or some other factor going on at the time of your president's administration.
7. Begin working on your presentation.
3. Review the crash course and Adam Norris clips to get background on the different moments of the Cold War.
4. Review and analyze the provided speeches and documents for your president.
5. Review the speeches and documents with your partners and ensure you understand the speeches.
6. Review the accompanying videos for your president. Some of them are audio/video of the speeches you have to read and analyze. Other clips are documentary in style and discuss your president in the Cold War or some other factor going on at the time of your president's administration.
7. Begin working on your presentation.
Adam Norris Cold War Videos
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AP Crash Course Videos (Cold War Related...)
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Harry Truman, 1945-1953
- Focus: Containment of Communism, Fall of China, & the Korean War
- Key Documents: Truman Doctrine Speech, Inaugural Address, 1949
Truman Cold War Information in Textbook: Pgs. 730-743
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Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953-1961
- Focus: Proliferation of Atomic Bombs, Expansion of the Military
- Key Documents: Atoms for Peace Speech, Ike’s Farewell Message, 1961
Ike Cold War Information in Textbook: Pgs. 750-754
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Ike and the Cold War Article | |
File Size: | 1879 kb |
File Type: |
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John F. Kennedy, 1961-1963
- Focus: Berlin, Cuban Missile Crisis
- Key Documents: American Legion Speech, 1953, Berlin Speech, Address to the Nation-Quarantine Speech, American University Speech, 1963
JFK Cold War Information in Textbook: Pgs. 755-758
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Clouds Over Cuba-JFK Library
Documentary on the Cuban Missile Crisis. The documentary is broken up into 6 segments.
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Lyndon B. Johnson, 1963-1969
- Focus: Vietnam
- Key Documents: Gulf of Tonkin Speech, 1964, Address at Syracuse University,1964
LBJ Cold War Information in Textbook: Pgs. 826-837
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Richard Nixon, 1969-1974
- Focus: Détente & Triangular Diplomacy
- Key Documents: Remarks on the situation in Vietnam, 1969, Announcement of the end of Vietnam War, 1973
Nixon Cold War Information in Textbook: Pgs. 836-847
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Gerald Ford, 1974-1977
- Focus: SALT I & II & Rise in tensions with USSR
- Key Document: Remarks at the United Nations, Remarks on the Helsinki Accord Agreement, 1975
Ford Cold War Information in Textbook: Pgs. 849-851 (Read Nixon as well...)
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Jimmy Carter, 1977-1981
- Focus: Tensions with USSR and Iran-Hostage Crisis
- Key Document: Speech on Soviet-Afghan War, 1980, Remarks on the Summer Olympics Boycott
Carter Cold War Information in Textbook: Pgs. 887-890
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Ronald Reagan, 1981-1989
- Focus: Evil Empire & End of the Cold War
- Key Documents: Evil Empire Speech & Address at Brandenburg Gate, 1987
Reagan Cold War Information in Textbook: Pgs. 890, 901-905
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George H.W. Bush, 1989-1993
- Focus: End of the Cold War
- Key Document: Remarks on the Reunification of Germany, 1989
Bush Cold War Information in Textbook: Pgs. 906-909, 911, 929-930
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Period 4 |
Period 5 |
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