Contemporary Conflicts in light of the Cold War

  The following lesson plans are in Adobe PDF format, which requires the free Adobe Reader to view. PowerPoint presentations may be viewed in MS PowerPoint, an equivalent program such as OpenOffice.org, or with the free PowerPoint viewers for Windows and for Macintosh computers.
  CCWS permits the redistribution and reprinting of this work for nonprofit, educational purposes, with full and accurate attribution to the UCSB Center for Cold War Studies (CCWS).
   For background information, please refer to the related eWorkshop briefing by Dr. William Potter.

  for High School classrooms:

  WebQuest on Nuclear Proliferation (PDF) by Michelle Dymerski, Etiwanda High School
      This lesson plan uses this Internet WebQuest.
      Synopsis: What nuclear weapons? Did Iraq pose an immenent threat? What happened here? Nuclear Proliferation is one of the most pressing American Foreign Policy issues of our time. What should America do as additional countries become nuclear powers? Does it matter which country becomes nuclear or is all proliferation inherrently detremintal or good?
       You may know how you feel, but do you know the facts? If you were president, where would you get the necessary information to develop policy? You, as a citizen have the internet and library, the president has many advisors. The one we will focus on is the National Intelligence Council (NIC).

  Nuclear Non-proliferation Lesson: Historical Equations (PDF) by Jim Giardina
      Synopsis: This activity on nuclear proliferation/non-proliferation has students, in groups, solve various historical equations, such as "(Joseph Stalin + Mao Ze Dong) x HUAC = NSC-68 + Edward Teller + nuclear proliferation." Students will have learned background information for this activity through assigned readings and a brief lecture (15 minutes or so).

  for College-level courses:

  The “Atomic Age” Online (PDF) by Matthew Aberman, UCSB
       Synopsis: In this lesson plan students first learn about the historical context of nuclear proliferation through assigned readings, which they will be quizzed upon, followed by a mini-lecture on key points. All this culminates with an assigned paper that has students visit selected pairs of Web sites on nuclear issues and analyze their respective contents.
     50-minute version (PDF) for discussion sections up to an hour in length.
     90-minute version (PDF) for 1.5 to 2 hour discussion sections.       

  Atoms, Atoms Every Where and Not One for Peace: Nuclear Proliferation in the Cold War and War on Terror (PDF)
       Synopsis: In this lesson plan students, after a brief mini-lecture covering key points and augmenting the assigned readings, will undertake two in-class activities: (1) present, in groups, different national viewpoints towards nuclear proliferation, and (2) conduct a mock reassessment of the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
     50-minute version (PDF) for discussion sections up to an hour in length.
     90-minute version (PDF) for 1.5 to 2 hour discussion sections.