On 9 February 1950, senator John McCarthy began his relentless campaign to eradicate Communism from the US. Five years after the dawning of the Cold War, McCarthy delivered a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, accusing more than 200 members of the State Department of being members of the Communist Party.
Today, students have little awareness of the paranoia and political ideologies that polarised nations during this period. Allenk has shared a number of resources about the Cold War years:
- The “Red Scare” PowerPoint, with study questions and images, introduces early tensions in the 1920s and the Palmer Raids.
- A learning objective-led presentation on McCarthyism
- Search for answers with a Korean War crossword.
- Why did the US lose the Vietnam War? Find arguments with a survey.
- Test students’ knowledge about the fall of the Soviet Union with an “Egghead” plenary.
- Revise the whole period with “Cold War Pictionary” or “Odd One Out”.
Walking in the footsteps of others
StrataLogica (www.stratalogica.com) combines the 3D mapping data of Google Earth with Herff Jones Nystrom’s educational software to create an interactive tool for the 21st-century classroom. It provides a platform for exploring the world, past and present. Features include: 3D mapping with a choice of perspectives and zoom levels; pop-ups for current events; facilities for teachers to upload text, images and video; interactive marking tools; and an e-book with cross-curricular activity sheets and 3D environments that students can use to visualise historical events.
What else?
From the history of Ancient Rome to how earthquakes happen, TES partner Google has shared resources using Google Earth.
