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Berlin Airlift

Lesson Author
Required Time Frame
2-3 weeks.
Grade Level(s)
Lesson Abstract
The student will complete a project creating a PhotoStory describing an event of the Berlin Airlift. They may concentrate on the personalities of the airlift, the German people, the Soviet response to the post-war world, etc.
Description

The student will complete a project creating a PhotoStory describing an event of the Berlin Airlift.  They may concentrate on the personalities of the airlift, the German people, The Soviet response to the post-war world, etc.

Rationale (why are you doing this?)

The students gain a personal attachment to the story of the Airlift when they are given an assignment that allows them to delve into the various dramas of this cat and mouse game. I firmly believe that students should be accountable for some part of their educational experience and by delving into some type of this story themselves, they gain a sense of ownership.

Lesson Objectives - the student will
  • Gain an understanding of the significance of the Berlin Airlift in the scope of world politics and the Cold War.
  • Create an interesting technological experience revolving around the Berlin Airlift.
  • Present a well composed oral presentation describing the contribution and significance of the topic of their assignment.

Conduct research using appropriate historical sources, analyzing the documents for validity and accuracy of information.

District, state, or national performance and knowledge standards/goals/skills met

South Carolina State Standards for Global Studies:

  • infer the difference between the ideologies of Communism, Democracy, Fascism, Nazism and describe the impact of the particular leaders who represented each of these particular styles of government during the 20th century.
  • analyze the long-lasting effect of the World War II, including the Holocaust, the moral implications of modern military technology (atomic bomb), the human costs of war, and the establishment of democratic and communist governments throughout Europe and Asia; propose solutions to these problems.
  • demonstrate an understanding of the effects of economic, geographic, and political interactions that have taken place throughout the world from the period of the Cold War to the present day
  • summarize the effects of the Cold War, including the competition for power between the U. S. and the USSR.

Missouri Standards

2. Continuity and change in the history of Missouri, the United States and the world

6. Relationships of the individual and groups to institutions and cultural traditions

7. The use of tools of social science inquiry (such as surveys, statistics, maps, documents)

Kansas Standards

Benchmark 3: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of individuals, groups, ideas, developments, and turning points in the era of the Cold War (1945-1990).

1. (K) explains why the United States emerged as a superpower as the result of World War II.

2.(A) analyzes the origins of the Cold War (e.g., establishment of the Soviet Bloc, Mao’s victory in China, Marshall Plan, Berlin Blockade, Iron Curtain).

3. (A) evaluates the foreign policies of Truman and Eisenhower during the Cold War (e.g., establishment of the United Nations, containment, NATO, Truman Doctrine, Berlin Blockade, Korean War, Iron Curtain, U-2 incident).

Benchmark 5: The student engages in historical thinking skills.

1. (A) analyzes a theme in United States history to explain patterns of continuity and change over time.

2. (A) develops historical questions on a specific topic in United States history and analyzes the evidence in primary source documents to speculate on the answers.

3. (A) uses primary and secondary sources about an event in U.S. history to develop a credible interpretation of the event, evaluating on its meaning (e.g., uses provided primary and secondary sources to interpret a historical-based conclusion).

4. (A) compares competing historical narratives in United States history by contrasting different historians’ choice of questions, use of sources, and points of view, in order to demonstrate how these factors contribute to different interpretations.

Secondary materials (book, article, video documentary, etc.) needed
  • Book:  Prentiss Hall: World History Patterns of Interaction
  • Book: Gordan’s World History
  • Various internet sources (documented) for the visuals of the Airlift.  (The Truman Library would be a great source! J)
  • Depending topic choice, research materials will vary….information on the Airlift, the people of the Airlift (American leaders in Berlin and America, Soviet leadership, pilots..)
Primary sources needed (document, photograph, artifact, diary or letter, audio or visual recording, etc.) needed
Technology Required

Laptop or other computer  resource,   

Computer program PhotoStory 3,    

LCD to project presentations for class discussions

Fully describe the activity or assignment in detail. What will both the teacher and the students do?

After there has been a complete discussion of the Berlin Airlift, describing the events of the Airlift, looking at the people of the Airlift, etc, divide the students into groups of three and assign the groups one of the following topics:  Harry Truman and the Presidential response to the Airlift, Joseph Stalin and the Soviet justification of the blockade, Lucius Clay,  Curtis Lemay, William Tunner, Berlin Airlift Pilots:  ex. Gail Halverson…….The students will be given approximately 2 weeks to complete the research and create a visual display of their project through PhotoStory 3.  They will present this visual in class with an oral presentation explaining the significance of the topic.  

Sources for attached PhotoStory:                        

http://www.konnections.com/airlift/hstpot.htm  Truman and Potsdam

http://www.konnections.com/airlift/clemay.htm Curtis LeMay

http://www.konnections.com/airlift/candy.htm Gail Halverson                  

http://www.konnections.com/airlift/jakintro.htm  Political Cartoons

http://www.konnections.com/airlift/berlin.htm map of Airlift

http://www.konnections.com/airlift/lclay.htm Lucius Clay

http://www.konnections.com/airlift/wtunner.htm William Tunner

http://www.konnections.com/airlift/wtunner.htm  Berlin Pics 6-10

http://www.konnections.com/airlift/clay1.jpg Clay and Truman

http://www.konnections.com/airlift/clay1.jpg Clay

http://www.konnections.com/airlift/clay3.jpg Clay and Truman

http://www.historywiz.com/berlinblockade.htm  Picture 12

http://warandgame.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/tempc56c.jpg  Berlin Airlift 15

http://greyfalcon.us/restored/myPictures/dhm1196.jpg    Painting

www.historicaldocuments.com germany surrenders

www.canadianheroes.org  germany surrenders 2

www.ilnprints.co.uk  berlin blockade

http://www.dhm.de/ENGLISH/sammlungen/bildarchiv/III/gronefeld.html  Berlin 1948 2

http://www.strangemilitary.com/content/item/108377.html  Milk Poster

http://www.alternatehistory.com/Discussion/    Map of communist Europe

http://www.white-history.com/hwr34i_files/praspr.jpeg  Communist takeover of Czech