Cuban Missile Crisis Project

Author: Nate Everett

Title of Lesson: The Cuban Missile Crisis

Curriculum Area: United States History

Grade Level: 10^th Grade

Instructional Grouping: Heterogeneous

Approximate Time Required Completing Lesson: 3, 83 minute class periods (blocks)

Overview of Lesson: Students of history must live what they study.  Analysis of history is not passive, nor is it confined to the past.  Active learners must challenge the world around themselves in order to define it.  In this sense, each student creates their own understanding not only of the past, but the world in which they live.  Just as our own lives have turning points, so to does the history of our nation.  One of the most pivotal events in the history of the United States, as well as the world, was the Cuban Missile Crisis (CMC).  In this lesson, students will examine the intrigue, drama and suspense of a global stand-off between nuclear superpowers and its consequences.  The class will be divided according to readiness levels in this differentiated lesson.

Essential Questions:

Where is Cuba?

Why are people afraid of nuclear weapons?

What is a stand-off?

What is power and how is it used?

How can we make decisions based on potential consequences?

Materials:

• Computer Projector, Laptop and Projection Screen
• Computer files projected on screen
  • Satellite images of Soviet nuclear missiles and launch in Cuba
  • Geographic global maps of US, Cuba, Europe, USSR
  • Specific websites to demonstrate select content on the CMC
    • http://library.thinkquest.org/11046/days/index.html 14 Days in October – A comprehensive site demonstrating reconnaissance photos, biographical files, primary source documents and more.
    • http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/ National Security Archives: The Cuban Missile Crisis – Many declassified government documents, photos, maps and more.
    • http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/experience/the.bomb/ CNN Cold War – Visual and informative site on the nuclear bomb
• Task card directions for each group, grading rubrics for each student
• Research books from the school library on the CMC, nuclear weapons and biographical material on the major players
• Light, thin labeled colored binder folders to be used as portfolios (one for each student, four colors representing the four research categories)

Learning Objectives:

• Know:
  • People – President Kennedy, Premier Khrushchev, Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, Sec. of Defense Robert McNamara, US Ambassador to the United Nations Adlai Stevenson, EXCOM
  • Places – United States, UN Headquarters, NATO nations, Warsaw Pact nations, Soviet Union, Cuba, Turkey
  • Events – Bay of Pigs Invasion, Cuban Missile Crisis, Cold War, Nuclear Arms Race, Cuban Revolution
• Understand:
  • Consequences of a nuclear war
  • Skills of diplomatic negotiation
  • Relationship between political and military power in the United States
  • Connection between weapons of mass destruction and global politics today
• Do:
  • Determine a course of action for the US president concerning the Cuban Missile Crisis by discussion, debate and consensus.

Pre-Assessment: Students will be pre-assessed by taking a multiple-intelligences survey.  Students will be sorted according to learning style according to results. (See Step #5)

Steps in Lesson:

1. Students will receive lecture notes (approximately 20 minutes) with video and web presentations concerning:
   1. Background information on US/Soviet/Cuban relations
   2. The chronology of the CMC (without outcome)
   3. Biographical descriptions of major players
2. Students will be divided into groups according to the Jigsaw method.  First, students will be divided into three Research groups according to readiness: Military, Diplomats, and Scientists.  Then, each student in their group will receive a number (1-5, depending on the number of students) to make up their EXCOM group (with one student member from each field).  This group will function as the President’s Executive Committee on the Cuban Missile Crisis.  Their task is to determine which option is the best decision (see Step #6) for America to take in the CMC.  Task cards will explain the directions to each student group.  All students will be given a grading rubric.
3. The task of the Research groups is to gather information and evidence on their specific topic.  Each task card will contain different methods used to build a portfolio.  This information will be vital to making informed choices.
4. The task of the EXCOM group is to receive portfolios from each of the researchers (shared by a brief presentation with all EXCOM members) and then collaboratively make a decision based on consensus as to the appropriate course of American action.  Each member must defend their position orally and in writing.
5. Research Group Tasks
   1. Military Task Card [Logical-Mathematical Intelligence]

1. i.      Research: Students will research the number of armed forces, nuclear missiles, and non-nuclear forces for the American, Soviet and Cuban forces in 1962.
2. ii.      Task: Students will create a battle plan portfolio for the US for each of the proposed options (attack, internationalize or negotiate) outlining a speculative sequence of events and their military consequences.
3. i.      Research: Students will research the history of American foreign policy in the Cold War regarding relations with the Soviet Union and Cuba (1945-1962).
4. ii.      Task: Students will create a foreign policy portfolio advising the leaders of the US, Cuba and the Soviet Union on a diplomatic sequence of events and their consequences based on the proposed options (attack, internationalize or negotiate).
5. i.      Research: Students will research the effects of nuclear weapons on humans, buildings, the environment and atmosphere using books and websites.
6. ii.      Task: Students will create their portfolio by visually representing (drawing) the impact of nuclear weapons on cities and people, drawing charts demonstrating existing (then) nuclear stockpiles and finally, their locations around the world.

1. 1. Diplomat Task Card [Linguistic & Interpersonal Intelligences]

1. 1. Scientist Task Card [Spatial Intelligence]

1. Students will be informed of the choices they may make from three options:  (additional choices can be made through consultation with the teacher)
   1. Attack: Use tactical air strikes to disable and destroy existing nuclear weapons followed by an invasion of Cuba
   2. Internationalize: Use the United Nations to create an international agreement  requiring mutual disarmament for all nuclear nations
   3. Negotiate: Negotiate with the Soviet Union to withdraw American missiles from Turkey in exchange for a Soviet withdrawal of missile from Cuba
2. Students will begin their research and complete their tasks within approximately 2.5, 83 minute class periods.
3. Students will convene their EXCOM groups for discussion, debate and decisions using the following procedure:
   1. Each person will take turns presenting their portfolios to the group.
   2. After each portfolio presentation, each student will orally discuss the following question: “How does this information support or oppose each option?” (attack, internationalize, negotiate)  Students may debate the answer.
   3. Students will question each other concerning facts and information presented in the portfolios and their relationship to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
   4. After all three presentations, students will then make recommendations for action by writing down their vote for their chosen option along with three reasons supported by evidence.
   5. Each EXCOM group will then explain their recommendations to the class as a whole.  The whole class will then ask questions concerning the recommendations and the teacher will guide students through the actual outcome of events in October 1962.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed by completing the following tasks for homework over the next three days.

• Creative Writing Assignment: Imagine a nuclear war had taken place between the US and Soviet Union over missiles in Cuba.  Write a diary entry for President Kennedy, Fidel Castro and Nikita Khrushchev concerning the aftermath and their thoughts on it.  This will be assessed using the following rubric:

• Reflection Journal: Since you have retired from your position on the President’s Executive Committee on the Cuban Missile Crisis, you have had time to think about your experience and the crisis itself.  Perhaps you will decide to write your memoirs about these critical events and your role in them… What would you say about your experiences?  Write a two page (or more) self-reflection journal concerning 1) your research and portfolio and 2) your thoughts and actions debating these immense decisions while a member of EXCOM.  What have you learned from these experiences?  This assignment will be assessed using the following rubric: