Patrick Esposito

12/11/2015

Post 1945 Lesson Plan

Instructor:

Date/Duration:

Class/Block:

Patrick Esposito

Date: Dec. 11, 2015

Duration: 60 min

Class: US History
Block: N/A

Student Objectives:
Students will be able to remember and understand the
origins of the Berlin Wall and the conditions it created in
Germany at the time.

Topic/Source:

The Berlin Wall

SC Standards/National

Students will complete a RAFT assignment by creating

a letter to family members west of the Berlin Wall.
Students will gain perspective on what the construction
of the wall meant for citizens of Berlin.
Students will remember and understand basic facts about
the construction of the Berlin Wall and its symbolic
importance in the Cold War.

Unit:
Cold War

Standard USHC 7:
The student will demonstrate an
understanding of the impact of
World War II on the United
States and the nations
subsequent role in the world.
Indicator USHC 7.5:
Analyze the impact of the
Cold War on national security
and individual freedom,
including the containment
policy and the role of military
alliances, the effects of the
Red Scare and
McCarthyism, the conflicts in
Korea and the Middle East,
The Iron Curtain and the
Berlin Wall, the Cuban missile
crisis, and the nuclear arms
race.

Resources and Materials

Smart Board to project video and lead discussion

Paper and Pen/Pencil

Berlin Wall Video (http://www.dw.com/popups/mediaplayer/mediaId_4418618)

Berlin Wall Quiz (attached)

PDF of New York Times Article

(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/learning/pdf/2009/archival/19610825BerlinWall
.pdf)

Patrick Esposito

12/11/2015

Raft Assignment Template

(http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/RAFTWriting.pdf)

Student Chromebooks to view TIME Archive

TIME Archive (http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1631993,00.html)

Assignment(s)

View video on conditions created by the Berlin Wall

Use Photo Archive and Timeline to complete quiz
Read New York Times Article from 1961 on the division of families
Complete Raft Assignment
Complete exit slip

Activities:
Students will view video on the conditions created by the Berlin Wall
Students will use knowledge from the video, as well as the TIME Photo Archive and Timeline to complete the
quiz
Students will read the New York Times article on the division of families at the wall
Students will complete RAFT assignment on handout
Student will complete exit slip

Assessment:

Students will be assessed on their class participation and through teacher monitoring of their work
Students will be assessed on their submission of the Berlin Wall Quiz
Students will be assessed on the quality and perspective offered by thier RAFT letters
Students will be assessed on their completion of the exit slip

Patrick Esposito

12/11/2015

Lesson Outline / Notes: (Introduction & Development)

Before class, the teacher will print out resources and quiz. Teacher will outline the lessons objectives and write
on the board the schedule of the day so that students will be prepared for various class transitions.
Introduction: The teacher will ask the students to get out their notebooks or chrome books to take notes on the
Berlin Wall video. Teacher will show video on Berlin Wall.
Anticipatory Set: The teacher will lead students to the TIME picture archive and timeline on their chromebooks.
The teacher will then hand out the Berlin Wall quiz followed by instructions to use the Archive and Timeline, as
well as the notes from the video to complete the quiz. Allow time for all to finish, then collect quiz and review
answers as a class. Have a brief discussion about any pictures or quotes the students found interesting from the
TIME archive.
Development: The teacher will hand out the New York Times article on the division of Berlin families. Instruct
students to carefully read the article, being sure to note the tone and emotion of the stories. Briefly discuss article
content as a class
The Teacher will then hand out the RAFT assignment sheet while explaining the format of a RAFT writing
assignment. Teacher will give students the following prompt to write their RAFT letter.
The year is 1961
Your family has just been split up on either side of the wall like the families in the NYT
article. You have ended up in East Berlin.
You are writing to a family member about the conditions in East Berlin, as well as the
attitudes and actions of those around you including civilians and military personnel
The rest of the content is up to your imagination (in historical context)
( HINT: Use your notes from the video, the TIME archive, and the NYT article to enrich your letter with
history)
Allow time for completion of the assignment.
Teacher will then encourage students to share their letters with the class, followed by discussion about the
assignment.
Closure: Teacher will write exit slip questions on the board. Students will complete exit slips in their notebooks
to be collected at the end of class. Exit slip instructions are as follows:
Write your name.
Name one aspect of todays lesson you enjoyed.
Name one aspect you did not enjoy.
Describe your favorite picture from the TIME archive. Why is it your favorite?
(you may open the archive to refresh your memory)
Does the Berlin Wall, in some ways, serve as a physical embodiment of the Cold War? Why? Why not?

Patrick Esposito

12/11/2015

Berlin Wall Quiz

Bubble in the best answer:
1) Berlin is the capital of what European country?
o France
o United Kingdom
o Denmark
o Germany
o Poland
2) Why did East Germany build the Berlin Wall?
o To keep people from West Germany coming into East Germany
o To keep people from escaping to West Germany
o As a fortification to keep enemies out of the city
o All of the above
o None of the above
3) What country had control over the government of East Germany?
o Soviet Union
o China
o Poland
o Hungary
o France
4) Around how many people left East Germany through the city of Berlin in the ten years prior to
the wall being built?
o 10,000
o 25,000
o 100,000
o 1 million
o 2 million
5) What type of government was it that people were trying to escape from?
o Monarchy
o Communist
o Democratic
o Fascist
o Oligarchy
6) What year did East Germany first build the wall?
o 1941
o 1945
o 1949
o 1951

Patrick Esposito
12/11/2015
o 1961
7) True or false: East German guards in guard towers were told to shoot anyone they saw trying
to escape over the wall.
o TRUE
o FALSE
8) What US President asked Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the wall?
o Jimmy Carter
o George Bush
o Bill Clinton
o Ronald Reagan
o John F. Kennedy
9) Around what percentage of the East German population left the country prior to the wall being
built?
o 2%
o 3%
o 5%
o 12%
o 20%
10) What happened on October 3, 1990?
o The wall was torn down piece by piece
o The Soviet Union collapsed
o Germany was officially reunited into a single country
o The wall was rebuilt to be wider, higher, and stronger
o West Germany attacked East Germany and declared war
(Taken from http://www.ducksters.com/history/cold_war/berlin_wall_questions.php)