1. John F. Kennedy & the Cold War

3. Think! What do you see in this cartoon?
What is the most dominant feature in this cartoon? Why?
What does this cartoon mean?
What paradox exists between the weapons displayed?
Discussion: What rules are “driving” the Cold War?

4. Kennedy Khrushchev

5. Space Race
From 1955 to 1972 these two superpowers battled each other for supremacy in space flight technologies, with each country launching multiple satellites and manned missions into space.   The ultimate goal of both countries was to put a man on the Moon,  which the U.S. successfully did on July 20th, 1969.

6. Berlin Showdown (1961)

7. JFK and Cuba
In 1959, Cuba became a Communist country, led by Fidel Castro. This development brought the Cold War close to home because Cuba is 90 miles off the coast of Florida.
John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1960 and oversaw two major events that involved Cuba: 1) the Bay of Pigs invasion; 2) the Cuban Missile Crisis.

8. Complete the Cuba Case Study

9. The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
Historical Thinking: Why did the Russians pull their missiles out of Cuba?
Read the 3 primary source documents.

10. Debrief
According to these documents, what deal did the U.S. strike with the U.S.S.R.?
Why was this deal kept a secret?
Is this deal mentioned in the classroom textbook?
Why might the textbook not have mentioned this deal?
Who seems more scared or on the defensive in this documents?
What does this event show you about how people felt during the Cold War?
How do these letters demonstrate nations acting in her own interest?
Read Documents A-C and Guiding Questions. Answer the questions in pairs.

11. Assassination
kennedy/videos/john-f-kennedy-assassinated