A Guide to Primary Resources for U.S. History : Sputnik CNN Interactive: The Cold War Experience This sophisticated project website focused on the Soviet satellite Sputnik and its successors from 1949 to 1961 contains very interesting features, among other things a component ("You Make the Call") that allows students to make policy decisions based on historical facts and then view the real decisions and reasons behind their outcome. There are also many links to archival photographs and documents of the period. (Primary source material organized skillfully around secondary source commentary). On the CNN site, there is a link to "Brinksmanship: You make the call." In this brief exercise, students decide how to deal with a pilot from a downed spy plane, from the perspective of Khrushchev. They read a brief introduction to their character and advice from three of his advisors to help them make a decision. On the CNN site, there is a link to "Brinksmanship: You make the call." In this brief exercise, students decide how to respond to the reconnaissance photographs revealing the Soviet Union building offensive missile sites in Cuba, from the perspective of JFK. They read a brief introduction to their character and advice from three of his advisors to help them make a decision.

(b) explaining the origins of the Cold War, and describing the Truman Doctrine and the policy of containment of communism, the American role in wars in Korea and Vietnam, and the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Europe;

Sputnik
CNN Interactive: The Cold War Experience

Description: This sophisticated project website focused on the Soviet satellite Sputnik and its successors from 1949 to 1961 contains very interesting features, among other things a component ("You Make the Call") that allows students to make policy decisions based on historical facts and then view the real decisions and reasons behind their outcome. There are also many links to archival photographs and documents of the period. (Primary source material organized skillfully around secondary source commentary).

Teaching Tips:

"Do Now" Suggestion

On the CNN site, there is a link to "Brinksmanship: You make the call." In this brief exercise, students decide how to deal with a pilot from a downed spy plane, from the perspective of Khrushchev. They read a brief introduction to their character and advice from three of his advisors to help them make a decision.

Suggestion for Using this Resource as Part of a Lesson

On the CNN site, there is a link to "Brinksmanship: You make the call." In this brief exercise, students decide how to respond to the reconnaissance photographs revealing the Soviet Union building offensive missile sites in Cuba, from the perspective of JFK. They read a brief introduction to their character and advice from three of his advisors to help them make a decision.