Commissioned in 1967, the Pentagon Papers were a secret government study that revealed a pattern of government deception regarding the scope and purpose of American actions in Vietnam. In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg, a former military analyst who had worked on the report, leaked it to the media. The Pentagon Papers fueled public distrust in the government and intensified opposition to the Vietnam War. For many, the papers underscored the dangers of unchecked government secrecy and the importance of transparency in a democracy. Note: After reading the article in Source A, Ellsberg chose to leak the Pentagon Papers to its author, Neil Sheehan.
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About the inquiry
Compelling Question
How do breaches of trust affect public perception? (Pentagon Papers)
Standards
D2.His.4.9-12. Analyze complex and interacting factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.
Instructional Snapshot
Class begins with the teacher explaining that many books have been written about the Vietnam War. With only this brief introduction, the teacher divides students into groups and provides each a set of Source A (For Students): Vietnam War Book Titles cut into individual strips. Using the graphic organizer, students sort the titles into two groups: those written by government sources and those written by private sector authors. Students share their thinking, possibly concluding that titles critical of the war were written by sources not affiliated with the government. Next, the teacher introduces the quote by Robert McNamara in Source B (included on the graphic organizer) and explains the Pentagon Papers. Using the dates they were commissioned and leaked as anchors, students re-sort the titles in the order they think they were published, recording the corresponding letters on the timeline on the graphic organizer. After the teacher reveals the actual order of publication, students compare and contrast their predictions with the actual publication order, exploring the compelling question in the process.
Formative Tasks
COLLABORATE: Sort the titles into two groups: those written by government and non-government authors.
PRODUCE: Re-sort the titles according to when the books were published to create a timeline.
DELIBERATE: Compare and contrast the timeline with the actual dates of publication.
Sources
Source A: Vietnam War Book Titles derived in part from the Hannah Arendt Papers, Library of Congress
Source B: “Lying in Politics: Reflections on the Pentagon Papers” from the Hannah Arendt Papers, Library of Congress
Summative Performance Task
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Taking Informed Action
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