Cold War tensions in Southeast Asia were at their highest during the Vietnam War. The Nixon administration promised to end the conflict and withdraw U.S. troops from Vietnam, replacing the deployed troops with larger bombing campaigns. In this inquiry, students will investigate the compelling question, “What did Cold War tension look like in Southeast Asia?”
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About the inquiry
Compelling Question
What did Cold War tension look like in Southeast Asia?
Standards
D2.His.17.9-12. Critique the central arguments in secondary works of history on related topics in multiple media in terms of their historical accuracy.
Instructional Snapshot
Class begins with students independently examining Source Set A, two political cartoons related to the bombing of Laos and Cambodia. Using the cartoons as evidence, students then produce an initial hypothesis about the message conveyed in each cartoon and record their thinking in a graphic organizer.
Students then examine historical data and sources (Sources B-C) to determine the severity of the bombing campaigns. The teacher may circulate throughout the activity, asking students to justify their conclusions and prompting them to consider how the evidence supports or challenges their initial interpretations. Students then collaborate in small groups to revisit each political cartoon, revise their original hypotheses in light of the historical data, and discuss how new evidence can change the way historical sources are interpreted.
Formative Tasks
PRODUCE: Produce a hypothesis about the message of each cartoon.
DELIBERATE: Determine the severity of the bombing of Laos and Cambodia.
COLLABORATE: Revise the hypothesis about the meaning of each cartoon based on what is now known from the data.
Sources
Source Set A: Herb Block, “Herblock Looks at 1973”, 1973, Herblock Gallery, Library of Congress
Source B: James Hilsum, “Most bombed country in history had an average of 55 bombs dropped per minute over 9 years”, 2022, Unilad
Source C: Taylor Own & Ben Kiernan, “Bombs over Cambodia”, 2006, The Walrus, Yale
Summative Performance Task
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Taking Informed Action
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