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The Cuban Missile Crisis: Teacher’s Guide
Grade Level: 8-12
Curriculum Focus: U.S. History
Lesson Duration: One or two class periods
Program Description
In 1962, the Soviet Union amassed an arsenal of nuclear missiles in Cuba, which lies some 70 miles
off the coast of Florida. Four Russian submarines discovered in the Caribbean provoked a standoff
that brought the world perilously close to nuclear war. Hear exclusive interviews with former
Soviet naval commanders and former White House aides, and view archival footage of unfolding
events.
Onscreen Questions
Part I—Before watching the video
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In the early 1960s the United States and the Soviet Union were engaged in the Cold War and a
struggle for global supremacy. The Soviets deployed offensive missiles in Cuba, and a
showdown ensued. As you watch the program, note the decisions President Kennedy and
Premier Khrushchev made to avert a nuclear war.
Part I—After watching the video
•
Some historians have questioned President Kennedy’s handling of the missile crisis. Discuss the
options the president and the executive committee considered in response to Soviet aggression.
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Debate whether a naval quarantine would have been more effective than a Cuban air strike and
invasion.
Part II—Before watching the video
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Discuss the inherent dangers involved with conventional weapons.
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As you watch the program, think about the consequences of Premier Khrushchev’s decision to
deploy nuclear submarines to Cuba.
•
Consider how the Soviet submarine captains managed to avoid nuclear disaster by exercising
restraint and good judgment.
Part II— After watching the video
•
Why do you think Kennedy and Khrushchev might have found negotiating through the media,
written communiqués, and speeches unreliable and ineffective?
•
What procedures did the two leaders implement after the conflict to prevent future
miscommunications?
The Cuban Missile Crisis: Teacher’s Guide
Lesson Plan
Student Objectives
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Review facts about the Cold War.
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Research and write a news article about a Cold War event.
Materials
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Computer with Internet access
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Print resources about the Cold War
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Audio or video recorder
Procedures
1. Review information about the Cold War: What was the Cold War? Who was involved? Was it
really a war? Did direct military confrontation occur? Which countries were involved besides
the United States and Soviet Union? The following overview may help direct the discussion:
The Cold War describes the tense and hostile relationship between the Soviet Union and the U.S.
between 1945 and 1992. The communist government of the Soviet Union wanted to convert other
countries to communism. The U.S. pledged to support free countries so they could resist
communism. Both the U.S. and the Soviet Union had nuclear weapons and were capable of
launching a nuclear war.
Other countries took sides in this international conflict. Many Western European countries sided
with the U.S. to form NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) in 1949. Eastern European
countries signed the Warsaw Pact and formed an alliance with the Soviet Union.
2. Give students the following timeline of Cold War events. You may want to print out copies or
put the information on an overhead projector:
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1945: Yalta Agreement
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1947: Truman Doctrine
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1947: Marshal Plan
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1948: Berlin Airlift
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1949: NATO formed.
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1950: Korean War begins.
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1952: U.S. tests first hydrogen bomb in Marshall Islands.
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1953: Soviet Union tests first hydrogen bomb.
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1953: Korean War ends.
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1955: Warsaw Pact organized.
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1957: Launch of Sputnik
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.
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The Cuban Missile Crisis: Teacher’s Guide
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1950s: McCarthy Hearings
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1961: Berlin Wall built.
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1961: Bay of Pigs
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1962: Cuban Missile Crisis
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1963: Installation of a Hot Line
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1969: Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) begins.
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1979: Invasion of Afghanistan
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1987: Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
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1989: Berlin Wall comes down.
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1990: Unification of East and West Germany
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1991: Collapse of the Soviet Union
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3. Explain to students that they will research one Cold War event. (You may assign more than one
student to an event such as the Korean War and have them write about different aspects.) Based
on their research, students will write a mock news article about the event and include direct
quotes and images. Remind students that their articles should answer the following: who was
involved, what happened, where the event happened, when it took place, and why it was
significant. Each article should include at least one image, such as a map or photograph.
4. The following Web sites provide useful information:
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CNN: The Cold War
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/kbank/
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The Cold War Museum
http://www.coldwar.org/
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The Cold War
http://www.geocities.com/the_coldwar/
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Cold War Policies
http://history.acusd.edu/gen/20th/coldwar0.html
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National Archives Learning Curve: Cold War
http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/coldwar/
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Yahoo: The Cold War
http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/History/By_Time_Period/20th_Century/Cold_War/
5. Have students display their articles in chronological order on a classroom bulletin board. (You
may photocopy articles for students to read outside of class.)
6. Once students have read all the articles, hold a discussion about the Cold War. To review what
they’ve learned, follow the timeline and select students who will explain each event’s
significance.
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.
The Cuban Missile Crisis: Teacher’s Guide
4
Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students’ work during this lesson.
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3 points: Students were highly engaged in class discussions; demonstrated a good
understanding of the Cold War; wrote a complete and organized news article that answered
all questions about the event and included several other important details.
•
2 points: Students participated in class discussions; demonstrated an understanding of the
Cold War; wrote a complete and organized news article that answered most of the questions
about the event and included some other important details.
•
1 point: Students participated minimally in class discussions; demonstrated an incomplete
understanding of the Cold War; wrote an incomplete and disorganized news article that did
not answer basic questions about the event and included few or no other important details.
Vocabulary
Cold War
Definition: The hostile relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union that existed
in the second half of the 20th century
Context: The threat of a nuclear attack was one of the most frightening aspects of the Cold War.
communism
Definition: A system of government in which all means of production are owned by a single
party; a social system in which property and goods are owned in common
Context: During the 20th century, the Soviet Union and China were two powerful communist
countries.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
Definition: An international political alliance formed to settle disputes peacefully and defend
member countries against outside aggressors
Context: NATO was formed in 1949 by the United States and Western European nations in
response to the threats associated with the Cold War.
Warsaw Pact
Definition: A military alliance of communist eastern European nations formed in 1955 in
response to the Cold War
Context: The nations of the Warsaw Pact included the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, East
Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.
The Cuban Missile Crisis: Teacher’s Guide
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Academic Standards
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
McREL's Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education
addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit link:
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:
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History—United States History: Understands how the Cold War and conflicts in Korean
and Vietnam influenced domestic and international politics; World History: Understands
how post-World War II reconstruction occurred, new international power relations took
shape, and colonial empires broke up, Understands the search for community, stability, and
peace in an interdependent world life
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Language Arts—Writing: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process,
Gathers and uses information for research purposes
The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
NCSS has developed national guidelines for teaching social studies. To become a member of NCSS,
or to view the standards online, go to http://www.socialstudies.org
This lesson plan addresses the following thematic standards:
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Power, Authority, and Governance
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Science, Technology, and Society
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Global Connections
Support Materials
Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools
offered on the Discoveryschool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a
Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit
•
http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.