Lesson 4: The Vietnam War

Rationale

Essential Questions

Fun Fact of the Day

Through the notion set by the Truman Doctrine, and the

Domino Theory, we can understand how and why the United
States engaged in combat with Communist Vietnam. In early
1965, the United States began air raids on North Vietnam
and on Communist-controlled areas in the South; by 1966
there were over 190,000 U.S. troops in South Vietnam. North
Vietnam, meanwhile, was receiving armaments and technical
assistance from the Soviet Union and other Communist
countries. Vietnam is the result the idea behind the U.S and
Soviets fighting through proxy wars. Only this time the U.S
and the North Vietnamese Communist were actually fighting.
In contrast to the USSR and Afghanistan later. This event
epitomizes Cold War politics.
1. Why did the US engage in war with Communist
Vietnam?
2. What was it like for American troops overseas, fighting
an unconventional war for the first time?
3. How and why did the United States win over Vietnam?
Did we win the war? How so?

Slinkys were used in the Vietnam War as mobile radio

antennas. They would sling the Slinky over branches and
extend the range of their radios.
Source: http://www.kickassfacts.com/25-interesting-factsabout-vietnam-war/

Political Science/Cultural/Geography
Perspective

Locate significant events and location in and around

Vietnam
Under U.S foreign Policy during Kennedy
Administration through Nixon Administration in regards
to handling the war
Define and Discuss military culture. Why should we
learn about the military? Why should we learn about
Veterans of foreign wars?

11.9.3 Trace the origins and geopolitical consequences

(foreign and domestic) of the Cold War and containment

History Social-Science
Standards

policy, including the following:

The Vietnam War
11.11.2 Discuss the significant domestic policy speeches of
Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Carter,
Reagan, Bush, and Clinton (e.g., with regard to education,
civil rights, economic policy, environmental policy).

History Social-Science

RH1 Key Ideas and Details (Grade 11-12)

Literacy Standards

RH4 Key Ideas and Details (Grade 11-12)

WHST 4 Production/Distribution of Writing (Grade 11-12)
WHST 5 Production/Distribution of Writing (Grade 11-12)

Students Will Be Able To

Lesson Agenda
(60 mins)

1. Define and discuss the experiences of the soldiers who

fought overseas
2. Identify key moments defining the Vietnam War; i.e.
Tet Offensive
3. Justify U.S foreign policy for engaging in combat in
Vietnam

5 mins Map Quiz

25 mins- Pictorial Lecture
15mins- Primary Source Analysis: Zippos

Materials

Vietnam War Lecture Notes

Vietnam Pictorial PowerPoint
Zippo Lighter Slides

Activities

Closing Statements:
Bringing the Lesson Full Circle

Assessment

Modifications

Primary Source Object Analysis

Vietnam changed the rules of engagement of war. Fighting

an unconventional war was a different experience for
American military forces. Charlie could have been anyone
and anywhere, there were no front lines or trenches to fight
in or rest in. On the home front, television and the media
produced the war live as it happened in real time and since
television now accessible in the homes of millions of
Americans, they too were seeing for the first time a
televised war. Quickly, Americans began to disagree with
this entanglement and began to protest and call out against
the war. As we will see in the next lesson, many citizens
began to say no to their country, as the endeavor of war
called on every one to respond in one way or another.

Primary Analysis Worksheet

N/A

1 2 3 4 5
Why?

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