Students get a better understanding of the Cold War through simulation and primary source documents.

Curriculum/State Standards Citizenship Rights and ResponsibilitiesExplain how individual rights are relative, not absolute, and describe the balance between individual rights, the rights of others, and the common good. (09-10)

History Analyze connections between World War II, the Cold War, and contemporary conflicts. (09-10)Explain how the Cold War and related conflicts influenced U.S. foreign policy after 1945 with emphasis on:

The Marshall Plan; (10)Communist containment, including the Truman Doctrine, Berlin Blockade and Cuban Missile Crisis; (10) The Korean War and the Vietnam War. (10)

Identify major historical patterns in the domestic affairs of the United States: (09-10)

McCarthyism; (10) The space race; (10) Trace social unrest, protest and change in the United States including: (10)

Social Studies Skills and MethodsEvaluate the reliability and credibility of sources. (09-10) OverviewStudents completed Cold War simulation. Once complete, students analyzed primary sources from the Cold War time period, without much prior knowledge. After concepts were discussed, students again analyzed the primary sources, this time

with a much better understanding of what they meant. After the study of the Cold War, students completed the Cold War simulation one more time to see if the consequences of their actions would improve the end result.

ObjectivesThe student will analyze the short term and long term causes and effects of the Cold War in the United States and the world.The student will understand the events that guided Cold War policies.The student will experiment with entangling alliances, while trying to avoid the negative consequences of actions through the use of simulations.

MaterialsDecisions, Decisions: Cold War Computer Simulation; Exploring History through Primary Sources: Cold War

Readiness ActivityWithout prior discussion and little knowledge of the Cold War, students will complete a Cold War simulation.

Strategies/Activities As a class, students completed a Cold War computer simulation. During this simulation students were introduced to the software and process of the simulation. Next, students were broken up into small groups to complete the simulation once again. While doing the simulation, students completed an accompanying worksheet that came with the software. Students then were given twelve primary sources from the Cold War (varying from Incredible Hulk

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Learning About the Cold War through Simulations and Primary Sources

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magazine cover to MacArthur’s Farewell Address) to describe and analyze (without much background knowledge of the Cold War). After topics dealing with the primary sources were discussed in class, students then re-analyzed the documents relevant. As a whole class, we then discussed those primary sources. Once the Cold War was covered in its entirety, the students again completed the Cold War simulation, in hopes of getting a positive end result. An assessment that included multiple choice questions and an essay was then given on the Cold War.

Culminating ActivityCulminating activity was a final Cold War simulation in which students were able to make more educated decisions based on prior knowledge of events of the Cold War.

Evaluation MethodStudents were evaluated in numerous ways. Through interpretation of primary sources after information was discussed, through discussion, through a final Cold War simulation, and through a multiple choice/essay assessment.

Learning About the Cold War through Simulations and Primary Sources