Course Structure: (1) This is the first in a series of 2 courses that should be taken in sequence but do not have to be taken in numerical order. (2) Handouts will be available on the class site ahead of time to make students aware of terms to be used and the outstanding events connected with the Cold War. (3) A discussion-starting exercise will be used to help students imagine life at key points in the Cold War.. (4) Content will be provided during the class in a slide show which will be given to students at the completion of class. (5) Class length will be 1 hour and will lay the foundation for a second 1-hour course to examine whether the good things about the Cold War outweighed the bad things. Both classes will emphasize understanding, questioning, and imagination more than memorization of information.

Content: The course will center around 4 big issues. (1) How the Cold War was an extension of two global wars so that the 20th century experienced a 100 year war, 2 of which were unlimited and were followed by a limited war that tried to avoid using the most horrific weapons ever invented. (2) How the Cold War brought about American uniity on foreign policy and promoted unprecedented prosperity for the United States and the world. (3) How fear of communism disrupted internal politics while international military and technological competition also drove government-funded innovations that revolutionized life. And (4) the fear and anxiety of the time, living under threat of nuclear annihilation.

Methodology: A slide show will present information with graphics and content that are explained in a lecture. Students are encouraged to ask questions or express views at any time, but there is no pressure to speak. An ice breaker activity at the beginning of the course will be used to encourage participation and set the expectation that students may speak up but will not be pressured to talk. The slide show will include links to websites for additional information so that sharing the slide show at the end of the course encourages students to view the class as the beginning of a learning adventure. This course will also lay the foundation for evaluating the overall impact of the Cold War in the next course in the series.

Resources: No third party resources are used.