"The torch has been passed to a new generation."
"The torch has been passed to a new generation." |
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Background
You are a historian who has been e-mailed by the CIA, but the e-mail is dated January 10, 1962! At that time, the CIA was working on an electronic communication product that was the foundation of today's Internet. Our nation's top scientists were working on another project about time travel. In early 1962, the technology was developed to transmit electronic messages through wormholes in time. President Kennedy was intrigued by the new technology's possible applications, and he authorized the CIA to try to contact people from the future who could give him advice on foreign and domestic policy.
Task
Your task is to research an area of history pertaining to 1960's national policy. Speculate about the advantage hindsight could have given President Kennedy's administration as you make recommendations to him regarding national policy.
The Process
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Each student is assigned to ONE of the following areas of research: the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, Civil Rights, the Space Race, or the JFK assassination. |
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In small groups, students research relevant information through both electronic and non-electronic sources. |
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Students spend time discussing the various implications that different recommendations could have on history, and determine which information should be shared with the president. |
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Each group drafts a report to President Kennedy, carefully choosing which information to include (and which information, for whatever reasons, not to include). Outline your recommendations to the president, and include the arguments you will use to convince him to pursue the policy you have recommended. E-mail this report to President Kennedy. |
Resources
Non-Electronic Resources
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Course notes |
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Textbook |
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Encarta |
Electronic Resources (by topic)
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Cuban Missile Crisis |
http://www.nsa.gov:8080/docs/cuba
http://hyperion.advanced.org/11046/
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Vietnam |
http://www.geocities.com/~westywesty/
http:obs-us.com/obs/english/books/mcnamara/contents.htm
http://www.stapleshigh.net/shsira/Vietnam.html
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Civil Rights |
http://www.seattletimes.com/mlk/movement/Seatimeline.html
http:/www.cs.umb.edu(jfklibrary/
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Space Race |
www.cs.umb.edu/jfklibrary/j052561.htm
www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/apollo11/index.html
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JFK Assassination |
http://www.ipl.org/ref/POTUS/jfkennedy.html
http:..mcadams.posc.mu.edu/home.htm
Learning Advice
Research both electronic and non-electronic resources. Be sure to stop as necessary for discussion of these events within your group, and talk about the implications (both positive and negative) your recommendations to the president might have. Develop a strong group consensus and good research to support your recommendations before e-mailing the president with your report.
Conclusion
A RUBRIC FOR EVALUATION OF THE FINAL PRODUCT
Below Average |
Adequate |
Good |
Outstanding | |
| Research is evident | ||||
| Group time used wisely | ||||
| Reflects thoughtful discussion | ||||
| Writing is clear and in report format | ||||
| Recommendations most likely would have a positive effect on history |
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