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Student Handout 5
Writing Prompt and Task Sheet
Background:
At the end of World War II, tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union
ended their wartime alliance. The two superpowers began a struggle for influence
throughout the world which resulted in what has come to be known as the Cold War.
This conflict impacted U.S. foreign and domestic policies in significant ways between
the years of 1945-1953 and beyond.
Prompt:
What were the three greatest consequences of the early Cold War on the United
States?
Tasks:
1. Write an introduction in which you explain the background of the Cold War. End
the paragraph with a thesis statement that takes a stand on the prompt.
2. Write 3 body paragraphs, one for each consequence you have chosen. Each
paragraph should support your thesis statement using evidence from at least two
documents with supporting explanations of that evidence.
3. Write a conclusion where you restate your thesis statement. Add any additional
insight, historical significance of the issue, or connections to the present.
Suggested terms to use in your writing
foreign
domestic
ideology
Cold War
social
political
economic
containment
Truman Doctrine
Marshall Plan
Berlin Blockade
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
House Un-American Activities committee (HUAC)
McCarthyism
paranoia
propaganda
Korean War
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