It’s begun!  The 2nd Quarter is the time to do your best in your classes.  It’s the time when you’ve (hopefully) become comfortable with other students in the class and with the teacher.  It’s the time when you’ve gotten over the shock of the new class and are ready to get down to work.  It’s also the time to make your grades work for you.

Here’s a couple of study suggestions and site you might want to check out.  They will help!

This website is a wonderful tool and you will sweat it, believe me.  Go to it to work on skills to make yourself a better writer.  As I’ve said in class, if you can write effectively, you can do anything in life.  So many doors become open to you.  Check it out and do your best.

Here are a couple of other sites for you.  Both are helpful in taking notes in a class.  They talk about the Cornell Note System. [Site 1, Site 2, Site 3] If you learn this technique for taking notes, you will be unstoppable in college.  Everyone will want to study with you.  You may also make some extra cash selling your notes to Freshmen… who knows?

How about reading the textbook?  Want some ideas on that?  Check out this site for the SQRW method explained.

I’ll add more sites and suggestions as the days go on.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Here’s a list of links that will take you to the unit guides:

• 2000′s – America in the 21st Century
• 1990′s – Post Cold War America
• 1980′s – American Conservatism
• 1970′s – America in Transition
• 1960′s – Cuba and Vietnam
• 1960′s – Civil Rights Movement
• 1950′s – America in the Cold War
• 1940′s – World War 2 Week 1
• 1940′s – World War 2 Week 2
• 1930′s – The Great Depression and New Deal
• 1920′s – America in the Jazz Age
• 1910′s – The Great War
• 1900′s – The Progressive Era
• 1890′s – American Imperialism

Author: Nate Everett

Title of Lesson: The Cuban Missile Crisis

Curriculum Area: United States History

Grade Level: 10^th Grade

Instructional Grouping: Heterogeneous

Approximate Time Required Completing Lesson: 3, 83 minute class periods (blocks)

Overview of Lesson: Students of history must live what they study.  Analysis of history is not passive, nor is it confined to the past.  Active learners must challenge the world around themselves in order to define it.  In this sense, each student creates their own understanding not only of the past, but the world in which they live.  Just as our own lives have turning points, so to does the history of our nation.  One of the most pivotal events in the history of the United States, as well as the world, was the Cuban Missile Crisis (CMC).  In this lesson, students will examine the intrigue, drama and suspense of a global stand-off between nuclear superpowers and its consequences.  The class will be divided according to readiness levels in this differentiated lesson.

Essential Questions:

Where is Cuba?

Why are people afraid of nuclear weapons?

What is a stand-off?

What is power and how is it used?

How can we make decisions based on potential consequences?

Materials:

• Computer Projector, Laptop and Projection Screen
• Computer files projected on screen
  • Satellite images of Soviet nuclear missiles and launch in Cuba
  • Geographic global maps of US, Cuba, Europe, USSR
  • Specific websites to demonstrate select content on the CMC
    • http://library.thinkquest.org/11046/days/index.html 14 Days in October – A comprehensive site demonstrating reconnaissance photos, biographical files, primary source documents and more.
    • http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/ National Security Archives: The Cuban Missile Crisis – Many declassified government documents, photos, maps and more.
    • http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/experience/the.bomb/ CNN Cold War – Visual and informative site on the nuclear bomb
• Task card directions for each group, grading rubrics for each student
• Research books from the school library on the CMC, nuclear weapons and biographical material on the major players
• Light, thin labeled colored binder folders to be used as portfolios (one for each student, four colors representing the four research categories)

Learning Objectives:

• Know:
  • People – President Kennedy, Premier Khrushchev, Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, Sec. of Defense Robert McNamara, US Ambassador to the United Nations Adlai Stevenson, EXCOM
  • Places – United States, UN Headquarters, NATO nations, Warsaw Pact nations, Soviet Union, Cuba, Turkey
  • Events – Bay of Pigs Invasion, Cuban Missile Crisis, Cold War, Nuclear Arms Race, Cuban Revolution
• Understand:
  • Consequences of a nuclear war
  • Skills of diplomatic negotiation
  • Relationship between political and military power in the United States
  • Connection between weapons of mass destruction and global politics today
• Do:
  • Determine a course of action for the US president concerning the Cuban Missile Crisis by discussion, debate and consensus.

Pre-Assessment: Students will be pre-assessed by taking a multiple-intelligences survey.  Students will be sorted according to learning style according to results. (See Step #5)

Steps in Lesson:

1. Students will receive lecture notes (approximately 20 minutes) with video and web presentations concerning:
   1. Background information on US/Soviet/Cuban relations
   2. The chronology of the CMC (without outcome)
   3. Biographical descriptions of major players
2. Students will be divided into groups according to the Jigsaw method.  First, students will be divided into three Research groups according to readiness: Military, Diplomats, and Scientists.  Then, each student in their group will receive a number (1-5, depending on the number of students) to make up their EXCOM group (with one student member from each field).  This group will function as the President’s Executive Committee on the Cuban Missile Crisis.  Their task is to determine which option is the best decision (see Step #6) for America to take in the CMC.  Task cards will explain the directions to each student group.  All students will be given a grading rubric.
3. The task of the Research groups is to gather information and evidence on their specific topic.  Each task card will contain different methods used to build a portfolio.  This information will be vital to making informed choices.
4. The task of the EXCOM group is to receive portfolios from each of the researchers (shared by a brief presentation with all EXCOM members) and then collaboratively make a decision based on consensus as to the appropriate course of American action.  Each member must defend their position orally and in writing.
5. Research Group Tasks
   1. Military Task Card [Logical-Mathematical Intelligence]

1. i.      Research: Students will research the number of armed forces, nuclear missiles, and non-nuclear forces for the American, Soviet and Cuban forces in 1962.
2. ii.      Task: Students will create a battle plan portfolio for the US for each of the proposed options (attack, internationalize or negotiate) outlining a speculative sequence of events and their military consequences.
3. i.      Research: Students will research the history of American foreign policy in the Cold War regarding relations with the Soviet Union and Cuba (1945-1962).
4. ii.      Task: Students will create a foreign policy portfolio advising the leaders of the US, Cuba and the Soviet Union on a diplomatic sequence of events and their consequences based on the proposed options (attack, internationalize or negotiate).
5. i.      Research: Students will research the effects of nuclear weapons on humans, buildings, the environment and atmosphere using books and websites.
6. ii.      Task: Students will create their portfolio by visually representing (drawing) the impact of nuclear weapons on cities and people, drawing charts demonstrating existing (then) nuclear stockpiles and finally, their locations around the world.

1. 1. Diplomat Task Card [Linguistic & Interpersonal Intelligences]

1. 1. Scientist Task Card [Spatial Intelligence]

1. Students will be informed of the choices they may make from three options:  (additional choices can be made through consultation with the teacher)
   1. Attack: Use tactical air strikes to disable and destroy existing nuclear weapons followed by an invasion of Cuba
   2. Internationalize: Use the United Nations to create an international agreement  requiring mutual disarmament for all nuclear nations
   3. Negotiate: Negotiate with the Soviet Union to withdraw American missiles from Turkey in exchange for a Soviet withdrawal of missile from Cuba
2. Students will begin their research and complete their tasks within approximately 2.5, 83 minute class periods.
3. Students will convene their EXCOM groups for discussion, debate and decisions using the following procedure:
   1. Each person will take turns presenting their portfolios to the group.
   2. After each portfolio presentation, each student will orally discuss the following question: “How does this information support or oppose each option?” (attack, internationalize, negotiate)  Students may debate the answer.
   3. Students will question each other concerning facts and information presented in the portfolios and their relationship to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
   4. After all three presentations, students will then make recommendations for action by writing down their vote for their chosen option along with three reasons supported by evidence.
   5. Each EXCOM group will then explain their recommendations to the class as a whole.  The whole class will then ask questions concerning the recommendations and the teacher will guide students through the actual outcome of events in October 1962.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed by completing the following tasks for homework over the next three days.

• Creative Writing Assignment: Imagine a nuclear war had taken place between the US and Soviet Union over missiles in Cuba.  Write a diary entry for President Kennedy, Fidel Castro and Nikita Khrushchev concerning the aftermath and their thoughts on it.  This will be assessed using the following rubric:

• Reflection Journal: Since you have retired from your position on the President’s Executive Committee on the Cuban Missile Crisis, you have had time to think about your experience and the crisis itself.  Perhaps you will decide to write your memoirs about these critical events and your role in them… What would you say about your experiences?  Write a two page (or more) self-reflection journal concerning 1) your research and portfolio and 2) your thoughts and actions debating these immense decisions while a member of EXCOM.  What have you learned from these experiences?  This assignment will be assessed using the following rubric:

Here’s the link to the 1980′s forum assignment.

Sources: http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/index.htm, http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade80.html, http://www.liketotally80s.com/index.html

Assignment: You’re a museum curator. What does a curator do? Click here to find out. You’ve been told by your boss that the museum is going to create an entire wing of their building devoted to the 1980’s.

You’ve been put in charge of the project. You have room for some exhibits, but because of the amount of time you have, you can only complete more exhibits if you have help from other people. If you want to work in a group, follow this chart:

What will the exhibits be about? There are a lot of potential themes that you can consider in the 1980’s, such as Reagan, the Cold War, sports, music, fashion, disasters, fads, computers, the space shuttle program, books, movies, famous people, international events, television and more.

So what goes in the exhibits? Take a look at the websites listed in the sources above for ideas. You have space for 5 items in each exhibit. Think about how you can visualize your exhibit as someone walks through it. What do you see, hear, touch, taste or smell? Is your exhibit interactive, or is it materials preserved behind a glass case? Click here to get a look at some sample museum exhibits. Basically, your exhibit should meet 4 requirements:

• · Interactivity – There should be something for the museum guest to do while in your exhibit.
• · Visually stimulating – Colors and design are very important in the presentation of your exhibit.
• · Content validity – A museum guest should be able to learn information from your exhibit.
• · Coolness factor – Your exhibit should be something that is memorable and encourages people to recommend it to someone else.

So what do you do here? Well, it’s a good thing you read all of the directions above. Here are the steps:

• · Step #1: Choose your teammates or decide if you’d like to work alone.
• · Step #2: Determine what themes you are going to use for your exhibits. Write your initials on the board under the category, so we can equally distribute them.
• · Step #3: Once you’ve chosen your themes, begin your research. You’re looking for information on 5 displays for each exhibit. For example, if you chose ‘movies’, you will choose to research 5 movies from the 1980’s. For each, write a placard concerning its importance in the 1980’s. Include detailed information about who, what, when, where, why and how. Be selective in what you choose as your final 5. You want your exhibit to be awesome!
• · Step #4: Now that you have research on 5 displays for each of your 3 themes (15 total), you’re going to write out your description of your exhibit. In your own words, describe what someone would see as they walked through your exhibit. Be as descriptive as possible. When you’re finished, you’re done! Great work!

Evaluation: You will be given a maximum of 40 points for completing your research and writing a description for each of your 15 displays (5 displays each for 3 exhibits). You will be given 40 points for writing out a detailed walkthrough of each exhibit. You will be given 10 points for making a positive comment, asking an appropriate question, or providing a constructive suggestion to another student’s work/post. You will also be given 10 points for appropriately responding to another student’s comment, question or suggestion.

Thanks for your effort!

Here’s the rubric you will be using.