The aim of this lesson is to assess Ronald Reagan’s approach to the Soviet Union and explain why relations between the superpowers deteriorated during the Second Cold War.
Students begin by focusing on the changing leadership of the Soviet Union and the background of Ronald Reagan before he became President of the USA.
They then use an emoji rating activity to judge how tough Reagan’s approach was towards the Soviet Union, examining his Reagan Doctrine and the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), known as Star Wars.
Students assess a series of statements about Reagan’s policies and complete differentiated questions to investigate how his actions affected relations between the USA and the Soviet Union. They consider why his hard-line approach increased tensions and contributed to the Second Cold War.
The lesson concludes with GCSE exam question practice on the importance of Ronald Reagan’s Presidency. A scaffold, student-friendly mark scheme and model answer are provided to help students structure their responses and develop their exam technique.
The lesson is enquiry based, with a key question using a lightbulb introduced at the start and revisited throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning.
It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
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