Since World War II, Americans’ natural trust in their government has fundamentally changed. This Building Block Inquiry Stack focuses on three government scandals – the revelations about the Vietnam War in the Pentagon Papers, the Watergate Scandal, and the Iran-Contra Affair – in the second half of the 20th Century to explore how Americans’ trust in their government evolved since World War II.
Government Trust
Building Block Stacks 1
Pentagon Papers
Compelling Question
How do breaches of trust affect public perception?
About the inquiry
The Pentagon Papers were a secret government study of U.S. involvement in Vietnam that exposed years of deception about the war’s scope and purpose. Leaked in 1971 by Daniel Ellsberg, the papers revealed information the public had never been told. Although the Nixon administration tried to block publication, the Supreme Court allowed it. The release […]
Instructional Snapshot
Students begin by sorting Vietnam War book titles into government vs. non-government sources, sharing their reasoning with the class. The teacher then…
1 Supporting Questions
Building Block Stacks 2
Watergate
Compelling Question
How do breaches of trust affect public perception?
About the inquiry
In 1972, five men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington D.C. while trying to bug the offices and collect information about the upcoming election. The break-in led to a series of investigations that revealed a pattern of similar illegal activity. Then, officials in the Nixon administration were accused of […]
Instructional Snapshot
The lesson opens with a short overview of the Watergate Scandal before students analyze political cartoons in groups, noting observations and question…
1 Supporting Questions
Building Block Stacks 3
Iran-Contra Affair
Compelling Question
How do breaches of trust affect public perception?
About the inquiry
In the middle of the 1980s, the Reagan Administration had two significant foreign policy problems. In Nicaragua, the US funded and sent military supplies to a rebel group called the Contras who were fighting the communist Sandinista government. In response to their human rights violations, Congress passed the Boland Amendment that banned aid to the […]
Instructional Snapshot
The teacher may start class by briefly describing the core issues of the Iran-Contra Scandal: that the U.S. funded the Contras in Nicaragua to fight c…