The Cold War
Teacher Resources
Lesson Guide
Note that this guide includes all the usual information on pacing and sample answers, but it also includes some more-detailed instructions for a full-class simulation. Be sure to read ahead of time.
Blog Post: The Cold War Ended in 1991…Right?
Tensions between superpowers didn’t end in 1991. Help your students understand these new tensions in this blog.
Driving Question: What were the causes of the Cold War?
In this lesson, you’ll uncover the roots of US–Soviet rivalry, the global consequences of their competition, and the fear of nuclear war that shaped politics, culture, and everyday life. From proxy wars to space races, you’ll examine the causes and costs of a divided world.
Learning Objectives:
- Use evidence to understand how economic and political systems fueled Cold War tensions.
- Evaluate the causes and consequences of the Cold War.
Vocab Terms:
The origins of the Cold War revolve around two opposed ideologies. Can you tell what’s capitalism and what’s communism?
Annotation strategy: Have students use colored highlighters. While they read, students highlight the claim of the paragraph in one color and supporting evidence for that claim in another. If there’s a counterclaim, they would highlight that in a third color. This allows them to see the key points and how the author is structuring the text. Read an article and do a think-aloud of this strategy together before having students complete one on their own.
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.
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Guiding Questions
Alert! Your students are solving a mystery in this activity—be careful not to give away the name of the Cuban Missile Crisis or any other important details until they begin their detective work!
Read the Lesson Guide for the full instructions. You’ll need some envelopes labeled “Top Secret” and you’ll have to print out one set of Top Secret Documents for each group of 3–4 students.
Did you know: The famous Washington–Moscow “hotline” created after the Cuban Missile Crisis was never actually a red telephone. It began as a secure text communication link. Typed messages reduced the risk of mishearing something in a crisis.
Why did the US and the Soviet Union switch from allies to enemies after World War II? Explore the factors that led to the Cold War and how these tensions escalated during this 45-year battle of ideologies.
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Guiding Questions
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Guiding Questions
You can turn Who Is Winning the Cold War? into a card game! Read this thread on the Community Forum and download this OER Project teacher’s card game!
Cold War rivalries played out in many different regions. These materials examine how local conflicts in Asia, Africa, and Latin America were shaped by global alliances, ideologies, and power struggles.
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Guiding Questions
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.
Delve into the complexities of the Cold War as you learn about the humans and animals who participated in and were affected by it.
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Guiding Questions
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Guiding Questions
