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Origins of the Cold War

Driving Question: What led to the competition between Soviet-style communism and American capitalism?

After the Second World War, the world’s two strongest nations championed opposing visions for the world. Learn how competing ideologies, broken economies, and new weapons set the stage for a high-stakes global conflict.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Use evidence to understand how economic and political systems fueled early Cold War tensions.
  2. Use the historical thinking practice of sourcing to evaluate different points of view regarding what led to the Cold War.

Vocab Terms:

  • containment
  • decolonization
  • ideological
  • intervention
  • nuclear
  • protest
  • superpower
  • union
STEP 1

Opener: Origins of the Cold War

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 2 of the Lesson 8.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

World War I, Russia, and Propaganda External link provided us a ton of resources for analyzing the past. Learn how other teachers guide students to analyze propaganda material in this Community thread.

STEP 2

What Caused the Cold War?

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 3 of the Lesson 8.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

For reading strategies, take a look at the OER Project Reading Overview.

Need a way to give students feedback on their sourcing skills? Check out this Sourcing Feedback Form.

Dive into the early tensions that sparked the Cold War. Discover how the race for influence, clashing ideologies, and new global challenges reshaped the world after 1945.

STEP 3

Mutually Assured Destruction

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 9 of the Lesson 8.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

Curious about how other teachers approach the Cuban Missile Crisis simulation? Find additional resources and learn more by checking out the Community thread How do you incorporate decolonization and the Cold War? External link

The Cold War wasn’t just about politics—it was about survival. Learn how the arms and space races fueled global tensions and how leaders navigated the threat of nuclear war.

STEP 4

Closer: Origins of the Cold War

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 13 of the Lesson 8.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

The Cold War ended in 1991…right? Find answers to this Cold War question by reading this blog.

The Cold War had many hot spots. In this activity, you’ll choose one Cold War event and write a breaking news story from a perspective of your choice.

Extension Materials
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Take a closer look at the Cold War’s global story with a video that pulls together the key ideas and conflicts you’ve been exploring.
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A Cold War World

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 13 of the Lesson 8.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

The Cold War shaped the second half of the twentieth century through a fierce rivalry between two superpowers. Explore how the competition unfolded across the world.

USA vs. USSR Fight! The Cold War Crash Course World History #39 External link

We call it the Cold War, but it got pretty hot in many places. After they won the Second World War, the two superpowers decided to spend the next 45 years continuing to fight.

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.