Topic/Theme Statement

The topic for this unit plan is the American War in Vietnam. The war, which many
historians agree began when the United States helped establish South Vietnam in 1955
and did not end until the last helicopter took off from Saigon in April 1975, was a
massive turning point in American history, both in a Cold War context and a broader 20th
century context. The implications of the war went further than just foreign policy, but into
domestic policy and even helping create a lasting public skepticism over the veracity of
government reasons for enacting policies and committing to conflicts. Tracing the
somewhat obfuscated origins of the war, the escalation due to government deception, the
tragic effects of the war, the eventual withdrawal of American troops and all the cultural
shifts of the era makes for one of the more fascinating historical narratives in American
history. By exploring the aforementioned timeline, the students receive a well-rounded
overview of a war whose impacts are still being felt in 2016.
While the lions share of the course is from the American perspective of the war, I
did want to incorporate a bit of the Vietnamese perspective of the conflict. In spending a
day on the origins of the war, complete with a mini-lesson on pre-war Vietnamese history,
I hope the students can begin to appreciate the Vietnamese perspective of the war.
Furthermore, having the students research various types of weapons and combat methods
used by the Americans in the war and then revealing to them the lasting effects drives
home the point that war comes with very real consequences. Simply observing the
American effects of the war would not give the students an adequate understanding of the
complexities inherent in this war.

Another goal is to introduce the students to the massive cultural shifts that
occurred in the Vietnam era. While understanding the actual sequence of events of the
war is very important, understanding how the nation changed in the era can help the
students feel more connected to the era. In addition to highlighting the Civil Rights,
Black Power, Anti-War and hippie movements, showing students how even popular
music underwent a dramatic change can help underscore the point of the Vietnam era
being a huge turning point in American history.
Ultimately, my biggest goal in creating this unit is to help illustrate the point that,
contrary to the perception of some, history is more than just studying the events that
occur between two dates. History is a complex tapestry. Studying the Vietnam War means
one is studying a segment of the historical tapestry, but to understand the war, one must
step back and look how all the strands are interconnected. I hope through these lessons on
the origins, the escalation, the actual fighting, the withdrawal and a broad look at the
cultural shifts of the era the students gain insight as to why this war is a profoundly
important turning point in American history.