• Replies 4 replies
  • Subscribers 6 subscribers
  • Views 911 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Related

Global Perspectives of the Cold War

Ashley Hartman

One of my favorite modern world history units is the Cold War, but it’s also one of the hardest to teach without getting too U.S.-centered. I’ve been working to incorporate more global perspectives—from decolonizing nations to the Soviet and Chinese viewpoints.

How do you approach teaching the Cold War? Are there sources or OER Project resources you love for expanding students’ understanding beyond a Western lens?

  • I've done a poster project in the past where I have students research the modern history of formerly colonized African and South American countries and reflect on how histories of colonization and Cold War alignment and/or non-alignment impact their current situation today. I really like the premise of the project, but I haven't fully nailed down the execution, yet.

  • in reply to Scott Gross

     , I love your assessment-- like the premise but haven't fully nailed the execution.

    I'd love to know more about the execution. This is a rich, complex examination. I could learn so much to hear what you have tried so far.

    Do you give students sources to explore, or make the search part of the project?

    Do you narrow down the number of countries to explore?

    What do students have to have studied first before you introduce this project?

  • This was also a key issue for me, .  What really revolutionized my thought process was understanding that they are intertwined with each other. In fact, the Cold War is just one aspect of the decolonization process.  I'm not sure if you're teaching regular WH or APWH, but here is a screen shot of how we divide things up in regular world history.

    Check out this OER Project for Unit 8 of 1200 - Present for some great resources: https://www.oerproject.com/1200-to-the-Present/Unit-8

  • in reply to Donnetta Elsasser

    Unfortunately, a lot of what I've used for the explicit decolonization project came from copyrighted Choices curriculum that Brown University has discontinued. It had four case studies that I gave students and they did a little bit of extra research on Encyclopedia Britannica, the CIA World Factbook, and ThoughtCo.

    Here's a copy of a project I do for Black Lives Matter in Schools week that you could probably adapt. This one's pretty shaggy, though, and is more about re-establishing norms at the semester and previewing major themes from 1200-Present units 7, 8, and 9.