American/Soviet Relations
Sarah Bey
Steinmetz High School, Chicago

Theme: Conflict and Cooperation
Habits: Understand how things happen
Of Mind: Understand purpose and process

Focus

The Vital Theme and Narrative used in this unit will be conflict and cooperation. This lesson is designed to outline the relationship between the United States and Soviet Union prior to and during the Cold War. Further, it identifies periods when tensions between the two countries were low, moderate, and high.

The Habits of Mind that will be used in this lesson consist of understanding how things happen and understanding purpose and process in relation to the development of American and Soviet Relations. Students should develop a better understanding of the causes of the Cold War and identify major events that increased Cold War tensions.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

1. Identify at least two causes of the Cold War
2. Identify at least two events that increased Cold War tensions
3. Summarize the development of American/Soviet relations

Outcomes

Students will:

Create a timeline identifying events significant to American and Soviet Relations. This timeline will be color-coded to emphasize minimal, moderate, and high-tension events. One event from the student timeline will be chosen and reported on to the class.

State Goals

16.D.1

Understand and analyze events, trends, individuals, and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States, and other nations.

Materials

Secondary Sources: Prentice Hall's The American Nation, poster board, markers, ruler, Internet

Procedures

Day 1

1. Organize students into groups of three. Explain that they will be constructing a timeline of American/Soviet relations using Chapter 26 of their texts. Explain that they should identify significant events shaping the relationship between the USA and USSR and placing them along a timeline.

2. Pass out one sheet of white poster board, 4 markers (black, green, yellow, red), and a ruler to each group. Explain to students that the events they select from their books should be color-coded on their timeline to identify the level of tension between the two countries. Green = little/no tension; Yellow = moderate tension; Red = high tension. Ask students to include the specific date of the Cold War events on the timeline.

3. Generate one or two examples of events that should be included in all timelines. Ask students to create a preliminary list of Cold War events that should be included in their timelines. Students should find at least ten. Allow students the remainder of the class period to construct a preliminary list. Collect materials at the end of the class period.

Day 2/3

4. Ask students to reassemble into their groups and return art supplies. Check each group for a preliminary list of events that occurred between the US and USSR.

5. Ask student groups to select one event from their list and explain that after they
have completed the timeline, they will be researching the event of their choosing in greater detail and reporting on it to the class. (ONE TOPIC PER CLASS). Explain that each group member has a different responsibility?one person to research the American president involved, one person to research the Soviet president involved, and one person to research the event and outcome itself. Explain that each group member should write up a minimum of one page to attach to his or her timeline.

6. Review the requirements of the timeline and answer any student questions. Allow students time to construct timeline and complete report.

Day 4

7. Student group presentation on timeline and report on Cold War event. Collect for a grade after each presentation and use rubric for grading.

Assessment

Knowledge: Important events that shaped American/Soviet relations and the Cold War are identified.

Reasoning: Organizes Cold War events into chronological order and alert levels. Incorporates one or more Habits of Mind to explain cause/effect relationships.

Communication: Create a timeline that clearly identifies and illustrates major events between the United States and the Soviet Union, and a clearly written summary of one major event from the timeline.