US History

4/12/2018

Title of lesson: Reasons for the Anti-War Movement (Vietnam)

Your Name: Katrina Dedvukaj

Length of lesson: 60 minutes

Context of Lesson: The students have been learning about Vietnam. They’ve learned about the reasons
the US went into Vietnam along with the competing perspectives of the war within the US (those who
supported, opposed, and avoided the war).

Overview: The focus of today’s lesson is to explore the reasons for the anti-war movement during
Vietnam.

Central problem/ Essential question: What were the reasons for the anti-war and counter culture
movements during Vietnam?

Objectives:

SS_HSCE_8.2.4: Domestic Conflicts and Tensions

Using core democratic values, analyze and evaluate the competing perspectives and
controversies among Americans generated by U.S. Supreme Court decisions (e.g., Roe v Wade, Gideon,
Miranda, Tinker, Hazelwood), the Vietnam War (anti-war and counter cultural movements),
environmental movement, women’s rights movement, and the constitutional crisis generated by the
Watergate scandal. (National Geography Standard 16, p. 216)

Students will know/be able to: Explain the reasons for the anti-war and counter culture movements.

Anticipated student conceptions or challenges to understanding: There a term in the political cartoon
that the students will not be familiar with, whitewashing, so I will be sure to define that for them.
Students will also need some guidance when trying to categorize the reasons for the anti-war
movement that they come up with.

Materials/Evidence/Sources:

 Political Cartoon Worksheet

 Sticky notes
 White board/markers
 Free write activity

Instructional Sequence:

1. (2 minutes) I will lay out the expectations for today’s lesson.

2. (2 minutes) I will pass out a post it note to each student. On the post it note, the students will
write down one reason they think caused the anti-war movement.
3. (5 – 10 minutes) In their table groups, the students will work to categorize their sticky note
responses. I’ll walk around and put common categories on the board, then they can place their
sticky note next to the category that mostly closely matches theirs.
US History

4. (5 – 10 minutes) We will have a class discussion on the categories and how they relate to our
focus of understanding the anti-war movement.
5. (10 minutes) After our discussion I will pass out a free write to extend the students ideas on the
anti-war movement. They will turn those into the basket when they’re done.
6. (15 minutes) The students have a worksheet in their packets that they received earlier in the
week that has a political cartoon on it. The cartoon relates to what the students have learned
about in a previous lesson, which is the credibility gap seen in Vietnam between the government
and what people are seeing on television. It also ties into the anti-war movement. I will guide
the class through each of the three levels of analyzing that the worksheet lays out and give the
students time to work on it. We will discuss the overall message.
7. (Extra time) If there is any time left in class I can read through some Vietnam facts (on fact
sheet).

Assessment: The students will have a checkpoint tomorrow.

Attach all handouts, texts, images, lecture notes, etc.

Chapter 22.2&3

Free Write

Directions: Take 2-3 minutes to answer the prompt and you may use the space provided.

Prompt: Now that you’ve seen all of these reasons/categories, what do you think was the main reason
for the anti-war movement? Did your opinion change? Would you have been part of the movement, or
not?

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