Angela Gin

H.S. Art and Design

Lesson Plan Topic: Nixon’s Foreign Policy of Détente

Do Now/Motivation: If you are having trouble with a friend, how can you try to ease the tension or make things better?

Aim: Was Nixon’s foreign policy towards China successful at relaxing Cold War tensions?

Procedures:

A. Go over vocabulary

détente: the relaxation of strained relations or tensions (as between nations).

B. Reading Assignment

Hand out the following information on Nixon’s foreign policy towards China.

Source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/37_nixon/nixon_foreign.html

C. Note-taking and classifying information

Based on the reading, highlight different actions or events that involved America’s actions towards China under Nixon’s presidency. Identify the event as one that eased tensions or increased tensions in the following type of chart:

Read the first paragraph with students. Demonstrate by providing the first example.

Détente or Non-Détente?

Détente: helped to ease tensions / Non-détente: increased tensions
Ex. Nixon first President to visit Communist China since 1949. / Ex. Chinese premier Chou en Lai visited Hanoi, the capital of Communist North Vietnam

Go over complete chart with the class. Have students volunteer their different answers and add information they don’t already have.

D. Writing Assignment: Independent Student Task

Based on the information that you have compiled in your chart, do you think Nixon’s policy of détente towards China was successful? Explain your answer and support it with historical details from your chart.

Assess opinion and support of opinion based on individually written responses.

Homework:

Imagine that you traveled with Nixon and the Ping Pong team to China, make a travel brochure that promotes friendly relations between the U.S. and China. Include visual symbols and words to convince Americans that cultural exchange with China is beneficial to Americans as a result of détente.