Tag: cold war

Cold War

Laika, A Tragic Casualty of the Space Race

You’ve probably heard of Laika, the Soviet dog that was sent into space aboard Sputnik 2. Have you ever thought about what happened to her? Most of us just mention these things in passing as we cover the Space Race. But animals in space? Don’t pass up this chance to use it to engage your students. Laika’s story is sure to pique the interest of almost anyone.

A dog in space? It sounds kind of comical, right? But the reality of the situation was far from comical. Laika’s flight into space ended up being very stressful on her as evidenced by the fact that her heart rate was triple the normal rate! Soviet scientists knew that she would die; they just didn’t expect her to die the way she did. Reports were circulated that Laika would die a quick and painless death by asphyxiation when the oxygen ran out. However, the Soviets didn’t expect the temperature control system to malfunction. The cabin overheated and Laika died from the heat. The Soviets released false reports that Laika lived several days in space, and the truth about the flight was not revealed until many decades later. Even now, Laika’s story stirs up controversy about the use of animals in research.  You can read more about Laika and her training in this fascinating article.

Cold War, Post-World War II, Reconstruction to Present

Have You Touched the Berlin Wall?

Did you know that there are many segments of the Berlin Wall on display in the United States? You can see if there is one close to you by checking here. A couple of years ago, I found out that there was a segment less than 45 minutes from me! I had no clue. It is in front of a German-run business located near the interstate. One day when my family and I were down that way, we stopped by and looked at it. It’s insane to think that we were touching something that was such a huge symbol of such a unique time. It also made me reflect on how blessed I am to be free, and it reminded me of the people who were living under such oppression that they were willing to risk their lives just to get over the very wall we were able to walk up and touch.

Encourage your students to go out and touch a piece of history! It may make a greater impact on them than any worksheet ever could.

 

 

 

Post-World War II, Reconstruction to Present

Great Discussion Starter About the Cold War

If you have ever watched anything on Discovery or TLC or History Channel, at some point you’ve probably heard the fabulous voice of Mike Rowe. Among other projects, Mike has an awesome podcast called The Way I Heard It. He takes events or people that are well-known and adds a unique storytelling element to them that creates quite a bit of suspense. Most episodes are only about six minutes long, but they pack a powerful punch.

I was listening to one episode the other day, and I heard an amazingly interesting story that will definitely pique your students’ interest. You need to listen to “Episode 3: Clean Up on Aisle Four.” I don’t want to give away what or who the story is about, but this episode would be a GREAT little tidbit to add to your discussions somewhere in your unit about the Cold War. (I don’t want to get too specific or it might ruin the effect of the story.  Sorry!) If you want to skip the intro stuff, you can jump to the 40-second mark. The total story only lasts about four minutes, but that four minutes is enough to make an impact.

Classroom Uses

  • This would be a great bell-ringer or discussion-starter to begin class.
  • You could have students listen to this and complete a free-write.
  • Use this to help your students develop better listening skills.
  • Have students complete Window Notes on the podcast to encourage students to actively listen and then process the info.  (Here’s an example of Window Notes that I used in an earlier post.  Essentially you have them divide their paper into 4 sections.  Each section deals with a reading passage or listening exercise from different learning perspectives/styles.  Can be formal or informal.)  With Window Notes, you may want to listen to the podcast twice.

Isn’t it a great story?!  If I come across any more episodes that I think would work in class, I’ll post more later!

Photo used in accordance with licensing from Clipart.com.
Post-World War II

Great Cuban Missile Crisis Worksheets

I found a new resource today on the Cuban Missile Crisis that I really like.  It is a free packet of four worksheets covering different aspects of the situation.  The assignment at the end of each worksheet is to write an essay.  If you don’t want your students to write an essay, you can easily modify this assignment into a group or class discussion.  I really like these worksheets because it breaks down the Cuban Missile Crisis into various steps and decisions and helps students evaluate the “what-ifs” of the situation.  The packet also downloads as a Word document, which would make it very easy edit to suit your classroom needs.  This packet is part of a larger grouping of resources found here.