US History Cold War Unit - digital notebooks, printables, DBQ, exam & more!

Everything you need to tach the Cold War to your APUSH or US History class! Digital or printable options added for each assignment to give you flexibility and save you HOURS of prep time!

This Cold War Unit includes an Escape Room, 2 engaging digital notebooks, 1 document analysis activity & 1 comic strip assignment to help students learn about important trends and events during the Cold War. These activities are ready to post and assign on Google Classroom and are fully editable.

Save 15% by purchasing the bundle AND gain access to 3 bonus resources: study guide & 2 forms of assessment: a 25 question multiple choice exam (with both stimulus-based and traditional questions) and a free response exam.

SUGGESTED LEARNING TARGETS (topics covered) 

1. I can explain the origins of the Cold War including ideological differences between the US & USSR & the “iron curtain.”
2. I can describe the US foreign policy of containment and its implementation through the Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, and Berlin Airlift.  
3. I can explain how the Cold War was fought in Europe and in Asia through foreign aid, alliances, and proxy wars.
4. I can explain the nuclear arms race and the principle of “mutually assured destruction.”
5. I can explain the Cuban Missile Crisis and how it represented a peak in tension between the US & USSR.
6. I can describe the policy of détente and explain examples of the easing of tension between the superpowers.
7. I can analyze the end of the Cold War through the collapse of the USSR & fall of the Berlin Wall.

UNIT PLAN & INSTRUCTIONS

ASSIGNMENT 1:  ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR 1945 - 1953 [2 DAY DIGITAL NOTEBOOK] 

This activity will introduce students to the Origins of the Cold War and allow them to quiz themselves after with a 25 question Quizizz game!

Topics: The world after WWII, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, MAD (through Dr. Seuss!), Berlin Blockade & Airlift, Korean War, and more!

Assignment Includes:

• • a 4 page student worksheet that can be assigned digitally or printed
  • 2 pages of reading
  • links to videos for student learning
  • a teacher PPT for students to follow during distance learning or for in-class use
  • a 25 question Quizizz to check student understanding in a fun and dynamic way.

ASSIGNMENT 2: ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR DOCUMENT ANALYSIS

This activity will guide students to evaluate important developments in the early Cold War through political cartoons, primary sources & graphs/maps. Each document excerpt has 1-2 guiding questions to lead students to answer the overarching question: How did the Cold War begin? What “weapons” were used to fight this war? (explain at least 3)

Documents include:

• 4 political cartoons with printable or digital analysis sheet (includes guiding questions to help students interpret cartoons in a self-guided learning environment)
• Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech
• Truman Doctrine
• Marshall Plan
• NATO & Warsaw Pact
• Khrushchev's perception of the US
• Nuclear arms race (graphs)
• Cuban Missile Crisis (both JFK & Khrushchev)

ASSIGNMENT 3: COLD WAR ESCAPE ROOM

This content-driven Escape Room will take students through the Cold War from the Truman Doctrine through the Space Race. Google Slides format is designed to challenge and engage students as they learn about the Cold War. Includes a student Note Sheet & 26 slide no-prep digital escape room. Through embedded videos, maps & readings, students will learn key details about the Cold War! This is ready to post & can be completed fully digitally or you can print the optional student Handout provided for in-class use. Check out the video demo linked HERE to see how it works!

Topics:

• Truman Doctrine
• Marshall Plan
• NATO/Warsaw Pact
• Berlin Blockade/Airlift
• Korean War
• Arms Race
• Space Race

ASSIGNMENT 4: COMIC STRIP: COLD WAR, HEATED CONFLICT

This Comic Strip activity will allow students to explore one aspect of the Cold War in more detail. After an introductory lecture (included) that will preview 4 important events (Berlin Blockade/Airlift, Korean War, Bay of Pigs/Cuban Missile Crisis & Vietnam War), students will use the provided handouts to create a comic strip of that key event.

ASSIGNMENT 5: THE COLD WAR IN AMERICA DIGITAL NOTEBOOK 

This digital interactive notebook for US History covers the Cold War at home and its effects on Americans. Students will watch short video clips, analyze political cartoons and read secondary sources. Includes a full answer key that can be used as a teacher PPT!

Topics include:

• Communist sympathizers
• Alger Hiss
• The Rosenbergs
• The Hollywood 10 & Blacklisting
• McCarthyism
• The Lavender Scare
• Life in the Atomic Age
• The FCDA & Bert the Turtle

ASSIGNMENT 6: END OF THE COLD WAR DIGITAL NOTEBOOK

This digital notebook will introduce students to the second half of the Cold War & the End of the Cold War ended with engaging activities like describing the Berlin Wall from the Eastern & Western Perspective, a mock interview, timelines, etc.

Topics: Domino Theory, Space Race, Berlin Wall, Bay of Pigs/Cuban Missile Crisis, Détente, Fall of the Berlin Wall & Collapse of the USSR.

Assignment Includes:

• a 9 page digital notebook ready to post on Google classroom
• links to videos and websites for student learning (assignment is self-contained: no textbook needed!)

ASSIGNMENT 7: COLD WAR FLOWCHART & PPT

• Flowchart can be completed digitally or by hand. This can also be used as a study guide and completed without the PPT
• Slide 6 (3rd page of the worksheet) & slides 22 on focus more on AP Euro of World History topics, so you can omit those

ASSIGNMENT 8: COLD WAR STUDY GUIDE [BONUS ASSIGNMENT] & KAHOOT[BONUS ASSIGNMENT]

ASSIGNMENT 9: FREE RESPONSE EXAM

[BONUS ASSIGNMENT]

ASSIGNMENT 10: MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAM

[BONUS ASSIGNMENT]

Check out my other US History Activities & Units: Ronald Reagan ... Watergate ... Comprehensive Civil Rights Movement 2 Week Unit... & more!

_______________

DID YOU KNOW?

_______________

You can follow my store by clicking HERE. Be the first to know when I release new products or hold a sale!

You can also earn TPT credit to use on future purchases by reviewing products?

Just go to your My Purchases page. Next to each of your purchases, you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Click that link and you will be taken to a page where you can rate the product and leave a review. Each time you give feedback, TPT gives you feedback credits that you can use to lower the cost of your future purchases!