©2025 Thinking Nation
thinkingnation.org
| LESSON 2: The Cold War’s First Battlegrounds | |
SUPPORTING QUESTION | How did power global power struggles impact political developments in China compared to Europe? | |
FOCUS SKILL(S) | Contextualization Causation Comparison | |
MATERIALS | TEACHER The Cold War’s First Battlegrounds Presentation Student Worksheet Versions + Exemplars Gallery Walks | STUDENT Printed Student Handout Versions Access to Inquiry Journal (handed out in Lesson 1) |
DO FIRST | Option 1- Frayer: Iron Curtain Option 2- Quote Analysis | |
TEACHER ACTIONS
| STUDENT ACTIONS
| |
Cold War & Global Transformations: Daily Lesson Plan (120 Minutes)
©2025 Thinking Nation
thinkingnation.org
| LESSON 2: The Cold War’s First Battlegrounds - Continued | |
ACTIVITY 1 - LAUNCH | Introduce the content using slides 1-5 of The Cold War’s First Battlegrounds Presentation. Students will complete the guided notes (page 1) in The Cold War’s First Battlegrounds Student Worksheet. There are two versions of the worksheet. Print an equal number of each version. | |
TEACHER ACTIONS
| STUDENT ACTIONS
| |
ACTIVITY 2 - PRACTICE | Students will further investigate the early Cold War period through a gallery walk. Set up two distinct gallery walks- one for events in Europe and one for events in Asia. Students will only engage with the gallery walk sources that correspond to the worksheet they received in Activity 1. They will complete the source questions found on pages 2-3 of each version of the student worksheet. | |
STUDENT ACTIONS
| ||
Global Exchanges and Societies: Daily Lesson Plan (120 Minutes)
©2025 Thinking Nation
thinkingnation.org
| LESSON 2: The Cold War’s First Battlegrounds - Continued | |
ACTIVITY 3 - EXHIBIT | Students will work together on a timeline project, depicting major events that increased tensions in the early Cold War. Student pairs should consist of one member from each gallery walk. Students will initially work with their partner to determine six significant events and will complete the research task based on information from the gallery walk and included websites. Then, students will create a physical or digital timeline adhering closely to the directions. | |
TEACHER ACTIONS
| STUDENT ACTIONS
| |
CONCLUSION | Then, students will reflect on their learning from the prior topic using the Unit 9 Inquiry Journal. Students will use page 2 to answer the Compelling Question for Topic 1. Consider allowing students to use their notes and/or work with a partner. | |
TEACHER ACTIONS
| STUDENT ACTIONS
| |
Global Exchanges and Societies: Daily Lesson Plan (120 Minutes)
©2025 Thinking Nation
thinkingnation.org
| LESSON 2: The Cold War’s First Battlegrounds - Continued | |
STANDARD(S) | 2.70 Analyze the short- and long-term economic, political, environmental and social consequences of World War II. 2.71 Compare the ideologies of socialism, communism, fascism and liberal democracy, and explain the reasons for their growth and decline around the world in the 20th century. 2.72 Evaluate the shift in global power dynamics after World War II and the reasons for the start of the Cold War. 2.73 Evaluate the major ideological and economic distinctions between the Eastern and Western blocs, and explore the contextual factors that influenced the Cold War, including the non-aligned movement and the role of small non-aligned nations throughout the 20th century. 2.75 Analyze the impact of the Chinese Communist Revolution on China, the world and the global spread of communism, including its historical background, political and economic developments, and the relationship between Taiwan and China. | |
Global Exchanges and Societies: Daily Lesson Plan (120 Minutes)