Lesson Plan on Space Race/Arms Race

Objective: For students to understand how the Space Race and Arms Race impacted the relationship
between the US and Soviet Union.

Materials: political cartoons about space race and arms race

Reading Activities being Used: Word Wall, Political Cartoons, Concept Map, Exit Card

Do Now: How can weapons make a nation powerful?

How can advanced technology make a nation powerful?

Go over student responses and write them on the board. Explain to students that during the Cold War, the
two superpowers (the USA and the Soviet Union (USSR)) both tried to get the most powerful weapons and
technology for their countries.

Notes:
Arms Race = The US and USSR both raced to develop and to proliferate (to spread) nuclear weapons
around the world to control other countries.

Word Wall: Place the word “to proliferate = to spread” on the word wall
Place the word “arms race” on the word wall
Place the word “nuclear weapon = a bomb that can destroy an entire city” on the word wall

Question for students: How could the US control a country by giving it weapons?

Have students share responses, get ideas on the board, such as:
If a country gets weapons from the US, they might be loyal to the US
If a country gets weapons from the US, the US could tell them how to use them
If a country gets weapons from the US, they would like the US more
If a country gets weapons from the US, the US might make money from them

Space Race  The US and USSR both raced to build satellites and space ships to fly to the moon.

1957: Soviet Union launched the first satellite into space called “Sputnik”
1969: US lands the first space ship on the moon

Word Wall: Place the word “Sputnik = Soviet Union’s 1st Satellite” on the word wall

Ask students the question: How would satellites allow the US to control other nations?

Get student’s responses on the board, such as:

If the US has a satellite in space, it could spy on any country
If the US has a satellite in space, it can transmit information faster
If the US has a satellite in space, it makes the US look powerful.

Activity: Analyzing political cartoons.

Hand out political cartoons about the arms race to students. Have them answer the questions in pairs.
 1) The man on the left is U.S. President John F.
Kennedy. The man on the right is Soviet
President Nikita Khrushchev. What are they
doing?

2) What words do you see in the picture?

3) What is inside the box?

4) Why do the 2 men want to keep it in the box?

5) What is this cartoon trying to say about the arms

race?

1) What objects do you see in this picture?

2) What words do you see in this picture?

3) What is happening in this picture?

4) What is this cartoon trying to say about the arms race?

5) What is the answer to the questions below the picture?

Time permitting: Play the song “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath

Generals gathered in their masses 1) What is the first verse trying to explain about war
Just like witches at black masses generals?
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerers of deaths construction
In the fields the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds, oh lord yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away 2) What are the second and third verses trying to
They only started the war explain about politicians who start wars?
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor

Time will tell on their power minds

Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait till their judgment day comes, yeah!

Now in darkness, world stops turning 3) Who are the “war pigs”?
As the war machine keeps burning
No more war pigs of the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgment, God is calling 4) Why do you think Black Sabbath calls them “war
On their knees, the war pigs crawling pigs”?
Begging mercy for their sins
Satan, laughing, spreads his wings
All right now!

Exit Card: Hand students out two index cards. Ask them to write the word “Space Race” in the center of
one card and “arms race” in the center of the other. Then tell them they are to construct a concept map of
any terms they can relate to either the arms race or the space race. They must have at least 4 terms on each
card.