Lesson 1
Lesson Plan on Background of Vietnam
Lesson Objectives/Learning Outcomes
Students will have a better understanding of the history of Vietnam leading up to the Vietnam War. Students will have an understanding of French colonialism in Indochina, the effects that Japanese occupation had, the war to fight off the French, and the partitioning of Vietnam.
State Standards Covered
8.1.2 Foreign Policy during the Cold War (US History)
6.2.4 Imperialism (World History)
8.2.1 The Legacy of Imperialism (World History)
P1.2 Analyze point of view, context, and bias to interpret primary and secondary source documents
Introduction of Lesson
For an activating strategy, I will give the students two or three minutes to write down everything they know about Vietnam. I will go around the room and have students tell me what they had written down. This will get students
Delivery
This lesson will be primarily lecture. I will go through a powerpoint and students will take notes. I will have guided notes for the students to fill out as they go. At one point during the lecture, I will have the students read Ho Chi Minh’s Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and some select letters from Ho Chi Minh that help give insight into the plight and struggles of Vietnam under colonization. Students will get to see a primary source and it will help them see why the Vietnamese wanted out from under French rule. I will question the students on what they read. I will ask them to describe some of the big reasons the Vietnamese are angry and what are some things that influenced this revolution.
Assessment
I will have students write a short few sentences of what they learned today and what they thought was important. They will not be allowed to look at their notes. I will collect this and look it over to see what the students took away and if what they took away was what I had intended.
Sources used in lesson
http://rationalrevolution.net/war/collection_of_letters_by_ho_chi_.htm
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/583/
LESSON 2
Topic for this lesson: U.S foreign affair policy
Grade Level: High School
Unit: Vietnam War
Lesson Objectives:
The students will learn the foreign affairs policy of the United States
The students will look at and understand how U.S foreign policy changed and how that affected Vietnam.
State Standards
C4.4.1- U.S foreign affairs.
P1.4 Communicate clearly and coherently in writing, speaking, and visually expressing ideas pertaining to social science topics, acknowledging audience and purpose
Assessment:
Write a short paper discussing how the foreign affair policy of the U.S and how that affected the decision to get involved in Vietnam war.
Start of Lesson:
Activating Strategy= recall any prior knowledge on U.S foreign affairs policy
Teacher activities:
Prepare lecture plan on foreign affair policy and how it changed.
Student activities:
Take active notes while lecture using graphic organizer and regular paper.
Closure:
Recap main lecture points and assign assessment.
Assumptions:
Students know what foreign affairs policy is and the U.S involvement in world affairs
Materials and resources:
Graphic organizer
Plain lined paper
Vietnam War – Lesson 3
Timeline of the Vietnam War
I. Lesson Objectives:
a. Students should have an understanding of how the conflict developed between North and South Vietnam.
b. Students should know why Eisenhower chose to be involved in Vietnam.
c. Students should be able to put the major events leading up to the war in chronological order.
II. Assessment
a. Students will apply the knowledge they learned about the order of events by answering a few questions at the end of class.
b. The questions being:
i. What would you say got the ball rolling? Meaning what event do you was the final straw that caused the Vietnam conflict? And why?
ii. How did the US play a role in the growing conflict between the two Vietnamese zones?
iii. If you were Eisenhower, what would you have done differently at the beginning of the war? Or would you have changed nothing? Why?
iv. How do you feel about the way America left the Vietnam War? Do you think it was right? Do you think we should have done it years prior? Why?
III. Standards
a. 8.1.2 – Foreign Policy during the Cold War
i. The armed struggle with Communism
ii. U.S. involvement in Vietnam
b. 8.1.3 - The End of the Cold War
i. This lesson covers the end of the Vietnam war which was one part of the ending of the Cold War
IV. Activating Strategy
a. Type: Media
b. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHk4TGWx0ZM
c. This short video gives a brief overview of a timeline of Vietnam and so it is a good foreshadow for this lesson.
d. Students will watch this video and fill out a KWL chart.
V. Instructional Strategy
a. Lecture/Direct instruction – there will be a lecture aspect of this lesson that will outline the events leading up the war.
VI. Teacher Activities
a. Teacher will introduce the short video to be shown and will explain to the students the KWL chart they will need to fill out.
b. Teacher will walk around during video and make sure students are taking notes.
c. Teacher will facilitate a short discussion of the video after is show.
d. The teacher will present the timeline lecture to the students. They will make it interactive with recall questions that focus on the information they learned in lecture 1 and 2.
e. Will ask if there are any final questions about the material
VII. Student Activities
a. Will watch video and fill out KWL chart
b. Students will contribute to a short discussion on the things they saw in the video and things they want to know or already know.
c. During the timeline lecture they will fill out the timeline graphic organizer they were given.
d. Will ask any questions at the end of (or during) the lecture.
VIII. Closure
a. Students will listen to a song a Beatles song to get them in the mood and mindset of the 1960s and to give them some relaxation at the end of a lecture.
IX. Materials and resources
a. Timeline handouts
b. Power point
c. Music
Vietnam War – Lesson 4
How the War Was Fought
I. Lesson Objectives
a. Students will become an expert on one way in which the war was fought.
b. Students will continue developing social skills, presentation skills, and experience with group work.
c. Students should know the different ways in which the war was fought.
II. Assessment
a. Group assessment will be the 8-12 minute presentation they give to the class
b. The individual assessment will be a short take home essay. Students will be asked to write about which war tactic they thought was the most effective. They will need to explain what they think an effective tactic is and why this one is the most effective.
III. Standards
a. 8.1.2 – Foreign Policy during the Cold War
i. The armed struggle with Communism
ii. U.S. involvement in Vietnam
b. P1.4 - Communicate clearly and coherently in writing, speaking, and visually expressing ideas pertaining to social science topics, acknowledging audience and purpose
IV. Activating Strategy
a. Type: Recall/making predictions/game
b. At the beginning of class the teacher will have students take a minute to think back through all the wars they have learned about and write down some of the different weapons that have been used and the different war tactics and how they have advanced and changed over time. They will then share in a group of 4-5 compile their list of items/changes. They will have 3 minutes to do this then as a class we will figure out who has the longest and most accurate list. Then the entire class will discuss what kind of weapons/strategies they think they will find while researching the Vietnam War.
V. Instructional Strategy
a. Cooperative learning. It is a group project with a group aspect and an individual assignment.
VI. Teacher Activities
a. The teacher will explain to the students the opening activity. Then will make sure the students stay on task while working individually and in groups.
b. The teacher will then lead the students in the portion of the opening activity that requires the class to make predictions.
c. Teacher will then transition into the lesson by explaining to the student the students the group activity they will be doing which focuses on weapons/tactics used during the Vietnam War. Teacher will go over the directions (after handing out the rubric).
d. Break students up in groups (these will be predetermined so that they are mixed-ability groups).
e. Teacher will walk around the classroom observing the students, making sure they are on task, and answering questions
VII. Student Activities
a. Students will think about the wars they have learned about and start writing down weapons and tactics they remember and how they have changed over time.
b. They will then get into a group with people around them and compile a list of everyone’s ideas
c. As a class students will make predictions based on their previous information of what types of weapons, tactics, and changes they will see while learning about the Vietnam War.
d. Students will break off into their assigned groups and delegate a specific task to each member of the group.
e. Students will use the rest of the class period to research on their topics,
f. Students will begin combining their information into one fluid presentation.
g. Students will present their topic.
h. While other groups are presenting students will be filling out a handout with guided notes.
i. Students will be given time at the end of each presentation to ask questions.
j. Students will ask any questions they have about the short take home essay they are given at the end of class.
VIII. Closure
a. At the end of class the groups will give a short debriefing to the teacher on where they are at in their project and how much more time each student thinks they need.
IX. Materials and Resources
a. Activity instruction handouts
b. Computers
c. Reference books on Vietnam
d. Guided notes handout
(Lesson 4 handout)
How the War Was Fought – Group Activity
Description: This short project will allow each group to become an expert on one of the ways in which the Vietnam War was fought. Each student will be assigned a specific topic to research within it their war tactic.
The Groups: Your group will be assigned by the teacher.
Presentation: Each group will give an 8-10 minute presentation on their topic. This presentation should cover each area specified below. It is essential that you are thorough in your research so that your peers will fully understand your topic.
**You MUST pay attention to the other group’s presentations and ask any questions you have for 2 reasons. One, you will be quizzed on this material. Two, this will be on your unit exam.**
Citing: As always please cite any source that you directly quote.
The topics: your group will be assigned one of these
· Viet Cong
· Bombing/airstrikes(Napalm, agent orange)
· Tet offensive
· Guerrilla Warfare
· Search and Destroy operations
Individual topics: each member will be assigned ONE of these topics (unless you do not have 5 people)
· What was it?
· What was the purpose?
· How was this unique to the Vietnam War?
· How did it affect the war?
· Where there lasting effects after the war?
***idealistically you will only have 2 days to complete this project so use your time wisely***
LESSON 5
Topic for this lesson: Condition for soldiers
Grade Level: High School
Unit: Vietnam War
Lesson Objectives:
The students will learn what life was like for the soldiers.
The students will look at primary sources and learn and understand how to analyze them.
State Standards
U8- Post WWII United States
P1.2 Analyze point of view, context, and bias to interpret primary and secondary source document
Assessment:
Have the students write in their journal about what they learned, felt, or something surprising they learned.
Start of Lesson:
Activating Strategy= role-play a quick scenario about how the students think the condition for soldiers were like, whether living space or battle.
Teacher activities:
Prepare lesson lecture and prepare posters to post all around the room. Present lecture on drafts and other conditions for soldiers. Walk around while students are looking at posters to keep them on track. Create groups for the cooperative learning activity.
Student activities:
Take active notes while lecture. Work in groups to understand the life of soldiers.
Closure:
Bring the class together and talk about what the students saw and what they thought. Have students write in their notebook in the last 5 minutes for their assessment.
Assumptions:
Students know what Vietnam was and who soldiers are.
Materials and resources:
Pre-determined groups.
Posters
(Sample of what would be on posters around the room)
imageBad Sign
These metal signs contained a variety of appeals to quit the war. The word choices were awkward but the lettering was done with great skill, as the letters were well formed and uniform size. Letters were not crowded at the end of lines and the lines were spaced evenly. They were well planned and there is an artistic skill in the work. The large rolled up banner on the left is done with the same care.
The parts about surrendering or quitting had no appeal, but the part about not being the last to die made me think. Months before I had changed my mind about this being a war we could win. Those signs put the thought in my mind that someone in my unit could be the last man to die. The enemy won this battle and did not fire a shot.