Lesson Plan: Berlin Airlift – Teaching With Primary Sources (Scaffolded Writing Resources)

Subjects:

U.S. History, Civics/Government

Grade Level:

7-12

Lesson Duration:

• Two 40-55 minute class periods

Essential Questions:

• How did the Berlin Airlift affect America’s popularity in Europe, and across the world?

• How did the Berlin Airlift help the United States achieve its goals during the Cold War?

Objectives:

Students will:

• Develop a position and present a viewpoint based on historical evidence.
• Examine the Berlin airlift from multiple perspectives, including opposing viewpoints.

Additional Resources:

• Transcript for “How a Cold War Airlift Saved Berlin With Food, Medicine and Chocolate ” (Retro Report)
• Video Guide and Question Sheet
• Video Key
• Paragraph Outlines
  • No scaffolds
  • Partial w/Topic and Concluding Sentence
  • Partial w/Evidence to Sort
  • Full Scaffolding – Sorted Evidence
• Primary Source Pack
• Primary Source Analysis Activity

Key Vocabulary:

• Blockade: To block off or prevent goods or people from entering or leaving an area or place.

• Occupation: When a country is controlled by another country.

• Airlift: Transporting supplies by aircraft due to a blockade or emergency.

• Improvisation: Doing something not planned.

• Alliance: An association formed for mutual benefit.

Procedure:

1. Review: This lesson is likely to be used in an American History or Modern World History class when learning about the Cold War.

   1. Revisit the power dynamics after the Second World War between the Soviet Union and the United States?

      1. Why was there tension?

      2. Review/Reteach concepts related to the competing plans and ideologies of the countries.

      3. What led to Germany (and Berlin) being divided?

2. Guided Instruction: Have students watch the “How A Cold War Airlift Saved Berlin with Food, Medicine and Chocolate” video.

   1. This can be done as a whole class, or individually on computers or using the EdPuzzle platform.

   2. The video guide and question sheet poses two guiding questions for the whole video

   3. , along with several sentence stems that students can complete as they watch.

   4. After reviewing responses, and highlighting exemplary answers, the teacher will distribute the scaffolded outlines to students.

3. Outline and Writing Prompt: Each version of the outline has the same writing prompt. For this activity, students will respond to the following prompt: How did the Berlin Airlift affect America’s popularity in Europe, and across the world?

   1. Demonstrate how responses on the video guide and question sheet could be used to craft topic and concluding sentences.

   2. Guide students through creating categories and details on their version of the Outline form.

      1. Depending on time and classroom set-up, students can work together or independently to turn their categories and details into full sentences.

      2. Be sure to emphasize that each detail can be more than one sentence.

4. Primary Source Analysis: Have students complete one or more of the Primary Source Analysis activities provided for this lesson.

   1. Students are encouraged to draw upon one or more primary sources to support their answer and evidence while constructing their outline.

5. Outline Construction: Have students complete whichever scaffolded outline they were given.

6. Paragraph Construction: Using the outline that students completed, have them construct their full paragraph.

   To learn more about the evidence-based instructional methodology used here for teaching writing, see: The Hochman Method | The Writing Revolution

About the Author:

Luke Sundermeier is a high school social studies teacher in Marysville, OH. He teaches U.S. Government, American Cultural Studies and Global Issues at Marysville High School. Sundermeier is a Retro Report Civics Fellow.

Standards

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies

• D1.5.6-8. Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration multiple points of views represented in the sources.
• D2.Civ.2.9-12. Analyze the role of citizens in the U.S. political system, with attention to various theories of democracy, changes in Americans’ participation over time, and alternative models from other countries, past and present.
• D2.Civ.5.9-12. Evaluate citizens’ and institutions’ effectiveness in addressing social and political problems at the local, state, tribal, national, and/or international level.
• D2.Civ.13.9-12. Evaluate public policies in terms of intended and unintended outcomes, and related consequences.
• D2.His.1.9-12. Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.
• D2.His.4.9-12. Analyze complex and interacting factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.
• D2.His.5.9-12. Analyze how historical contexts shaped and continue to shape people’s perspectives.
• D2.His.14.9-12. Analyze multiple and complex causes and effects of events in the past.
• D3.1.6-8. Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.
• D3.3.6-8. Identify evidence that draws information from multiple sources to support claims, noting evidentiary limitations.
• D4.1.6-8. Construct arguments using claims and evidence from multiple sources, while acknowledging the strengths and limitations of the arguments.

Common Core Literacy Standards

• CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.RI.11-12.3: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequences of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact or develop over the course of a text.
• CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.RH.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.