For Two Sticks of Gum: The Berlin Airlift

• National Standard:  “Explain the rationale, implementation, and effectiveness of the U.S. containment policy. [Evaluate the implementation of a decision] (Historical Thinking Standard 5F)  and Analyze cause-and-effect relationships (Historical Thinking Standard 3C)”   The national standard on U.S. Containment policy is met by identifying how the Berlin Airlift was the first practical implementation of the Containment policy and by evaluating how both Truman’s and Halvorsen’s actions shaped America’s foreign policy outcomes.  The lesson plan identifies why and how Truman made his decision to use an airlift to counter Soviet aggression in Berlin and how an individual pilot named Gail Halvorsen used individual initiative to improve the airlift’s overall effectiveness.

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.