USA 1920s: The FIRST Red Scare.

The purpose of this lesson is to lay the foundations for the causes behind the 1920’s Red Scare in the USA, kept specifically general to link with varying GCSE Exam Boards but specifically focusing upon developing critical thinking skills causes and judging significance.

Lesson begins with a hook: RE-call five to settle students before beginning the lesson with an introduction to rumour spreading: Example of Chinese whispers and video regarding ‘Fake News’ to hook students into the concept of a red scare and moral panic. Option to provide a secret students: with a mission to spread a rumour round the class to further hit home how news / rumours can spread (card provided).

Students supplied with the A3 causes sheet and are then to watch a short clip outlining some of the causes of the Red Scare between WW1-1921. Students are challenged to title the picture on the sheet with the causes identified within the video.

Following this students are asked to either: Circulate the room and museum walk the causes in more detail or students could be provided with a specific cause and become and expert in it then then peer teach the rest of the students in the class.

Lessons finished with students assessing and judging the mos significant cause of the Red Scare by standing next to the cause they believe was the most significant and think-pair sharing with any like minded students to critically explain the most important - writing or verbally explaining to the teacher.