Group Activity

TEK USH .8.B describe how Cold War tensions were intensified by the arms race, the space race, McCarthyism, and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), the findings of which were confirmed by the Venona Papers

Materials Videos Textbook Duck and Cover Fallout He May be a Communist Textbook Flip Video Cameras w/Windows Moviemaker or iMovie

Learning Targets Students will be able to explain how Cold War tensions impacted American behavior Students will be able to explain the government role in shaping American attitudes towards various Cold War events

Objective The student will be able to explain how elements of the Cold War impacted the behavior of everyday Americans and how government helped shape public attitudes

Essential Questions How did average American react to the House Un-American Activity Committee? Did the increasing paranoia concerning Communist infiltration of American society have any basis in fact? How did government prepare American society for life in the Age of the Bomb? Did government contribute to Cold War tensions in American society?

Lesson Delivery Students will create a Public Service Announcement video covering Cold War topics such as the Atomic Bomb and Communist influences in American society Students will be divided into groups of 4-5 Groups will choose a topic for their PSA from one discussed in class earlier Groups will research their topic and plan their video by creating a storyboard that will contain their narrative and proposed camera shots

Lesson Delivery Students will turn in their storyboard for approval and access to a camera for filming the PSA (the storyboard will be turned in after filming for a grade) Students will film their PSA and turn in their assignment to the teacher electronically (disc, flash-drive, student vault, etc.) for a grade Students are encouraged to be creative and humor is allowed – it does not have to be serious but it does have to be historically accurate Videos will be presented to the class on a voluntary basis Videos will be graded using the following rubric:

Lesson Delivery Item Points Possible Points Earned Historical Accuracy of Material 70 Creativity 15 Quality of Finished Product Total Points

Understanding / Assessment Student understanding of the topics will be gauged during discussion of the films as they are presented Assessment is provided by the two graded assignments: storyboard and film

Reteach Classroom discussion of the topics and the related US PSA films They may seem hokey – but are they valid examples of American society during that time?

Closure / Summary Discuss the project with the class What are important issues today that are stressed via PSAs? Will current PSAs be viewed in the future the way we view those of the Cold War?