Join me as we examine the major events of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, and learn about the tremendous impact it had on both Europe and the Americas during the second half of the 20th century. This class will cover the origins of the rivalry, the division of eastern Europe, the major events of the period in both Europe and the Americas, the arms race, the space race, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.  

This course will be taught using visual aids via PowerPoint in a lecture-based format. Students will be expected to ask questions and discuss the material we are covering as a group. During the 50-minute class periods, students should expect to answer questions to check their understanding and participate in class discussions. The last week of the course will be the unit test which will be in the form of an interactive game of Kahoot. 

This is an introductory class, so students do not need to have any background knowledge coming into class!

Week 1:  From Allies to Enemies (post-war tensions, the Potsdam Conference, division of Germany, the Iron Curtain, the Truman Doctrine)  

Week 2: The Cold War Begins (The Marshall Plan, Containment, Berlin Blockade, creation of NATO)  
 
Week 3: The Arms Race (new weapons, the Space Race, The Second Red Scare, The Cuban Revolution, Cuban Missile Crisis) 

Week 4: The Fall of the Soviet Union (Prague Spring, Détente, Ronald Reagan, Grenada, Nicaragua, El Salvador, reforms of the Soviet Union, the collapse of the Soviet Union)

Week 5: Kahoot Assessment