Unit #8: February 2010 Archives

Lesson #24 - Fighting the Cold War

By
Mike Vergin
on February 26, 2010 2:00 AM |
I want to set aside a little time at the top today to finish up any questions or comments on China from yesterday.

Cnn: Cold War Reports: Today, I'd like to quickly hear from our first dozen "reporters" on their episodes from this series. Nothing fancy here, just give us a quick summary of what you saw. Let's try to do:

1. Comrades - http://tinyurl.com/54bnx5
2. Iron Curtain - http://tinyurl.com/3rmsyv
3. Marshall Plan - http://tinyurl.com/45ojyr
4. Berlin - http://tinyurl.com/4s5w47
5. Korea - http://tinyurl.com/6c4hre
6. Reds - http://tinyurl.com/5ae9qg
7. After Stalin - http://tinyurl.com/6hltrc
8. Sputnik - http://tinyurl.com/66byuq
9. The Wall - http://tinyurl.com/5acfkz
10. Cuba - http://tinyurl.com/6xnyzw
11. Vietnam - http://tinyurl.com/66t9o6
12. MAD - http://tinyurl.com/57rjbb

When you have finished summarizing, please post your blog entry on the CNN: Cold War Reports page. (2nd Hour "Reports") (4th Hour "Reports") It should contain the following.

  1. Provide the title of your episode, along with a several sentence summary of what it was about.
  2. Identify and key terms or people about which people should know.
  3. List the three main conclusions/points/ideas that people should take away from this episode. (We'll share these verbally in class as well.)
  4. Your reaction to the events you saw. Were there particular people or nations who acted in ways you found praiseworthy, dangerous, etc.?
  5. Your recommendation as to whether this is a worthwhile episode for others to watch.
We'll do the second batch of twelve episodes tomorrow.


The Doomsday Clock - Since 1947, the Board of Directors of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists have kept the "Doomsday Clock." Originally set to reflect the dangers of a thermonuclear way, it now also represents the danger of other forms of "catastrophic destruction" as well. It is an interesting way to look at the tensions of the Cold War.
(Click on the image to get to to enlarge and show the right edge in a new window...)
doomsday_clock.png


Cold Warriors - Pick One: Here's your chance to take on the persona of your favorite "Cold Warrior." Tuesday, we will celebrate the 19th Anniversary of the End of the Cold War at the Cold Warrior Retirement Home. (1991 is generally considered to mark the end of the Cold War.) You will select from the list of participants below. You'll be expected to look into "your" role in the Cold War. We don't need to know a bunch more about other aspects of your life. Keep it simple and straight-forward. We're talking introductions of about a minute or two. Following that, there will be some questions for the group to discuss.

Your roles were selected from the list at the Cold War International History Project's Cold War Files (a great site) page cleverly entitled, "People." I'd recommend starting your research there.

China

  • Mao Zedong
  • Zhou Enlai

Europe

  • Lech Walesa
  • Vaclav Havel
  • Margaret Thatcher
  • Erich Honecker
  • Willy Brandt
  • Konrad Adenauer

Korea

  • Syngman Rhee
  • Kim Il Sung

Soviet Union

  • Joseph Stalin
  • Nikita Khrushchev
  • Andrei Gromyko
  • Leonid Brezhnev
  • Mikhail Gorbachev

United States

  • Harry Truman
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • John Kennedy
  • Lyndon Johnson
  • Richard Nixon
  • Henry Kissinger
  • Ronald Reagan

Vietnam

  • Ngo Dinh Diem
  • Ho Chi Minh
Cuba

  • Fidel Castro

I've also got a "The Beginning of the Cold War" DBQ activity that should help give you the "big picture" of the Cold War. It's got useful background information.

Wars in Korea and Vietnam - Your reading that was assigned for today is certainly territory that you will cover next year as well, but we can take a couple minutes to look at the "big picture" of these two conflicts if you have specific questions...


HOMEWORK for next session - Monday, March 1

Please continue reading in Chapter 33 with Section 4, "The Cold War Divides the World" (pp. 982-987). The quiz will be multiple choice.

"Your" Cold Warrior should be ready to present at Tuesday's Cold Warrior Retirement Home 19th Anniversary Celebration.
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Lesson #23 - China under Communism and Mao Zedong

By
Mike Vergin
on February 25, 2010 2:00 AM |
Today's main focus will be on the rise to power of the Communist Party in China under Mao Zedong's leadership. I've got some images from a book, The Chinese Century, that may also help you make sense of some of this.

Cnn: Cold War Assignment: Yesterday, you received "your" episode from this series. You should have the episode watched before class time tomorrow, and you should be ready to post your blog entry on the relevant page by the end of Monday.

Here's what you should have ready to post. (I'd suggest saving it as a Microsoft Word document.)

  1. Provide the title of your episode, along with a several sentence summary of what it was about.
  2. Identify and key terms or people about which people should know.
  3. List the three main conclusions/points/ideas that people should take away from this episode. (We'll share these verbally in class as well.)
  4. Your reaction to the events you saw. Were there particular people or nations who acted in ways you found praiseworthy, dangerous, etc.?
  5. Your recommendation as to whether this is a worthwhile episode for others to watch.
As with any project of this magnitude, there will be critics of particular conclusions, interpretations, etc. The recent nature of many of these events, as well as the continuing process of declassifying government documents about them, makes the Cold War more controversial than most historical events. If you want to check out a (long) essay by someone who wasn't too impressed with this series, check out Gabriel Schoenfeld's "Twenty-Four Lies About the Cold War."

Back to the Chinese Civil War: Remember this one? When we last left our Nationalist and Communists, they were suspending their own conflict to resist Japan's invasion in World War II. Let's make sure you all have a good understanding of the answers to these questions:

  • What advantages did the Communists have at the end of World War II?
  • What issues and weaknesses led to the defeat of Jiang Jeishi's Nationalist forces?
  • How did the outcome of the Chinese Civil War shape world events in the years to follow?

China Under Mao's Leadership: Let's be sure you understand these events and questions...

  • How did Mao consolidate power in China?
  • What was the "Hundred Flowers" campaign? Can you think of parallels in other countries?
  • What was the Great Leap Forward? How did it affect China?
Take a look at Mao Zedong's "Ten Principles of War." How relevant are these for guerrilla campaigns in the more modern world?

The Cultural Revolution: Morning Sun is a website that accompanies a film made about the Cultural Revolution. After some brief introductory comments, we'll have you take a look at a number of interesting links here.

  • Why did Mao call for a "Cultural Revolution?"
  • What were the goals and tactics of the Cultural Revolution?
  • What was the legacy of the Cultural Revolution for China?
Check out these links at the "Morning Sun" website: (There's a lot more there, but I think you'll find these interesting.)


China's Communist Revolution - A Glossary: This is from a BBC site marking the 50th anniversary of the Communist takeover of China. You can scroll down the links on the left for good definitions of some key people and concepts. (Note the "old" spelling on Jiang Jeishi / Chaing Kai-Shek.)

China's Economy - Looking Back at 50: Take a look at the three graphs below. Match changes with your understanding of China's history under Communist Party rule. (We'll return to China one more time to finish off the story.)

Pair up with a partner and examine the graphs. Be sure you understand what they are showing.

china_economy1.gif




















china_economy_2.gif


china_economy3.gif























Stefan Landsberger's Chinese Propaganda Poster Pages: This is a really cool site. Scroll down to the bottom to find the different categories of posters. Browse around and share interesting images with your neighbors.

 
HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Friday, February 26th

Please continue reading in Chapter 33 with Section 3, "Wars in Korea and Vietnam" (pp. 976-981). The quiz will be matching.

"Your" episode of the Cnn: Cold War series should ideally be watched before tomorrow's class. You should also have your blog summary posted by the end of Monday.

Lesson #22 - From World Wars to Cold War

By
Mike Vergin
on February 24, 2010 2:00 AM |
We've basically got three weeks to complete your eighth, and final, unit of our World History curriculum. We'll have you start out with the reading quiz on Chapter 33, Section 1.

From World Wars to Cold War: I've got a variety of activities for you to work on today. We'll have you sort of bridge the gaps between the end of World War II and the onset of what comes to be called the Cold War.

CNN - Cold War: First, you're going to draw to select an episode of the highly regarded CNN - Cold War series to watch online. You're just doing the drawing today. It's nothing major, but you'll basically be asked to post a brief summary and respond to a couple of questions. Here are the various episode titles and URLs to them if you want to get started watching after you complete the tasks below. (My plan is that we'll go over the first half of these on Friday.)

When you have finished summarizing, please post your blog entry on the CNN: Cold War Reports page. (1st Hour "Reports") (4th Hour "Reports") It should contain the following.

  1. Provide the title of your episode, along with a several sentence summary of what it was about.
  2. Identify and key terms or people about which people should know.
  3. List the three main conclusions/points/ideas that people should take away from this episode. (We'll share these verbally in class as well.)
  4. Your reaction to the events you saw. Were there particular people or nations who acted in ways you found praiseworthy, dangerous, etc.?
  5. Your recommendation as to whether this is a worthwhile episode for others to watch.


Today's activities: Please work on the next few activities in groups of five (or as close to five as you can get...) One member of each group should serve as a recorder of what the group discusses and/or comes up with for answers. Names of the group members should go on that sheet, and this "report" should be turned in at the end of the class.



The "Rules of War": Think back on everything we learned about the two world wars. Imagine that you are a part of a committee drafting the "rules" for warfare. What are three rules that you each would insist on being a part of any such document? Your group should list no more than five on your "report" of the discussion.

Nuremberg: (You'll need a copy of the Student Handout 1.3 - Nuremberg) Recall that the Nuremberg War Crimes trials took place from 1945 to 1949. Read through the acts considered "illegal" by the Allies. Then, discuss the following questions. Your group should briefly summarize key points of discussion in your "report."

  • Look at the "war crimes" list. Are there additions or deletions you would suggest?
  • Look at the "crimes against humanity" list. Are there additions or deletions you would suggest?
  • Is a defense of "following orders" justifiable against any of these charges?
  • Can individuals be held responsible for the crimes of a nation?
  • Do you think it was possible for the Nuremberg defendants to receive "fair" trials? Why or why not?
  • Do you think documents like this have had a lasting impact on the conduct of warfare? Why or why not?

Geneva Convention: (This is the other side of that sheet - Transparency 1.2) Take a look at the statement from the Geneva Convention on 1949. Briefly summarize your discussion in your "report."

  • Do you think this document adequately protects prisoners and noncombatants in military conflicts?  Why or why not?

Bringing "Order" to the Post-War World: Here, we'll have you take a look at two significant efforts to bring order to the world after the effects of two world wars. 

  • The United Nations: (You'll need the Student Handout 5.2 and 5.3 here.) As you read through the "purposes" of the United Nations consider both how important and how realistic these purposes are. Your group should discuss and identify the three goals of the UN that you find most important AND the three goals that you believe are most difficult to attain.

  • Take a look at 5.3- The Security Council. As you read Article 23.1, take note of the membership of the Security Council. Your group should decide if any of the five members should be replaced. Whether or not you think any should be replaced, present a list of the three nations you believe are most worthy of getting a permanent seat on the Security Council in addition to the five permanent members.

The Marshall Plan: (You'll need a copy of the five "slips" with excerpts from Secretary of State George Marshall delivered to Harvard graduates in 1947 outlining his rationale for a plan to rebuild Europe.) Each group member should read one of the excerpts. Then, discuss the following questions.

  • What are the main points Marshall is making in your excerpt?
  • If you had been in the audience, how would you have reacted?
  • How relevant is Marshall's argument in today's world?

The group should briefly discuss and report on the following question: Looking back from today, what are three reasons why you could consider the Marshall Plan a success? A failure?

If your group completes all these tasks, you should turn in your report. (All groups should do that at the hour's end even if not completed.) You can use any remaining time to read for tomorrow or to start watching "your" episode of the Cnn: Cold War series.


HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Thursday, February 25th

Please continue reading in Chapter 33 with Section 2, "Communists Take Power in China" (pp. 972-975). The quiz will be true / false.

"Your" episode of the Cnn: Cold War series should be watched by Friday. (Realistically, we won't get to all of them before Monday, but we'll do as many as we can.)

Lesson #21 - Unit #7 Objective Exam

By
Mike Vergin
on February 23, 2010 2:00 AM |
It is the usual plan for today. You'll take the objective portion of the Unit #7 Exam. It is just the 60 multiple choice questions since most of you already did the 5 DBQs. 

Remember that your essay should be printed out and turned in to me before you leave school today if possible. Please double-space, or at least space and a half. Double-sided is fine with me. If you're not done at the end of the day, I should get it from you as an email attachment by the end of the evening. (Otherwise, without prior arrangement, it will then be considered late.)


HOMEWORK for next session - Wednesday, February 24th

Please read the first section in Chapter 33, "Cold War:  Superpowers Face Off" (pp. 965 - 970), for tomorrow's class. The quiz will be fill-in-the-blank. 


 
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