The Cuban Missile Crisis Overview: There are many resources online to help educate students about the

events that occurred in the fall of 1962. Many formerly classified documents have been released to shed light on exactly what happened during one of the most tense situations in United States history. These and other primary sources can help bring this period of time to life for students in U.S. history classrooms. The challenge in this case is to help students to make sense of the vast amount of information that is available about this topic. The following activity is designed to help students gain a basic understanding of the events while also gaining a clear understanding of the intensity of the situation. Subject Area: United States History Duration: 2-3 45-minute class periods Grade Level: 9-12 Objectives: Students will sequence the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Students will assess the decisions made by John F. Kennedy and other foreign policy leaders during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Students will examine the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Standards Addressed: New Mexico State Social Studies Standards 9-12 benchmark 1-B #9 Procedure: Direct students to http://microsites.jfklibrary.org/cmc/ o As students work their way through each of the days of the Crisis in this online activity, have them create a summary of each day based on the primary source activities that are provided. Next, direct students to the document http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/19621021mcnam.pdf at the George Washington University National Security Archive. o After reading the description of this meeting, have students write a letter to JFK telling him what they think he should do in the situation. Finally direct students to the document http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/19621029mortem.pdf at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs website. o After reading this memo, have students characterize the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union immediately after the crisis had been averted.