Process

Process President JFK meeting with his advisors during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Step 1: Conduct research about your particular crisis from the list of websites below. Use these links as springboards. Once you have an idea, run with it, and conduct your own research. Gather as much information as you can, and remember to keep both the American and Soviet issues in mind! Also, remember possible arguments that the other advisors and the President may have about your position. Be ready to defend yourself! You can also point out the flaws or drawbacks of other possible solutions that advisors bring to the table.

Step 2: Develop your position. Look at all of your research and form the conclusion that will work the best for the President of the United States. Think of all possible consequences and outcomes of your decision. The goal is to win the crisis, but also to avoid a global war.

Step 3: Create your presentation. You can use whatever materials or programs that you wish for your presentation (PowerPoint, etc...). If you have any questions, run the idea past me first before you begin. Remember to keep in mind that your classmates have not researched this crisis as much as you have. Include all information, so they will have a better understanding of all the background and buildup to the crisis.

Step 4: Presenting: Follow the guidlines under the "Evaluation" section to see how I will be grading your project. I am looking for how prepared your group is, the depth of historically accurate information you present, a solid and possible solution to your crisis, and the defense of your position from the other advisors and the President.

List of Resources:

1. Iron Curtain [|Churchill's Speech about the Iron Curtain][|History of Berlin Wall][|Marshall Plan Library] [|Marshall's speech about rebuilding Europe] [|Actual Marshall Plan Document approved by Congress in 1948]

2. Expansion of US and Soviet Nuclear Weapons [|Encyclopedia Brittanica article] [|Archive of Russian Documents] [|America discussing if they should share their Atomic secrets with other nations] [|Truman Library Documents]

3. Space Race [|Nebraska University on the Space Race] [|Cold War Museum with additional links] [|How the Space Race shaped the Cold War] [|Smithsonian Museum on the Space Race]

4. Cuban Missile Crisis [|Audio Files of JFK during the Crisis] [|Overview of The Cuban Missile Crisis] [|Looking back after 40 years] [|Harvard's look at the Crisis] [|JFK's Library] [|Military Operations of the Crisis] [|UN Response to the Crisis]

5. Escalation in Vietnam [|The Ultimate Guide to the Vietnam War] [|PBS Battlefield: Vietnam] [|Digital History of Vietnam War] [|LBJ and the Escalation] [|Escalation similation] [|Article about Escalation with more links at the bottom] [|Gulf of Tonkin Incident]

6. Detente [|Excellent article on Detente and the cooling down of the Cold War] [|Learning game on Detente] [|Review of Key Terms and People in Detente] [|Online Encyclopedia article on Detente] [|Nixon and China] [|Nixon and Soviet Union]