Cuba and Communism:
Is It Time to Turn the Page?
The Cold War: The United States on the World Stage
Alan Beausoleil
Danvers Public Schools
United States History II: Grade 11
March 3, 2009
Abstract:
Since Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba at the height of the Cold War in 1959, relations with our small, island neighbor can be described as tumultuous at best. When the United States realized that Castro was leaning towards communism the United Statessaw this as a threat to both its political and economic interests in this region. The United States responded with an embargo and the failed Bay of Pigs mission. This only pushed Cuba into a closer relationship with the Soviet Union and the world to the brink of nuclear war with the Cuban Missile Crisis.
This two-day unit is designed for eleventh grade students in United States History II in order to look at how this negative relationship has continued to this day and if something should be done to repair it. This will be an extension of our chapters on the Cold War and will be accomplished by demonstrating to students that there are still lingering effects from this very tense time in American history.
Key Questions:
1. How could the United States have dealt with Cuba differently in the decades that followed the Cuban Missile Crisis?
2. If he would have handled the situation with Cuba and Castro differently would Cuba have eventually made a turn towards democracy instead of communism?
3. Now that the Cold War is long since over should the United States seek to normalize relations with Cuba?
Objectives:
1. To learn more about our interactions with Cuba since the Cuban Missile Crisis.
2. To read and analyze two primary sources that deal with our complex relationship with Cuba.
3. To develop and support an opinion about whether the United States should normalize relations with Cuba.
Learning Activities:
Day One:
1. Students will be given the primary source memo: White House memorandum, Top Secret, "Cuba -- Policy," April 11, 1963. A detailed options paper from Gordon Chase, the Latin America specialist on the National Security Council, to McGeorge Bundy recommending "looking seriously at the other side of the coin-quietly enticing Castro over to us." Gordon Chase was the assistant to President Kennedy’s National Security Advisor McGeorge Bundy. I will read the memo out loud to the entire class. The class will then be divided into groups of 3-4. I will give each group the hand out titled “Top Secret Memorandum: April 11, 1963 To: McGeorge Bundy, From: Gordon Chase”. Students will work together to answer the given questions. We will then come together as a class and each group will have an opportunity to share their opinions. The groups will be allowed to debate and defend their positions. This activity will demonstrate to students that there were other strategies being presented about how to approach the issue of Cuba.
2. The class will then be given the NPR article titled “10 Presidents, One Dictator: U.S.-Cuba Policy”. We will read the article as a class andI will then ask the students to take out a piece of paper and do a 5 minute “Quick Write” describing their reaction to it. I will then lead a class discussion based on the students’ responses and reactions to the article. This article is intended to bridge the gap from where the text leaves off after the Cuban Missile Crisis and bring us up to current day relations between these countries.
Homework:
1. The class will be given the NPR articletitled “Castro Resigns Presidency of Cuba, After 49 Years”. The students will read this article for homework and I will ask the students to use the same piece of paper they used in class to answer the question: “Does any of this information change the way in which you think the United States should deal with Cuba today?” Students should be encouraged to support their responses with evidence from the given article and statement. This article is intended to get students thinking about how the relationship between the United States and Cuba could possibly be different since Fidel Castro is no longer in power.
Day Two:
1. We will start by having a class discussion based on the homework. Students will share there opinions as to why they would or would not change the ways that they thought the United States should deal with Cuba.
2. Students will then be given the primary source statement by George Bush titled “Bush: 'A Period of Transition' for Cuba”. I will attempt to have the students do a “Quaker Read” using this primary source. Students will be asked to take a couple of minutes to read the statement and underline words or phrases that stand out to them as they read. After the students have finished reading we will come together as a class. I tell them to say any of the words they underlined whenever the moment moves them. I will set the example for the class by saying a word that stood out to me. We will then have a brief discussion of the statement as well as getting students opinions about the “Quaker Read”. This activity and primary source is intended to show students that the United States is interested in bettering relations with Cuba if they decide to abandon communism and embrace democracy.
3. The class will then be given the NPR article titled “Raul Castro's Reforms Raise Expectations in Cuba”. I will read this article out loud to the class and then ask the students to use the same piece of paper they used in class the previous day as well as for their homework to answer the question: “Does any of this information change the way in which you think the United States should deal with Cuba today?” Students should be encouraged to support their responses with evidence from the given article and statement. I will then lead a class discussion based on the students’ responses to the question and reactions to the article. This article will show students that while many policies have changed in Cuba since Fidel Castro relinquished power others have stayed the same.
Homework:
1. Using all of the primary and secondary materials that have been presented, as well as all of the group and individual writing activities that have been done in the previous two days students will be asked to write a 2-3 page position paper. The guidelines for thepaper will be presented in the hand out titled “Is it Time to Turn the Page?” and evaluated using the hand out titled “Position Paper RUBRIC”.
Annotated Bibliography
National Security Archive. White House memorandum, Top Secret, "Cuba – Policy”.
(Online) Available.
April 11, 1963. This memo is a detailed options paper in dealing with “our Cuba problem” from Gordon Chase, Latin American specialist on the National Security Council, to McGeorge Bundy, President Kennedy’s National Security Advisor.
Tom Gjelten. 10 Presidents, One Dictator: U.S.-Cuba Policy. (Online) Available.
August 4, 2006. This article is a summary of relations between Fidel Castro controlled Cuba and the United States and its ten different presidents since the 1950’s.
From NPR reports and the Associated Press. Castro Resigns Presidency of Cuba, After 49 Years. (Online) Available.
February 19, 2008. This is a short article that describes Fidel Castro’s announcement that he is giving up power in Cuba after almost 50 years. Also contains a timeline of Castro’s life as well as a copy of “Castro’s Letter of Resignation.”
The White House. Bush: 'A Period of Transition' for Cuba. (Online) Available.
February 19, 2008. This is a statement made to a reporter by President George Bush, while on a visit to Rwanda, upon learning that Fidel Castro has relinquished power in Cuba.
Tom Gjelten. Raul Castro's Reforms Raise Expectations in Cuba. (Online) Available.
May 9, 2008. This is a short article that looks at how Raul Castro has begun to change some of Cuba’s policies since taking over for his brother Fidel and how this has created optimism for some in looking at relations Cuba while others remain pessimistic.
Danzer, Gerald A., J. Jorge Klor De Alva, and Larry S. Krieger. The Americans. 1st Ed.
New York, McDougal Littell: 2006. Text book used for the U.S. History II curriculum at Danvers High that has a chapter dedicated to “Cold War Conflicts”.
Westport, Connecticut Public Schools. Position Paper RUBRIC. Accessed March 1,
2009. A very good rubric that will be used to evaluate the students’ position papers.
Top Secret Memorandum: April 11, 1963
To: McGeorge Bundy
From: Gordon Chase
--Using the memorandum and previously discussed information answer the following questions to the best of your ability. Be sure to think both critically and creatively.
1. What alternative strategies could we have used in dealing with Cuba during this time period?
2. What approach is Gordon Chase suggesting in order to solve “our Cuba problem”?
3. How does Gordon Chase see the United States compared to Russia in this document?
4. Is this the proper time to propose such a strategy considering the Cuban Missile Crisis took place within the past year?
5. Do you think this approach would have worked and helped Castro to the side of democracy and away from communism? Why or why not?
6. Would you advocate this position to the President? Why or why not?
“Is it Time to Turn the Page?”
--As we have seen through our readings of both primary and secondary sources the relationship between the United States and Cuba throughout the Cold War and beyond can be described as tumultuous, at best. Through classroom activities you have also seen differing opinions and options about how to deal with “our Cuba problem”. You may have even changed your own opinion about how the United States should have dealt with Cuba throughout the years and today.
--Your assignment is to write a 2-3 page position paper discussing whether or not the United States should attempt to normalize relations with Cuba.
--Should the United States work to better the relationship with its small island neighbor? Or should the United States look at Cuba’s past and current policies as a sign that it should maintain its current stance?
--When choosing a position think about what is best for these two countries socially, politically, and economically.
--Now that the Cold War is over: “Is it Time to Turn the Page?”
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--Be sure to use evidence from the readings and primary sources that were presented, while referring to in class discussionsas well as your own thoughts and opinions to support your chosen position.
--Your paper should be double-spaced and typed using Times New Roman and size 12 font.
--Your position paper will be assessed using the attached “Position Paper Rubric”.
Position Paper Rubric
Point Values / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 / TotalThesis Statement / Developed a strong thesis and included it in the appropriate place in the paper. The thesis was the focal point of the paper and was both strongly and thoroughly supported throughout the paper. / Developed a strong thesis and included it in the appropriate place in the paper. The thesis was the focal point of the paper and supported throughout the paper. / Developed a strong thesis and included it in the appropriate place in the paper. Most of the information supported the thesis statement. / Developed a thesis statement and included it in the paper. Some of the information supported the thesis statement. / Thesis Statement needs to be developed further or is not included in the paper. The thesis is not fully supported in the paper. / A clear position is not present throughout the paper.
Strong Reasons / Position is supported with well developed and thought out reasons (minimum of three). Reasons show strong analysis and conclusions based on the information. / Position is supported with well developed and thought out reasons (minimum of three). Reasons are well developed, but analysis and conclusions need to be strengthened. / Position is supported with a minimum of three distinct reasons. Reasons are developed, but more analysis and conclusions are needed. / Position is supported with a minimum of three distinct reasons. Reasons are developed, but are more general and need to be developed further. / Reasons are weak and/or repetitive. They need to be developed and explained further. / Reasons are not developed or are repetitive. Ideas can be difficult to understand.
Depth and Variety of Evidence / Position is supported in depth with a variety of sources. Substantial valid and accurate information in the form of expert opinion, statistics, research studies, etc. has been used throughout the paper. Information is relevant and supports the writer’s ideas. / Position is supported with a variety of sources. Adequate valid and accurate information has been used throughout the paper. Information is relevant and supports the writer’s ideas. / Position is supported with a variety of sources. Valid and accurate information has been used throughout the paper. Most of the information is relevant and supports the writer’s ideas. A mix of general and specific information is used. / Position needs to be supported with more valid and accurate information. Some of the information may not be relevant and/or does not support the thesis. / Paper lacks valid and accurate information. Some of the information is not relevant and does not support the position. / Little to no support from researched information is present in the paper.
Organization and Mechanics / Ideas are well organized and free of mechanical errors. / Most ideas are well organized and free of mechanical errors. / Organization of the paper needs to be strengthened. Mechanical errors are present throughout the paper. / Paper has some organization but some diversions or abrupt shifts in purpose are present. Many mechanical errors are present as well. Sentence structure needs to be strengthened. / Paper has little organization and many diversions, often shifting in purpose. Many mechanical errors are present and transitions are not utilized. / Paper lacks organization and there are numerous mechanical errors which make comprehension difficult.
Transitions / Transitional words and phrases are used to connect ideas and maintain coherence between paragraphs. / Some transitional words and phrases are used to connect ideas and maintain coherence between paragraphs. / Too few transitions used, or used correctly. / Too few transitions used. / Attempts made to use appropriate transitions. / Lack of transitions.
Position Paper Score: / /30