The Vietnam War

Lesson Plans | Primary Sources |

 

Lesson Plans:

Opposing Views on Vietnam - Students will understand Richard Nixon’s policies concerning the Vietnam War in 1969, including “Vietnamization.” And the main arguments of Vietnam veteran John Kerry and the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) in 1971 in opposition to the continuation of the war.

Vietnam War Scavenger Hunt - adopt the perspective of members of a group involved in the war (e.g., soldier, nurse, doctor, photojournalist, TV reporter) and conduct Internet research to explore how that particular group was affected. After completing their research, students compose a scavenger hunt, constructing a series of questions leading to the answer of an overarching question: “What was the effect of the Vietnam War on the particular group?”

Vietnam Once Again; Examining Why the Vietnam War Is Still Difficult to Discuss - In this lesson, students share what they know about the Vietnam War before examining how the war was viewed and discussed by people who lived during that period. Students then write essays expressing their opinions on why it is still difficult for Americans to candidly and comfortably discuss the war.

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Beyond Vietnam" - The goal of this unit is for students to analyze, within the context of a particular historical period, Dr. King’s decision to speak out against the war in Vietnam . Why did he make this choice? What risks were involved? How was his speech received?

Primary Source Documents:

President Johnson's Address to the Nation Announcing Steps To Limit the War in Vietnam - President Lyndon B. Johnson's address to the nation highlighting his ideas to limit the war in vietnam and his not seeking reelection.

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Vietnam Veteran's Memorial
Richard Nixon