Year 3: Unit 2 – “Peace, Progress, and Prosperity” – The 1950s and the Early Cold War (1945 – 1962): Lessons

Central Question: How did the international community respond to World War II?

Historical Background

Following World War II, the international community was devastated by the losses of the conflict. With millions of soldiers and millions more civilians lost in the chaos of the war, countries across the globe hoped to come together to prevent such devastation from happening again. Immediately following the war, the Nuremberg Trials established a new code of law to prosecute the leaders of the Nazi Party as well as to prevent such war crimes from happening again. At the same time, many nations came together to form an international body called the United Nations, with the goal of maintaining peaceful and cooperative relationships around the world. Furthermore, in response to the mass murder of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust, an all-Jewish state, Israel, was formed in the historical Jewish homeland in the Middle East.

For more background, read “Rebuilding the World After the Second World War” on the Guardian website, “The History of the United Nations” on the UN website, “The Decolonization of Asia and Africa” on the Department of State website, and “Nuremberg Trials,” “The Declaration of the State of Israel,” and “The Yalta Conference” on the History Channel website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Terms:

• United Nations
• Nuremberg Trials
• Yalta Conference
• Israel

Scholars understand the international response to the violence of World War II and can explain how the Allied Powers attempted to restore peace and justice to a war-torn world.

Preparation

• Display the Unit 2 Essential Question on the wall in your classroom for scholars to reference throughout the unit.
• Create a word wall in your classroom with the Unit 2 Key Terms for scholars to reference during class discussion. Hold scholars accountable for using these Key Terms throughout the unit.
• Post a timeline in your classroom or digitally to track key events from this unit and previous units.
• Prior to teaching Lesson 1, assign the article “Rebuilding the World After the Second World War” by Margaret MacMillan on The Guardian website and “World War II: After the War” by Alan Taylor on The Atlantic website so scholars are prepared for the discussion during the Context portion of the lesson.
• To complete this gallery walk, before class you must:
  • Print all texts and images on card stock and distribute at each respective station.
  • Determine how you will present video or audio content, if necessary.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars complete the Unit 2 Lesson 1 Do Now in the Unit 2 Workbook.

Context — 15 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Introduce the Essential Question for Unit 2: To what extent did early Cold War policy establish “peace, progress, and prosperity” in the United States and around the world?
• Explain that, each day, scholars will gather more evidence to answer this question.
• Remind scholars that this unit builds upon past content and that they must constantly make connections to previous periods of history to help them answer this Essential Question.
• Then pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in the origins of the Cold War.

Watch (9 minutes)

• Watch the video “Historic Archival Stock Footage WWII Aftermath of World War II” on YouTube.
  • Begin the clip at the beginning and pause the clip at 9:05 to allow for discussion.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did the world change after World War II?

Discuss (4 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.
  • What were the international community’s priorities after World War II?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: To what extent did the Allied Powers agree on their priorities following World War II?

Investigate — 20 minutes

• Divide scholars into five groups. Assign each group one of five stations to begin the gallery walk: The Yalta Conference (page 4 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook), The United Nations (page 5 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook), The Nuremberg Trials (page 6 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook), The Formation of Israel (page 7 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook), and Decolonization (page 8 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook).
• Explain that each group will examine the images, watch the videos, or read the text at their assigned station for 4 minutes before switching to the next station.
• After examining the sources, scholars should record their observations and inferences.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work and conference with groups of scholars as they rotate among stations.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • How did the international community attempt to prevent future global conflicts and promote peace?
  • Why was establishing justice a key goal of the international community after World War II?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: What factors might limit the success of these goals? Why?

Exit Ticket — 5 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • How did the international community respond to World War II? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

• Scholars read “The Origins of the Cold War” on page 11 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: Why did the United States and the Soviet Union emerge as rival superpowers after World War II?

Historical Background

Although the United States and the Soviet Union were allies in World War II, the history of Soviet- American relations has been fraught with tension and conflict from the outset. Following the Bolshevik Revolution at the end of World War I, many Americans distrusted the new Soviet Union and its Communist Party leadership. And with the ascension of Josef Stalin to power in the Soviet Union, many Americans became wary of his totalitarian leadership. At the outbreak of World War II, Stalin aligned with Hitler, forming the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact. Stalin began to make moves to invade parts of Eastern Europe, further alienating the United States and Western Europe. However, when Hitler turned on Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union, Stalin joined forces with the Allies to defeat Hitler, signaling what seemed like the start of a new relationship between the Soviet Union and the West. At the Yalta Conference, Stalin even agreed to halt his aggression in Eastern Europe. When World War II ended, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as global superpowers, as Great Britain, France, and Germany lay devastated from the war. And as a result, new rivalries — over ideological dominance, science, and cultural influence — replaced the replaced cooperation, paving the way for new conflicts to emerge between the two superpowers.

For more background, read “Postwar Politics and the Cold War” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required), review “Rebuilding the World After World War II” on the Guardian website, and watch “Now This: The Rise of the Soviet Union” on YouTube.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Terms:

• Communism
• Capitalism

Scholars understand the impact of World War II on the United States and the Soviet Union and can explain why these two nations emerged as global superpowers and rivals.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Watch and Discuss 1 — 20 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of the origins of the Cold War.

Watch (15 minutes)

• Watch the video “The Cold War — Comrades” by CNN on YouTube.
  • Begin the clip at 3:03 and pause the clip at 18:30 to allow for discussion.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did Stalin promote Soviet prosperity and empire?

Discuss (3 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the video.
  • How did the Bolshevik Revolution alter the United States’ relationship with Russia?
  • Why did Stalin initially align with the Nazis during World War II?

Watch and Discuss 2 — 20 minutes

Watch (17 minutes)

• Continue the video “The Cold War — Comrades” by CNN on YouTube.
  • Begin the clip at 18:58 and pause the clip at 24:55; resume the clip at 27:35 and pause the clip at 31:10; resume the clip at 33:35 and pause the clip at 35:50; resume the clip at 40:46 and pause the clip at 45:40 to allow for discussion.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did the United States’ relationship with the Soviet Union change over the course of World War II?

Discuss (3 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the question below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the video.
  • How was Stalin able to guarantee Soviet expansion following the end of World War II?

Exit Ticket — 5 minutes

Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:

• Why did the United States and the Soviet Union emerge as rival superpowers after World War II? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from the homework reading and the video.

Homework

• Scholars read the article “The Cold War,” beginning with the section “The Origins of the Cold War” through “Soviet Atomic Bomb” on the University of Houston Digital History website and examine the map on page 13 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: Who was more responsible for beginning the Cold War: the United States or the Soviet Union?

Historical Background

With the emergence of the Soviet Union and the United States as two global superpowers after World War II came the emergence of an intense rivalry between the two, known as the Cold War.

For more background, read “Postwar Politics and the Origins of the Cold War” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required).

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Terms:

• Truman Doctrine
• Marshall Plan
• Containment
• NATO

Scholars can apply their knowledge of United States’ history to interpret original sources and use these sources to write clear, concise, and compelling claims about the causes of the Cold War.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars complete the Unit 2 Lesson 3 Do Now in the Unit 2 Workbook.

Launch — 5 minutes

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Build excitement for today’s DBQ and invest scholars in continuing their study of the origins of the Cold War. Tell scholars they will apply all their knowledge as historians to answer a question using new sources that they have not seen before.
• Scholars read the Lessons 3–5 DBQ Historical Context and Task in the Unit 2 Workbook to frame their thinking.
• Ask: What is the DBQ Task asking us to do?
• Scholars interpret the Task in pairs. Call on pairs to share out.

Guided Document Study — 20 minutes

• Set the expectation that scholars must tackle Documents A through D today by writing a main idea next to the title and using the text and their main idea annotations to concisely answer each short-answer question with a clear claim.

Read and Write (8 minutes)

• Read Document A* on page 15 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook with scholars. After reading, scholars should write a main idea next to the title and use their understanding of the text to write a claim for the accompanying short-answer question in the Unit 2 Workbook.
  • *Note: Document A highlights a major misconception that scholars may have. If you anticipate that scholars will struggle more with Document B, C, or D, use one of those documents instead.

Discuss (10 minutes)

• Have a scholar with a strong main idea annotation and/or claim share out. Have scholars discuss 1) how the main idea annotation reflects a full understanding of the document and/or 2) why the claim effectively answers this short-answer question.
• Share non-exemplar work. Have the class discuss why the main idea annotation does not reflect full understanding and/or why the claim does not answer the short-answer question.
• Ensure that scholars understand how this feedback is transferable to their own work and know what they must do to improve.

Give scholars 2 minutes to revise their main ideas or claims based on the discussion.

Read and Write — 20 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate the remaining documents on pages 16–18 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook and write a clear and concise answer to each short-answer question in the Unit 2 Workbook. Hold scholars accountable for the clarity and strength of their claims!
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have scholars explain their thinking. Can their main idea annotations be made stronger? Are their claims simple and clear? Are they revising their writing?
  • Hold scholars accountable for implementing the feedback you’ve given them.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, review scholars’ short answers and provide feedback on the quality of their work. Prioritize the most important change that scholars must make to improve both the strength of their claims as well as their future writing. Use your study of scholars’ work to determine a common trend in scholars’ writing.

Central Question: Who was more responsible for beginning the Cold War: the United States or the Soviet Union?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars can plan and draft clear and compelling written arguments that answer a historical question with strong theses and evidence that support or prove their theses.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their short answers from the previous lesson based on the feedback you gave them.

Plan — 15 minutes

• With partners or in small groups, scholars discuss possible answers to the DBQ Task. Ensure that scholars explain why the United States or the Soviet Union was more responsible for beginning the Cold War.
• Lead a whole-class discussion on possible answers to this task. Remind scholars that there is not a single right answer to this question, but they must have evidence to defend their answers!
  • Call on pairs to share out their answers and defend them with evidence from Documents A through D.
  • Have scholars evaluate one another’s answers. Scholars should consider whether each answer is compelling and based on accurate evidence from the texts.
  • Give scholars feedback on the clarity and quality of their answers.
• During the discussion, chart strong versus weak answers. Ensure that scholars can explain what makes a particular answer strong versus weak.
• Tell scholars that their answers to this question will become their theses in their final DBQ essays. All of the evidence in an essay must prove this thesis.
• After the discussion, give scholars 2 minutes to determine their own theses on the planning page in the Unit 2 Workbook. Ensure that scholars are not just copying an answer that was discussed but are actually formulating their own theses based on the discussion.

Outline and Draft — 30 minutes

Outline (15 minutes)

• Scholars create an outline for their DBQ essays on the planning page of the DBQ by finalizing their theses and the three strongest pieces of evidence from Documents A through D that support their theses, based on their work in the previous lesson and the class discussion.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar explain his or her thesis. Does his or her thesis answer the DBQ Task? Is it compelling? Does the evidence selected actually prove this thesis?
  • If scholars are struggling to choose strong evidence, have them write how each document helps answer the DBQ Task on the documents or in their outline.

Draft (15 minutes)

• Scholars use their outlines to draft their DBQ essays. As scholars draft, they must focus on proving their theses with strong evidence from at least three documents.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have scholars explain their writing. Can their writing be made stronger?
  • Ensure that scholars are using relevant evidence to prove their theses in their DBQ essays.
  • Ensure that scholars are revising their writing to make sure it is simple and clear.
  • Hold scholars accountable for rereading their writing and eliminating any typos and errors in basic conventions.
  • Coach scholars on how to implement the feedback you’ve given them.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, review scholars’ drafts and provide feedback on the quality of their work. Prioritize the most important change that scholars must make to improve both the strength of their theses and supporting evidence in this essay as well as their future writing. Use your study of scholars’ work to determine a common trend in scholars’ writing.

Central Question: Who was more responsible for beginning the Cold War: the United States or the Soviet Union?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars revise their essays based on individualized teacher feedback to make their essays stronger and clearer, and understand how to use their feedback to grow as writers.

Preparation

• To complete this revision, before class you must:
  • Choose an exemplar and non-exemplar draft essay from the previous lesson to use in the Launch and Mini-Lesson.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars read your feedback on their initial drafts of their DBQ essays and discuss with a partner how they will apply this feedback in their revisions today.

Launch — 10 minutes

• The launch is your opportunity to provide a whole-class model of excellence and explain the biggest issue that holds scholars back from achieving excellence. The launch should end with scholars describing how this piece of writing exemplifies the Habits of Great Writers.
  • Reread the Central Question with scholars: Who was more responsible for beginning the Cold War: the United States or the Soviet Union?
  • Then share an exemplar draft from the previous lesson. Have scholars discuss 1) what makes the scholar’s thesis compelling and 2) why the evidence selected is effective in proving this thesis.
  • Have scholars articulate to partners how the work study applies to their own writing today.

Mini-Lesson — 10 minutes

• Choose an anonymous scholar’s draft essay that demonstrates a whole-class trend from your study of scholars’ work in the previous lesson and show this scholar’s line-edited draft to the class.
• Have the scholar apply your individualized feedback to begin to revise his or her DBQ essay in real time while the class watches. Then have the scholar articulate how he or she must apply this feedback to all writing moving forward.
• Set your expectations for how scholars will apply their individualized feedback to revise their work today.

Revise 1 — 10 minutes

• Scholars use their individualized feedback to revise their DBQ essays.
• Set the expectation that scholars should use this entire time to revise their work based on the feedback you have given them. Explain that some scholars will need to start from scratch, and that is OK! Note that this time will only be productive if you have given every scholar individualized feedback.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have scholars explain the feedback that they have received, as well as their plan to apply it.
  • Coach scholars on how to apply your feedback.

Mid-Workshop Teach — 5 minutes

• Share an essay that has greatly improved through revision. Have the scholar explain how he or she has applied his or her feedback to effectively revise.
  • If there is a clear whole-class misconception that must be addressed, share an anonymous example of that trend. Have the class discuss how the scholar needs to change his or her approach to revision in order to make more substantial changes.
• Ensure that scholars understand how this feedback is transferable to their own work.
• Scholars articulate to their partner how they will revise their work based on the Mid-Workshop Teach.

Revise 2 — 10 minutes

• Scholars use the transferable takeaway from the Mid-Workshop Teach to continue revising their essays.
• Set the expectation that scholars should use the entire time to continue revising their essays.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Help scholars focus on what is most important: a strong thesis and supporting evidence.
  • Coach scholars on how to apply your feedback.

Homework

• Scholars read the article “Korean War” on the History Channel website in preparation for the next lesson.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, give each scholar a final grade on their revised essay, as well as one transferable next step that they must apply to their next piece.

Central Question: Why did the United States enter the Korean War?

Historical Background

On June 25, 1950, the Korean War began when some 75,000 soldiers from the North Korean People’s Army poured across the 38th parallel, the boundary between the Soviet-backed Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the north and the pro-Western Republic of Korea to the south. This invasion was the first military action of the Cold War. By July, American troops had entered the war on South Korea’s behalf. As far as American officials were concerned, it was a war against the forces of international communism itself. Finally, in July 1953, an armistice was signed. In all, some 5 million soldiers and civilians lost their lives during the war. The Korean peninsula is still divided today.

For more background, read “The Korean War” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required).

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Term:

• Korean War

Scholars understand the causes and outbreak of the Korean War and can explain why the United States joined the South Korean war effort.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars complete the Unit 2 Lesson 6 Do Now in the Unit 2 Workbook.

Context — 10 minutes

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in beginning their study of the early Cold War.

Watch (4 minutes)

• Watch the video “The Korean War — Documentary (1950–1953)” on YouTube.
  • Begin the clip at 0:33 and pause the clip at 1:20; resume the clip at 3:22 and pause the clip at 6:26 to allow for discussion.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did other nations — the United States, the Soviet Union, and China — affect the outcome of the Korean War?

Discuss (6 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.
  • Why did the Korean War start?
  • Make a connection to the Big Ideas. Ask: Why do historians call the Korean War a “proxy war” in the broader Cold War conflict?

Investigate — 20 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate Documents A through D on pages 20–21 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook. After reading each source, they should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trend in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • How did the American government justify involvement in the Korean War?
  • Describe North Korea’s perspective on the Korean War. How trustworthy are the North Korean textbook’s claims about the intent of the United States?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: To what extent did American involvement in the Korean War promote “peace, progress, and prosperity” during the Cold War?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • Why did the United States enter the Korean War? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

• Scholars read the sections “The Cold War: The Atomic Age” and “The Cold War Extends to Space” in the article “Cold War History” on the History Channel website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: Why did the arms and space races escalate so quickly?

Historical Background

One of the leading causes of fear of the Soviets was the atomic bomb. During World War II, the United States developed and detonated the first atomic bombs, giving the United States an enormous military advantage over the rest of the world. As a result, the Soviet Union worked tirelessly to develop their own atomic weapons. Fear of the atomic bomb was pervasive, as both sides continued to develop and test more and more powerful nuclear weapons. In addition, the increase in scientific nuclear activity led to competition in space activity. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into space, Sputnik, sparking what would become an intense race to develop the technology to send man to the moon.

For more background, read “Cold War History” and the “Arms Race” on the History Channel website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Terms:

• Mutually assured destruction (MAD)
• NASA
• Nuclear warfare

Scholars understand the nature of the arms and space races between the United States and the Soviet Union and can explain why they escalated so quickly.

Preparation

• To complete this jigsaw, before class you must:
  • Make a plan for how you are going to divide scholars into groups for the jigsaw.
  • Ensure that each scholar has the Lesson 7 Note-Taking Template in the Unit 2 Workbook accessible to ensure that notes are purposeful and scholars are clear on your expectations.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 5 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of the early Cold War.

Watch (1 minute)

• Watch the video “The Cold War and Nuclear Arms Race” on YouTube.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did the concept of mutually assured destruction (MAD) affect the arms race?

Discuss (2 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the question below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.
  • How did the nature of the arms and space races change over the course of the 1950s?

Investigate — 20 minutes

• Remind scholars that the purpose of a jigsaw lesson is to become experts at one topic so they are able to teach their peers. Set the expectations that scholars must be prepared to clearly and concisely share about their assigned topic at the end of their group work time.
• Divide scholars into groups and assign each group “The Arms Race” on pages 24–25 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook or “The Space Race” on pages 26–27 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook. Each group reads and annotates the documents for its assigned topic. After reading, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trend in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Teach — 10 minutes

• Remind scholars that they are responsible for learning from their classmates during this time and must take notes in their Lesson 7 Note-Taking Template in the Unit 2 Workbook during each presentation.
• Have scholars from each group present about their topic to the class in 5 minutes or less.
• As scholars share, chart the main takeaways from each group and display this chart in your classroom for reference throughout the unit.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• After each group presents, scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • Why did the arms and space races begin?
  • To what extent were the arms and space races a result of the Cold War?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: To what extent did the arms and space races promote “peace, progress, and prosperity”?

Exit Ticket — 5 minutes

• Scholars independently complete the Lesson 7 Exit Ticket in the Unit 2 Workbook.

Homework

• Scholars read the articles “Red Scare” on the History Channel website and “Civil Liberties and Civil Rights” on the Independence Hall Association’s USHistory.org website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: How did the Red Scare limit the civil liberties of many Americans?

Historical Background

As the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States intensified in the late 1940s and early 1950s, hysteria over the perceived threat posed by communism in the United States became known as the Red Scare. The Red Scare led to a range of actions that had a profound and enduring effect on American government and society. Federal employees were analyzed to determine whether they were sufficiently loyal to the government, and the House Un-American Activities Committee, as well as Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, investigated allegations of subversive elements in the government and the Hollywood film industry. The Red Scare destroyed the livelihood of many accused communists and even led to the execution of the suspected spies Ethel and Julius Rosenberg.

For more background, read “Anti-Communism in the 1950s” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required).

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Terms:

• Red Scare
• House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
• Civil liberties

Scholars understand the outbreak of the Red Scare and can explain how it limited American civil liberties.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars complete the Unit 2 Lesson 8 Do Now in the Unit 2 Workbook.

Context — 15 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of American culture during the Cold War.

Watch (8 minutes)

• Watch the video “Make Mine Freedom” on YouTube.
  • Begin the clip at 1:45 and watch to the end.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How does the video characterize communism?

Discuss (5 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.
  • Why were Americans afraid of communism?
  • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: How did the arms and space races contribute to this paranoia?

Investigate — 15 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate Documents A through D on pages 29–31 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook. After reading each source, they should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trend in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • How did the early Cold War influence the Red Scare in the United States?
  • How did McCarthyism affect American civil liberties?
  • To what extent did the House Un-American Activities Committee protect American citizens?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: Which was a more legitimate threat to American “peace, progress, and prosperity”: communism or McCarthyism? Why?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • How did the Red Scare limit the civil liberties of many Americans? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

• Scholars read “The Fifties” on pages 33–34 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: To what extent did the economic prosperity of the 1950s improve the lives of all Americans?

Historical Background

While the U.S. government was dealing with tensions around the globe, Americans at home responded to the Cold War in various ways. The instability and conflict of the Cold War led to a call for stability at home, lauding strong nuclear families. Furthermore, the military-industrial complex of the Cold War and the lasting impact of the G.I. Bill contributed to an economic boom during the 1950s, leading to the development of a mass consumer culture unlike ever before in the United States. However, not all Americans responded enthusiastically to these two trends. While society celebrated the family, many American women felt stifled by their limited role as homemaker in the ideal 1950s family. Additionally, American youth responded to the chaos of the Cold War and the conformity of the American family with rock ’n’ roll music. Inspired by African American rhythm and blues, rock ’n’ roll music flourished in the 1950s, and a culture of rebellion was born. Absent from the popular culture scene, however, were the African Americans behind the movement.

For more background, read “Cold War, Warm Hearth” and “Rock ’n’ Roll” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required) and “Popular Culture and the Mass Media” on the Khan Academy website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Term:

• Mass consumerism

Scholars understand the economic prosperity of American society during the 1950s and can explain how this prosperity affected life for different groups of Americans.

Preparation

• To complete this jigsaw, before class you must:
  • Make a plan for how you are going to divide scholars into groups for the jigsaw.
  • Ensure that each scholar has the Lesson 9 Note-Taking Template in the Unit 2 Workbook accessible to ensure that notes are purposeful and scholars are clear on your expectations.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 5 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of American culture during the early Cold War years.

Discuss (3 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework.
  • How did the Cold War influence the culture of the 1950s in America?
  • How did mass consumerism affect family life in the 1950s?
  • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: How was American culture in the 1950s different than that of other eras in American history?

Investigate — 20 minutes

• Remind scholars that the purpose of a jigsaw lesson is to become experts at one topic so they are able to teach their peers. Set the expectations that scholars must be prepared to clearly and concisely share about their assigned topic at the end of their group work time.
• Divide scholars into groups and assign each group one of the following four facets of American society: families (pages 35–37 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook), teenagers (pages 38–39 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook), women (page 40 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook), or African American (pages 41–44 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook). Each group reads and annotates the documents for its assigned topic. After reading, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trend in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Teach — 10 minutes

• Remind scholars that they are responsible for learning from their classmates during this time and must take notes in their Lesson 8 Note-Taking Template in the Unit 2 Workbook during each presentation.
• Have scholars from each group present about their topic to the class in 2 minutes or less.
• As scholars share, chart the major takeaways from each group and display this chart in your classroom for reference throughout the unit.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• After each group presents, scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • How did Americans’ daily lives reflect American values in the 1950s?
  • Why did some Americans reject the culture of the 1950s?
  • To what extent was the culture and counterculture of the 1950s influenced by the Cold War?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: To what extent did all Americans experience the “peace, progress, and prosperity” of the 1950s?

Exit Ticket — 5 minutes

• Scholars independently complete the Lesson 9 Exit Ticket in the Unit 2 Workbook.

Homework

• Scholars read the article “Advertising in the 1950s” on the AdAge website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: How did the rise of mass media and advertising affect American society?

Historical Background

As consumer culture grew in the United States during the 1950s, so did the advertising industry. Advertising on paper, on TV, and on the radio took over American culture, propagating the values of family and mass consumerism while also promoting popular culture and even politics. During his election for president, for example, President Eisenhower used TV advertising to promote his bid for the presidency.

For more background, read “The 1950s Economy” on the Schmoop website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars can explain the significant influence of advertising in the United States and begin to create their own 1950s advertisements in a historically accurate and visually compelling way.

Optional project extension: To emphasize the role of television in Cold War America, scholars create their own live-action advertisements in place of paper advertisements.

Preparation

• To complete this project, before class you must:
  • Create a teacher model of the advertisement.
  • Gather blank paper and colored pencils for illustrating and organize these materials in a place accessible to scholars for easy use during project work.
  • Ensure that each scholar has the Advertisements Planning Guide in the Unit 2 Workbook accessible.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars complete the Unit 2 Lesson 10 Do Now in the Unit 2 Workbook.

Study Mentor Images — 15 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of American culture during the early Cold War.

Examine (5 minutes)

• Show Documents B and D on pages 47 and 49 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook to the class. Highlight features in these examples to provide a model for scholars’ projects.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they examine the images:
  • How do these images demonstrate the effect of American culture on mainstream media?
• After examining each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.

Optional Extension

• Show Extension Documents B and C on pages 51–52 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook and examine them together as a class.

Discuss (3 minutes)

• Scholars discuss the following questions in pairs. Remind scholars to keep the Central Question front and center.
  • What are the main ideas in these advertisements?
  • Why were these advertisements created?

Give scholars 2 minutes to revise their main idea annotations for the images based on the discussion.

Discuss (3 minutes)

• Scholars discuss the following questions in pairs. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework, the Sourcebook examples, and previous lessons.
  • How did television and advertising affect American culture?
  • What is the relationship between advertising and mass consumerism, American family life, and popular culture?
  • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: Recall your previous lessons on the Red Scare. How did advertising affect American attitudes about communism and the Cold War?

Planning — 15 minutes

• Explain that scholars will be creating their own visual advertisements based on their study of American culture and society during the 1950s. Tell scholars that their advertisements should appeal specifically to any one of the facets of society studied in the previous lesson or that they may refer back to their lesson on McCarthyism and the Red Scare.
• Tell scholars that their advertisements must portray a powerful and compelling idea supported by strong visual evidence, similar to the sample documents.
  • Remind scholars that visual projects, just like written pieces, make arguments, and all arguments require a strong idea with supporting details.
• Scholars may reference Documents A through E on pages 46–49 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook as they work.
• Scholars use the Advertisements Planning Guide in the Unit 2 Workbook to plan their advertisements, writing their ideas and planning the details they will use to support them.

Optional Extension

• Explain instead that groups of scholars will be acting in their own advertisements from the 1950s.
• Break scholars into groups. Scholars plan their advertisements, referring to Extension Documents A through D on pages 50–52 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook as they work.

Mid-Workshop Teach — 10 minutes

• Share an exemplar plan. Have scholars discuss how the plan illustrates the group’s idea with clear and coherent organization.
• Share a non-exemplar plan. Have scholars discuss why the plan lacks an idea and/or clear and coherent organization.
• Ensure that scholars understand how this feedback is transferable to their own work.
• Scholars articulate to their partners how they will revise their work today based on what they have learned.

Wrap-Up — 5 minutes

• Show an exemplar plan to the class. Look for work that precisely outlines the details of the advertisement and contains all the information expected in their projects.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, review scholars’ completed plans and provide feedback on the quality of their work. Focus on the quality and clarity of scholars’ ideas for their artwork and the details they plan to use to support them.

Central Question: How did the rise of mass media and advertising affect American society?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars complete their own advertisement reflecting American cultural values in the 1950s in a historically accurate and visually compelling way.

Optional project extension: To emphasize the role of television in Cold War America, scholars act in their own live-action advertisements for the class.

Preparation

• To complete this project, before class you must:
  • Print the Advertisements Template from the Unit 2 Workbook on card stock for each scholar.
  • Gather blank paper and colored pencils for illustrating and organize these materials in a place accessible to scholars for easy use during project work.
  • Ensure that each scholar has the Advertisements Planning Guide in the Unit 2 Workbook accessible.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their plans from the previous lesson based on the feedback you gave them.

Project Work — 35 minutes

• Have scholars recall the previous lesson’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of American culture during the early Cold War.
• Scholars create their own advertisements, referring to Documents A through E on pages 46–49 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook as they work.
• While scholars work, actively circulate to reinforce your expectations for strong ideas and persuasive visual evidence in project work and to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the idea conveyed by his or her advertisement. Can the idea be made stronger? How can the advertisement illustrate the idea more effectively? Is the advertisement interesting and visually compelling?
  • Hold scholars accountable for implementing the feedback you’ve given them.
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on conveying the role of mass consumerism and media in 1950s society.

Optional Extension

• Scholar groups present their 1950s advertisements to the class.

Wrap-Up — 10 minutes

• Show one or two exemplar projects to the class. Look for work that is both historically accurate and visually compelling.
• Before the end of the lesson, collect scholars’ projects to display in your classroom.

Optional Extension

• Choose one or two exemplar group presentations. Scholars discuss why these advertisements would have been effective during the 1950s.

Homework

• Scholars read the articles “John F. Kennedy” on the History Channel website and “The Legacy of John F. Kennedy” by Alan Brinkley on The Atlantic website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: How did President Kennedy’s leadership affect American “peace, progress, and prosperity”?

Historical Background

Elected in 1960 as the 35th president of the United States, 43-year-old John F. Kennedy became the youngest man and the first Roman Catholic to hold that office. Kennedy ran for office on a ticket based on optimism: rebuilding American strength at home and abroad. As president, Kennedy confronted mounting Cold War tensions in Cuba, Vietnam, and elsewhere. He also led a renewed drive for public service and eventually provided federal support for the growing civil rights movement. His assassination on November 22, 1963, in Dallas sent a shock wave around the world and turned the all-too-human Kennedy into a larger-than-life heroic figure. To this day, historians continue to rank him among the best-loved presidents in American history.

For more background, read “John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required), “The Legacy of John F. Kennedy” on the Atlantic website, and “J.F.K. and the Power of Practical Idealism” on the New York Times website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Term:

• John F. Kennedy

Scholars understand the presidency of John F. Kennedy and can explain how his policies both promoted and limited national “peace, progress, and prosperity” during the Cold War.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars complete the Unit 2 Lesson 12 Do Now in the Unit 2 Workbook.

Context — 10 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of how the Cold War affected American life.

Watch (4 minutes)

• Watch the video “JFK: A New Generation” on the History Channel website.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did President Kennedy appeal to the American people in 1960?

Discuss (4 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.
  • How was President Kennedy — his persona, his background, his policies — different than previous American presidents?
  • Make a connection to the Big Ideas. Ask: How did Americans respond to Kennedy’s new brand of leadership?

Investigate — 20 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate Documents A through D on pages 54–57 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook. After reading each source, they should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trend in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 10 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • How did President Kennedy’s leadership affect the course of the Cold War?
  • To what extent did President Kennedy protect American civil liberties during his presidency?
  • Make a connection to the Big Ideas. Ask: Assess the presidency of President Kennedy. To what extent is his reputation as one of America’s most popular presidents justified? Why or why not?

Exit Ticket — 5 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • How did President Kennedy’s leadership affect American “peace, progress, and prosperity”? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

• Scholars read the article “The Cuban Missile Crisis” on the History Channel website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: Why did the Soviets pull their missiles out of Cuba?

Historical Background

Tensions between the United States and Cuba were high following Cuba’s own communist revolution and the 1959 ascension of Fidel Castro to power. Cuba, 90 miles off the coast of Florida, was the closest communist threat to the United States. In 1962, tensions came to a head when the Soviets put missiles in Cuba.

For more background, browse the Cuban Missile Crisis website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Term:

• Cuban Missile Crisis

Scholars can apply their knowledge of U.S. history to interpret original sources and use these sources to write clear, concise, and compelling claims explaining why the Soviets pulled their missiles out of Cuba.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Launch — 5 minutes

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Build excitement for today’s DBQ and invest scholars in continuing their study of early Cold War conflicts. Tell scholars they will apply all their knowledge as historians to answer a question using new sources that they have not seen before.
• Scholars read the Lessons 13–15 DBQ Historical Context and Task in the Unit 2 Workbook to frame their thinking.
• Ask: What is this DBQ Task asking us to do?
• Scholars interpret the Task in pairs. Call on pairs to share out.

Guided Document Study — 20 minutes

• Set the expectation that scholars must tackle Documents A through D today by writing a main idea next to the title and using the text and their main idea annotations to concisely answer each short-answer question with a clear claim.

Read and Write (8 minutes)

• Read Document D* on page 62 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook with scholars. After reading, scholars should write a main idea next to the title and use their understanding of the text to write a claim for the accompanying short-answer question in the Unit 2 Workbook.
  • *Note: Document D highlights a major misconception that scholars may have. If you anticipate that scholars will struggle more with Document A, B, or C, use one of those documents instead.

Discuss (10 minutes)

• Have a scholar with an exemplar main idea annotation and/or claim share out. Have scholars discuss 1) how the main idea annotation reflects full understanding of the document and/or 2) why the claim effectively answers this short-answer question.
• Share nonexemplar work. Have the class discuss why the main idea annotation does not reflect full understanding of the document and/or why the claim does not answer the short-answer question.
• Ensure that scholars understand how this feedback is transferable to their own work and know what they must do to improve.

Give scholars 2 minutes to revise their main ideas or claims based on the discussion.

Read and Write — 25 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate the remaining documents on pages 59–62 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook and write a clear and concise answer to each short-answer question in the Unit 2 Workbook. Hold scholars accountable for the clarity and strength of their claims!
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have scholars explain their thinking. Can their main idea annotations be made stronger? Are their claims simple and clear? Are they revising their writing?
  • Hold scholars accountable for implementing the feedback you’ve given them.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, review scholars’ short answers and provide feedback on the quality of their work. Prioritize the most important change that scholars must make to improve both the strength of their claims as well as their future writing. Use your study of scholars’ work to determine a common trend in scholars’ writing.

Central Question: Why did the Soviets pull their missiles out of Cuba?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars can plan and draft clear and compelling written arguments that answer a historical question with strong theses and evidence that support or prove their theses.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their short answers from the previous lesson based on the feedback you gave them.

Plan — 15 minutes

• With partners or in small groups, scholars discuss possible answers to the DBQ Task.
• Lead a whole-class discussion on possible answers to this task. Remind scholars that there is not a single right answer to this question, but they must have evidence to defend their answers!
  • Call on pairs to share out their answers and defend them with evidence from Documents A through D.
  • Have scholars evaluate one another’s answers. Scholars should consider whether each answer is compelling and based on accurate evidence from the text.
  • Give scholars feedback on the clarity and quality of their answers.
• During the discussion, chart strong versus weak answers. Ensure that scholars can explain what makes a particular answer strong versus weak.
• Tell scholars that their answers to this question will become their theses in their final DBQ essays. All of the evidence in an essay must prove their theses.
• After the discussion, give scholars 2 minutes to determine their own theses on the planning page of the DBQ in the Unit 2 Workbook. Ensure that scholars are not just copying an answer that was discussed but are actually formulating their own theses based on the discussion.

Outline and Draft — 30 minutes

Outline (15 minutes)

• Scholars create an outline for their DBQ essay on the planning page of the DBQ by finalizing their theses and determining the three strongest pieces of evidence from Documents A through D that support their theses, based on their work in the previous lesson and the class discussion.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar explain his or her thesis. Does his or her thesis answer the DBQ Task? Is it compelling? Does the evidence selected actually prove this thesis?
  • If scholars are struggling to choose strong evidence, have them write how each document helps answer the DBQ Task on the documents or in their outlines.

Draft (15 minutes)

• Scholars use their outlines to draft their DBQ essays. As scholars draft, they must focus on proving their theses with strong evidence from at least three documents.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have scholars explain their writing. Can their writing be made stronger?
  • Ensure that scholars are using relevant evidence to prove their theses in their DBQ essays.
  • Ensure that scholars are revising their writing to make sure it is simple and clear.
  • Hold scholars accountable for rereading their writing and eliminating any typos and errors in basic conventions.
  • Coach scholars on how to implement the feedback you’ve given them.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, review scholars’ drafts and provide feedback on the quality of their work. Prioritize the most important change that scholars must make to improve both the strength of their theses and supporting evidence in this essay as well as their future writing. Use your study of scholars’ work to determine a common trend in scholars’ writing.

Central Question: Why did the Soviets pull their missiles out of Cuba?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars revise their essays based on individualized teacher feedback to make their essays stronger and clearer and to understand how to use their feedback to grow as writers.

Preparation

• To complete this revision, before class you must:
  • Choose an exemplar and non-exemplar draft essay from the previous lesson to use in the Launch and Mini-Lesson. If there is no exemplar piece, plan to use your own teacher model piece.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars read your feedback on their initial drafts of their DBQ essays and discuss with a partner how they will apply this feedback in their revisions today.

Launch — 10 minutes

• The launch is your opportunity to provide a whole-class model of excellence and explain the biggest issue that holds scholars back from achieving excellence. The launch should end with scholars describing how this piece of writing exemplifies the Habits of Great Writers.
  • Reread the DBQ Task with scholars: Why did the Soviets pull their missiles out of Cuba?
  • Then share an exemplar draft from the previous lesson. Have scholars discuss 1) what makes the scholar’s thesis compelling and 2) why the evidence selected is effective in proving this thesis.
  • Have scholars articulate to partners how the work study applies to their own writing today.

Mini-Lesson — 10 minutes

• Choose an anonymous scholar’s draft essay that demonstrates a whole-class trend from your study of scholars’ work from the previous lesson and show this scholar’s line-edited draft to the class.
• Have the scholar apply your individualized feedback to begin to revise his or her DBQ essay in real time while the class watches. Then have the scholar articulate how he or she must apply this feedback to all writing moving forward.
• Set your expectations for how scholars will apply their individualized feedback to revise their work today.

Revise 1 — 10 minutes

• Scholars use their individualized feedback to revise their DBQ essays.
• Set the expectation that scholars should use this entire time to revise their work based on the feedback you have given them. Explain that some scholars may need to start from scratch, and that is OK! Note that this time will only be productive if you have given every scholar individualized feedback.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have scholars explain the feedback that they have received, as well as their plan to apply it.
  • Coach scholars on how to apply your feedback.

Mid-Workshop Teach — 5 minutes

• Share an essay that has greatly improved through revision. Have the scholar explain how he or she has applied his or her feedback to effectively revise.
  • If there is a clear whole-class misconception that must be addressed, share an anonymous example of that trend. Have the class discuss how the scholar needs to change his or her approach to revision in order to make more substantial changes.
• Ensure that scholars understand how this feedback is transferable to their own work.
• Scholars articulate to their partner how they will revise their work based on the Mid-Workshop Teach.

Revise 2 — 10 minutes

• Scholars use the transferable takeaway from the Mid-Workshop Teach to continue revising their essays.
• Set the expectation that scholars should use the entire time to continue revising their essays.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Help scholars focus on what is most important: a strong thesis and supporting evidence.
  • Coach scholars on how to apply your feedback.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the end of the unit, give each scholar a final grade on their revised essay, as well as one transferable next step that they must apply to their next piece.

• Scholars read the following articles on Newsela*:
  • “Summit Between the Two Koreas Offers Opportunity to Help Heal Old Scars”
  • “United States Fears Buildup of Chinese and Russian Military Space Programs”
  • “World Leaders: Vladimir Putin”
• Scholars write an essay of no more than 400 words based on all three of the articles above in response to the following prompt:
  • In 1991, the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union came to an end. To what extent have the conflicts of the Cold War continued in present-day international politics?

*To access all articles on the Newsela website, you must create a free account.

Prompts: Scholars may choose one of the following prompts about Big Ideas in American history.

• How “cold” was the early Cold War?
• To what extent did the United States successfully contain communism?
• Why did an American counterculture emerge in the 1950s?

Project Menu: Scholars may then choose to respond to the prompt chosen above with one of the formats outlined below.

• Thematic Essay: Scholars write a thematic essay that answers one of the extra credit prompts, drawing on evidence both from the unit and from their own independent research.
• Podcast: Scholars create an original podcast that answers one of the prompts above. The podcast should be 5–8 minutes long. Podcasts must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.
• “Docudrama”: Scholars create a “docudrama” that answers one of the prompts above. A docudrama is a dramatized video that tells the story of historic events. The docudrama should be 5–8 minutes long. Docudramas must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.
• Interview: Scholars record (video or podcast) an interview with a “historian” or a historical figure in order to answer one of the prompts above. The historian or historical figure must be the scholar. A parent, a classmate, or a teacher should be the interviewer. Interviews should be 5–8 minutes long. Interviews must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.
• Propose your own project: Scholars may propose to do their own project. These projects must still answer one of the extra credit prompts, and any project proposal must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.