History in Images: an exploration of the Marshall Plan Application Question: How did American involvement after WWII, specifically the Marshall Plan, affect Europe for better or for worse? So What? Students will decide whether or not the Marshall Plan positively affected Europe, whether the US was right in becoming involved, and whether or not the US should continue to become involved in foreign reconstruction efforts. NCSS Thematic Strand: Strand 9: Global Connections, Strand 5: individuals, groups and institutions; Strand 6: power, authority and governance Ohio Content Standard: Grade Ten, History 8, explain how the cold war and related conflicts influenced US foreign policy after 1945 with emphasis on the Marshall Plan Grade Level: Tenth Grade Class period Required: one 50 minute period Purpose, Background and Context: This lesson will explore the goals and the effects of the Marshall Plan and its role in changing US foreign policy after WWII. Students will gain a further understanding of the Marshall plan, which is arguably a turning point in US foreign policy, and be able to relate it to today’s controversial war in Iraq. Students will also comprehend the Marshall Plan as one piece of American Foreign policy history and see the change in the policy over time. Over the past two weeks students will have examined the outcomes of World War II, as well as the effects of the post war atmosphere in the US as well as Europe. This study of the Marshall plan is a continuation of the study of euro-american post war cooperation, and is the third in a series of five lessons focusing on this particular theme.

After gaining some background information on the Marshall plan itself through reading the text selection on it, students will then come to class and exlore political art with relevance to the Marshall Plan. These political cartoons will help make meaning of the facts about what the foreign policy of the time was and why it is important. After studying WWII in detail, and how a war can affect the political world stage, students will then use this information to understand the political and social culture of this period of time. Students will have learned how a couple of political states can affect the world stage, and example how the USSR and the US at this time are redrawing the map of Europe.

After students have gained this background understanding of the world stage at this point in time, they can then begin to understand how leaders like Stalin, Truman, and Marshall and the governments that they represent have influence on other nations.

This lesson examines the political and social culture in the time immediately following WWII and will help make sense of how a complex foreign policy like the Marshall Plan had influence on not only reconstruction of Europe but on attitudes of nations toward other political entities. This lesson

will segue into further studies of post war US/Soviet relations including such items as the communist rise to power, the Cuban missle crises, and the iron curtain. Goals, Objectives, Student Outcomes, and Performance Expectations Students will:

• analyze group and institutional influences on people, events, and elements of culture in both historical and contemporary settings, (NCSS Thematic Strand V, Performance Expectation B).

• analyze the extent to which groups and institutions meet individual needs and promote the common good in contemporary and historical settings(NCSS Thematic Strand V, Performance Expectation G)

• analyze and explain ideas and mechanisms to meet needs and wants of citizens, regulate territory, manage conflict, establish order and security, and balance competing conceptions of a just society (NCSS Thematic Strand VI, Performance Expectation C)

• analyze and evaluate conditions, actions, and motivations that contribute to conflict and cooperation within and among nations (NCSS Thematic Strand VI, Performance Expectation F)

• explain conditions and motivations that contribute to conflict, cooperation, and interdependence among groups, societies, and nations (NCSS Thematic Strand IX, Performance Expectation B)

Materials:

- Political Cartoons blown up on large posters, hung at different locations around the room

- Copies of Political Cartoon Analysis Worksheet from the National Archives and Records Administration adapted to only contain Level one and Level two boxes

- Blank Poster board for each group - Markers, crayons, other drawing tools - 25 (or # of students) Pieces of paper each with one color on it (red,

orange, yellow, green, blue) - Blackboard - Chalk

Procedures: Procedure 1: 8 minutes Bell Ringer: unveiling the cartoons! Before class begins, have pieces of paper with colors on it shuffled up ready to be handed out to students as they walk into class and write the “application” question on the board in the front of the room. As students enter, each will be handed a sheet of paper and are instructed to find their fellow group members based on what color they have. Also instruct them to pick up a packet of worksheets as they sit down (will contain 3 cartoon analysis worksheets). Once in groups, teacher will walk by each political cartoon which is blown up to

large poster board size and hung around the room covered with a sheet and unveil them. Say as you unveil them “what does this mean to you?” Once done, ask them to think about the application question in their groups and ask how their reading on the Marshall Plan from the night before is connected to it. Have them discuss briefly in groups for 2-3 minutes. Walk around from group to group, listening, making sure students are on task. Avoid giving any input to begin. Procedure 2: 15 minutes Students will then, in their groups, walk to a political cartoon pasted on the walls around the room and begin to analyze it using the worksheet as a guide. The group will have 5 minutes before they must rotate to the next cartoon and begin analyzing the next one. Groups will travel together around the room in a circle filling in their worksheets and talking about the cartoons with group members. Groups will only analyze three of the five cartoons. Procedure 3: 7 minutes Students will then return to their seats and we will regroup together. I will then ask a representative from each group to talk about one of the cartoons that they analyzed and what conclusions they came to after viewing these. Also, I will ask them to make meaning of what they already know about the Marshall Plan in terms of its political and social context. After every cartoon is discussed we will move onto the next activity specifically the cartoon on the US involvement in Iraq. Procedure 4: 12 minutes In these groups students will now create their own political cartoon using large poster board and drawing tools. These political cartoons can be from any viewpoint, can have any opinion on the Marshall plan, and may use the political cartoons studied as inspiration. Using ideas from all group members, they will draw their own huge political cartoon and hang them around the room when completed. Procedure 5: 8 minutes Final discussion on the topics of today’s class and how the Marshall Plan shows political and social culture of the time, and how it relates to US involvement in Iraq. This may stir up some debate between students which they can then disucss in their “history journals” as the assignment for the night as they reflect on the So What question of the board. Assessment of Outcomes Students will:

• Examine multiple perspectives of history through contemporary sources

• Demonstrate the ability to interpret symbolism and imagery in the field of historical study by recording information of National Archives sheet

• Discover similarities between the reconstruction of 1945 Europe and 2004 Iraq

• Analyze the importance of American foreign involvement in post-WWII Europe by creating a symbolic representation

• Evaluate the success or failure of The Marshall Plan in Europe after 1945 by presenting an argument for or against

• Identify the future outcomes and effects of the American involvement in Europe by expressing in journals the “next step” of the historical timeline

Extensions and Adaptations:

- For another extension, the lesson could be expanded into two days with further activities including spending more time creating their own political cartoon. Also, having students complete more homework, including researching in depth another conflict involving controversial student involvement such as the Vietnam War. Then taking this knowledge, creating a chart on the board or overhead discussing the similarities and differences between the conflict in question.

- ESL students will have a relatively easy time following the lesson because of the amount of pictures and visual aspects to this activity. For the writing portion, they can receive special attention if so needed, and may complete the journal written assignment in a tutoring session with me so that we may discuss it first before they have to write it down in English

- Students with other exceptionalities and learning disabilities will receive support from their fellow group members and extensions on the written assignment if so needed

Resources National Council for the Social Studies, Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum

Standards for Social Studies. (Washington, DC; 1994) Pages 38, 39, 44.

National Archives Primary Source Document Analysis Worksheet Political Cartoons: “Can He Block It”:

http://www.hermes-press.com/Stalin-Marshall-Plan.jpg “Dem Marshallplan”:

http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/images/00022814%20Freie %20Bahn.jpg

“Go Home”: http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/data/13030/0w/ft4w10060w/figures/ft4w10060w_00003.jpg

Herblock: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock/images/s03386u.jpg

Horsey: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/20061026/cartoon20061026.gif

Cartoon Analysis Worksheet Level 1 Visuals Words (not all cartoons include words)

List the objects or people you see in the cartoon.

Identify the cartoon caption and/or title.

Locate three words or phrases used by the cartoonist to identify objects or people within the cartoon.

Record any important dates or numbers that appear in the cartoon.

Level 2 Visuals Words

Which of the objects on your list are symbols?

What do you think each symbol means?

Which words or phrases in the cartoon appear to be the most significant? Why do you think so?

List adjectives that describe the emotions portrayed in the cartoon.

Level 3

Describe the action taking place in the cartoon.

Explain how the words in the cartoon clarify the symbols.

Explain the message of the cartoon.

What special interest groups would agree/disagree with the cartoon's message? Why?