Unit 7: Cold War and Civil Rights

This unit covers the post-WWII era, focusing on the ideological battle for global influence and the domestic struggle for equality. Key knowledge areas include:

The Origins of the Cold War: The ideological differences between capitalism/democracy and communism, and the emergence of the "Iron Curtain."

Containment Policy: Key strategies used by the U.S. to stop the spread of communism, including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and the formation of NATO.

Cold War Conflicts: The causes and outcomes of proxy wars in Korea and Vietnam, as well as the tension of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The Civil Rights Movement: The legal and social fight to end segregation and disenfranchisement, including the impact of Brown v. Board of Education.

Key Figures and Philosophies: The non-violent protest strategies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. compared with the more militant approaches of leaders like Malcolm X and the Black Power movement.

Legislative Milestones: The importance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in dismantling Jim Crow laws.

Students will apply historical thinking skills to evaluate these parallel movements:

Analyze Primary Sources: Examine influential texts such as MLK’s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and George Kennan’s "Long Telegram" to understand the motivations behind both movements.

Evaluate Containment: Assess the successes and failures of U.S. foreign policy in Asia and Latin America during the Cold War.

Compare and Contrast: Analyze the different methods used by various Civil Rights groups (SNCC, CORE, Black Panthers) to achieve social change.

Trace Cause and Effect: Identify how Cold War competition (such as the Space Race and the Red Scare) influenced American domestic policy and culture.

Students will show their understanding through several types of assessments:

DBQ (Document-Based Question): A formal essay requiring students to use evidence to explain how the Cold War shaped American foreign policy or how the Civil Rights Movement transformed American society.

Unit Assessment: A test covering key terminology (e.g., Brinkmanship, McCarthyism, Sit-ins) and the chronological sequence of major events.

Civil Rights Project: A creative or research-based project, such as a digital timeline of the movement or a biographical profile of a lesser-known civil rights activist.

Socratic Seminar: A graded discussion where students debate the extent to which the United States lived up to its founding ideals during this era.