TeachRock

Procedure:

1. Pass out to students Handout 1 – “Reagan and the Cold War: A Document Based Question Activity” Teachers may then choose from a variety of activities that draw upon the handout:

Activity 1: AP Test Preparation

1. Students follow the directions on the handout and individually craft an essay in the allotted time.

Activity 2: The DBQ Timeline

1. Before class, make copies of the documents and cut them so that each one is on a separate piece of paper. In addition, print slips of paper with major events from the time period the DBQ covers. For instance, the slips might include:
   • The Gulf of Tonkin Incident
   • The Geneva Accords
   • Battle of Dien Bien Phu
   • The 1968 Democratic National Convention
   • The Tet Offensive
   • Kent State Shootings
   • Fall of Saigon
   • The Pentagon Papers
   • Operation Rolling Thunder
   • US Withdrawal from Vietnam
   • My Lai Massacre
   • Any other important event your class studied during the Vietnam War period
2. Have students work in small groups to arrange the primary sources and the events in a timeline. After they have successfully completed the timeline, ask them to reflect (either orally or in writing) on one or both of these questions:
   • How did the Vietnam War progress through the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s? Were there any major defeats or victories, for either side? Support your response with at least three pieces of evidence from your timelines.  
   • How did America’s role in Vietnam change over the course of the war? Did musicians’ views on the war change? Find examples from the documents that support your response.

Activity 3: HIPPO Analysis

1. Split the class into 3-5 groups, and assign each group 1-2 documents from Handout 1. In addition, pass out Handout 2 – “The HIPPO Technique for Analyzing Documents.”
2. Ask student groups to analyze the document(s) assigned to them using the HIPPO process.
3. Have each group explain their document(s) to the class, based upon their HIPPO analysis.

Activity 4: The Cocktail Party

1. Cut out the documents and give each student a single one.
2. Tell students they have eight minutes to analyze their assigned document. Students should examine and research some or all of these elements of their document:
   • Who created it? (Students should research the authors’ backgrounds if possible.)
   • When was it created? Was it created in response to any particular historical events?
   • Does the author discuss any other issues present at the time, outside the Vietnam War?
   • Where was it created? Is there any significance to that place?
   • What is the content of the primary source? What is the author’s main point? Is there anything surprising?
3. Tell students they may write notes on their primary sources to help them remember the key points, but encourage them to become ‘experts’ on their documents.
4. After the eight minutes have expired, it is time for the cocktail party. Students will circulate amongst themselves in order to learn about the documents from one another.
5. Explain these ground rules:
   • Meet in pairs only
   • The person with the earliest birthday discusses his/her document first
   • No talking to yourself . . . or someone who read the same document as you did
   • At the end of one minute, it is time to move on. (Teacher should monitor time and give a 30-second warning.)
6. When students have had the opportunity to meet with readers of all the other documents, have them return to their seats. Depending on the size of the class, you can have students discuss as a whole or you can have them work in small groups. Pose the following questions in order to debrief and highlight the purpose of the activity:
   • How did intellectuals, writers, and musicians feel about the U.S.’s engagement with Vietnam? Were there differences in their opinions?
   • Was there a significant change over time, as evidenced in the documents, in the reactions to the Vietnam War? Why do you think those changes occurred or failed to occur?

Handout 2 – The HIPPO Technique for Analyzing Documents

Common Core State Standards

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading (K-12)

Reading 1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

Reading 6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

Reading 8: Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

Reading 9: Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing (K-12)

Writing 1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Writing 7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

Writing 9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening (K-12)

Speaking and Listening 1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Speaking and Listening 2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies — National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)

• Theme 1: Culture
• Theme 2: Time, Continuity, and Change
• Theme 4: Individual Development and Identity
• Theme 5: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
• Theme 9: Global Connections

National Standards for Music Education — National Association for Music Education (NAfME)

Core Music Standard: Responding

• Analyze: Analyze how the structure and context of varied musical works inform the response.
• Interpret: Support interpretations of musical works that reflect creators’ and/or performers’ expressive intent.
• Evaluate: Support evaluations of musical works and performances based on analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.

Core Music Standard: Connecting

• Connecting 11: Relate musical ideas and works to varied contexts and daily life to deepen understanding.