Oppenheimer and the Cold War

Last week and today we've been watching a documentary about Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer. Before we began we reflected on the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and how they have shaped our actions as a nation. We then reflected on some of our actions during the Cold War and tried to identify the ideals that shaped those Cold War actions. Each person came up with their own Cold War ideals but when we discussed them it was agreed that the ideals were generally negative in nature (e.g. fear, intimidation, mistrust).

As we watched the documentary about Oppenheimer we took notes on how the Cold War ideals we created were impacting the life of Dr. Oppenheimer. We discussed some of our findings along the way.

Today we played a game that required us to identify students who were given slips with red dots. The games turned into accusations both false and true. This reflected the McCarthyism of the era.

With about fifteen minutes left in class we started reading Chapter 40. We worked through slide 65 from this link

The Cold War Expands

We continued using these slides. We worked through slides 44-52.

We finished our paired discussions about how the Cold War started (as the USSR and the US). We then wrote a very short piece with a thesis statement and at least two pieces of evidence to support the position. The support was to come from the note we took as we spoke to our US/USSR partner.

We finished the day by reading chapter 39 and then playing a Jeopardy style game about the content from chapter 39.

WWII ends Cold War begins

We continued using these slides. We progressed through slide 43.

We worked in pairs to respond to the questions listed. One person served as the voice of the USSR and the other was the voice of the US.

We asked each other the questions but we each had to record the answers on our own sheet of paper. We were instructed to record detailed answers because we will be using those details when we finish.

Quarter 3 make-up assignment

For students who want to redo or do their quarter three project they may do so. The criteria however is slightly different.

You will do the exact same project but you must apply what you should have learned from the experience we have completed with the project. Additional things you should have learned include but are not limited to the following:

• Waiting to the last minute is not good practice
• many who did, did not finish
• many who did could not resolve issues that arose
• many who did could not create a product at the level of quality that they could have
• many who did could not include as much as was necessary
• Choosing a good presentation method is critical
• what is easiest to create is not necessarily best for consumption (and this project is about having your views consumed)
• Utilizing the resources Mr. Williams makes available should make things easier
• if you do not have the tools you need, you should access the tools that others offer you.
• Have fun with it
• the students who applied their personal interests into their project made better presentations
• the students who had fun with the project made better presentation

Here is the handout that explains the details of the assignment.

Here is the link to submit the project once you are finished. Your bibliography needs to be at the top of the Google Doc that you have already shared with me (quarter 1).

Below is a few of links to projects that were examples of projects from both the Modern World History classes as well as the US History classes.

http://screencast.com/t/n8scVBhhK9Ch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_73T3cM0RRE&context=C4a867f2ADvjVQa1PpcFNU44Xb6wY33cpEEu5M-lFBgCE4F-ziqq4=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09K9Vl-pdws&feature=plcp&context=C4a9fe88VDvjVQa1PpcFOCKveIKhvoyYRBPHykm1SeuQ5hwa2ogyY%3D&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vD4Wh4tZNQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKjMQU0uwNc&context=C4713921ADvjVQa1PpcFOmV5ch0VcvHD3TwxzPb9H4x8wNjv2XiQA%3D&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvbzrJK53Ic&feature=youtu.be&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgxaPdvzH18&feature=g-upl&context=G20f3318AUAAAAAAAAAA&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLC-Ay0s66E&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgh-wOSLdfU&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY488qKKAWo&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncIHHiHIGb0&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWfrGG8_FBQ&list=HL1332740803&feature=mh_lolz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkQc2Mj8Mto&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwC433FK5cY&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJnAorVOhis&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwFqz26jkZQ&feature=youtu.be&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4buxAggvtw&feature=youtu.be&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=J7n4oqjSOVo&context=C4411b69ADvjVQa1PpcFONLG4xG60ohhXZVDoxCkDCHOVtPUG_7FA%3D

http://youtu.be/Z4buxAggvtw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBtU2SweR6Y&safe=active

Cuban Missile Crisis

Today we performed a roll play activity where we worked in a small group as either Cuba, the Soviet Union, and the United States. Through the activity we were given information about the Cuban Missile Crisis from the perspective of whichever country we were pretending to be. We then mixed our groups and worked with the other two countries to try and negotiate a peaceful conclusion to the crisis.

After the roll play, we discussed as a class what we each lost through the crisis as well as what was motivating our actions.


We worked with the this slide presentation and went through slide 21. This activity cannot be done individually and students who missed class will need to see Mr. Williams to get an alternative.

Students who did not complete a quarter 3 project will need to come and see Mr. Williams during non-instructional time. He will provide those who come and see him to an option to do the project. It will be slightly different than the original project so do NOT work on it without first speaking to Mr. Williams.

More project presentations

Same as Monday

Link to projects being evaluated by classes. (This will change from one class to the next)

Link to the online evaluation form for US History presentations.

Each group of students will watch/listen to a presentations and then discuss the evaluation. Each group will have a hard copy of the evaluation for reference. Once the group reaches a consensus on the evaluation one person from the group will complete the online form.

WWII ends

We went through slides 77-87 today. We talked about how many of the actions that followed the end of WWII were influenced by the mistakes from the past.

Mr Williams collected the forms used to self-evaluate our projects that were assigned on Tuesday.

People who have not turned in projects will have until Friday at 3:15 to do so. The projects must be turned in as explained before. Project that have been properly submitted are listed on this spreadsheet. We were instructed to check that our project is on this spreadsheet and that the link works. If it is not listed here it has not been turned in. If we think we have turned it in and it is not listed then we are mistaken and must remedy that mistake before Friday at 3:15.

WWII Atrocities

Today we discussed the projects that have been turned in and we were assigned the task to evaluate our projects.

We were also instructed to test the link and have others test the link (others who are on computers that are never signed into our accounts). Some of us submitted links that do not work so we need to test them so that our projects can be viewed. Many of these problems are because we have the videos set to private which means only the video owner can view the video when they are signed into their account. To test the link we need to find our project on this list and make sure the link works both on our computer as well as other computers that do not have our account information already recorded.

We also returned to our content of the war crimes of WWII. Today we examined the psychology behind obedience and collective behavior as a means of understanding how humans can engage in such atrocities. We did not use this as justification but instead as understanding of what normal humans are possible of and why. We went through slides 70-75 today.