Student Teachers Name: Brien Behling

Date: 4/7/16
Lesson Title: Intro to the Cold War
Subject: The Cold War - 1950s
Instruction time: 90 minutes
Students level by grade: Juniors
Standard(s) to be addressed:

SS.912.H.1 - Understand historical patterns, periods of time, and the relationships among
these elements.
Learning Objectives for this lesson (Written using verbs from Blooms Taxonomy):
Student will be able to explain U.S. policy during the Cold War and the ideological differences between
the United States and Soviet Union
Students will be able to discuss and explain the effects of the Red Scare and connect it to current events
Specific resources needed for this lesson:
Projector, projection screen, computer
Instructional method(s) used in this lesson:
Discussion, direct instruction, questioning, collaborative learning
Lesson Sequence:

Bell: What were the main U.S. policies in the Cold War?
Cold War Policies
Small groups (3-4) students will work together to answer questions
based on the previous nights reading assignment, on the early Cold War Policies
Each group will complete all questions
Each group will be responsible for presenting their answers for one of the
questions to the class
Red Scare -Two Parts
Part 1 - Direct Instruction
Fear of Communism - Goal is to spread - Stalin
American government looks to address Communism within our own borders
Democrats are accused of being weak against Communism
Rise of House Un-American Activities Committee
Investigates the film industry Question What is so important about the film industry?
Producers, actors - blacklist forms
Turns towards officials of the State Department
Alger Hiss - accused of perjury, imprisoned - discredits liberal Democrats Question What effect do
you think this will have?
Persecuted by Nixon
Federal Loyalty Review Program
Seeking out government employees with communist leanings
200+ are forced to/ voluntarily resign Question Is this Constitutional, under our understandings
of the law?
Opens the area of fear - FBI - J. Edgar Hoover establishes lists of subversive groups - begins harassing
anyone deemed subversive
McCarren Internal Security Act

Restricts subversive behavior

Communist groups most register with the government
In Federal, State, Local jobs, universities and schools, subversive individuals are removed - Fear is
taking over- Loyalty Oaths required
Question How do you feel about this? How would
you react?
The Rise of McCarthy
Junior senator from Wisconsin - blanket accusation of Communists within the State Dept. - throws out
random numbers
Accuses numerous organizations of harboring communist sympathizers
Attacked Democrats - 20 years of treason
Majority of Republicans support - or stand by - and let him
Win political points, take back Congress, the White House
McCarthyism - Accusations of Communism, without evidence
Video - http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/joseph-mccarthy/speeches/mccarthy-questioned-on-anticommunist-investigation
Falls when he accuses military of being Communist
George Marshall - Army Chief of State - help win WWII
Part 2 Classwide Discussion on Red Scare and Modern Day Similarities
How can the American government and its members act in such a way that violates the Constitution?
Is it illegal to be Communist? Can the government outlaw any pro-Communist messages?
Why do the American people go along with this? How much does fear play into this?
Do you think McCarthy truly believed what he was saying? Or was it simply a political tactic?
In what ways do we see similar behavior to McCarthyism today? What are the issues being used?