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Grade 9 Social Sciences History Take Home Pack Term 2
Grade 9 Social Sciences History Take Home Pack Term 2
The Nuclear
Age and Cold
War (1945 –
1990)
Informal Assessment: Use activities from different textbooks: source-based questions and
writing of paragraphs.
2
Ideological differences between the USA and the USSR
USA (capitalism) USSR (communism)
Democratic and multi-party Autocratic/ dictatorship and one-party
Free elections No or fixed elections
Individualism and survival of the fittest Collectivism where everybody helps
everybody else
Individual wealth encouraged (richest world Shared wealth (poor economic base)
power)
Personal freedom No personal freedom (secret police
controlled society)
Media freedom Total censorship
Informal Assessment: Use activities from different textbooks: source-based questions and
writing of paragraphs.
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End of the Second World War in the Pacific Ocean: The start of the Nuclear Age
Potsdam declaration
Essay: Discuss how the Second World War came to an end in the Pacific Ocean.
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Was dropping the atomic bombs justified?
• After Germany’s surrender, tension increased between the USA and the Soviet Union regarding
the nature of post-war Europe. The USA began worrying about the increased influence the
Soviets would have if they joined the war against Japan in mid-August, as planned. The US
believed that if the atomic bomb ended the war, the US would establish post-war domination over
the Soviets.
• The US government was worried about how US citizens would react if the knew that a bomb that
had cost US$2 billion to develop, and which could have saved the lives of thousands of American
soldiers, had not been used. So, from the government’s point of view, the decision to drop the
bombs was – on the surface – simple.
• The first atomic bomb had been used in combat. The surrender of Japan a week later marked the
end of a long struggle for freedom, democracy and peace.
Informal Assessment: Use activities from different textbooks: source-based questions and
writing of paragraphs.
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The superpowers and the meaning of ‘Cold War’
Definition of ‘superpower’
• A superpower is a country with a dominant position in the world.
• It has the ability to influence world events, further its own interests and project power on the rest
of the world to protect those interests.
• It is a large country with a sizable population, a strong economy and an ample supply of natural
resources.
• It is not dependant on other countries and, most importantly, has a well-developed nuclear
capacity.
Informal Assessment: Use activities from different textbooks: source-based questions and
writing of paragraphs.
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Informal Assessment: Use activities from different textbooks: source-based questions and
writing of paragraphs.
4
Conflict and competition in the Cold War
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The Space Race
Informal Assessment: Use activities from different textbooks: source-based questions and
writing of paragraphs.
5
Building of Berlin Wall in 1961
Essay: Describe how the division of Germany in 1946, and the building of the Berlin Wall in
1961, damaged East-West relations.
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Informal Assessment: Use activities from different textbooks: source-based questions and
writing of paragraphs.
Informal Assessment: Use activities from different textbooks: source-based questions and
writing of paragraphs.
1.1.3 Explain why the United States of America chose to drop an atomic bomb
instead of using conventional weapons? (1x2) (2)
1.1.4 Explain the effects of the first atomic bomb on the people of Hiroshima? (1x2) (2)
1.2 Refer to Sources 1B-1 (the written source) and 1B-2 (the visual source).
1.2.1 Do you think that the crew of the Enola Gay knew about the
destructive power of the first atomic bomb? Support your answer
by quoting from the text. (1x2) (2)
1.2.2 How does the visual source support the written source about the destructive effect of the first
atomic bomb ? (1x2) (2)
1.3.2 What does Hiroshima strive the world to get rid of? (1x1) (1)
1.3.3 Why is it important for the survivors (hibakusha) to tell their stories? (1x2) (2)
1.4 Use the relevant sources and your own knowledge and write a paragraph of 50 words (5 lines)
in which you explain how the nuclear age transformed the world. (5) [20]
Write an essay on the following topic: Your essay must be two pages in length and should consist of
an introduction, main points and a conclusion.
Essay: Describe how the division of Germany in 1946, and the building of the Berlin Wall in
1961, harmed East-West relations. [30]
[50]
ADDENDUM
QUESTION !
SOURCE 1A
Hiroshima was the target. At 8:15 a.m., Little Boy exploded, instantly killing 80,000 to 140,000 people
and seriously injuring 100,000 more.
A T-shaped bridge at the junction of the Honkawa and Motoyasu rivers near downtown
Hiroshima was the target. At 8:15 a.m., Little Boy exploded, instantly killing 80,000 to 140,000
people and seriously injuring 100,000 more. The bomb exploded some 1,900 feet above the
center of the city, over Shima Surgical Hospital, some 70 yards southeast of the Industrial
Promotional Hall (now known as the Atomic Bomb Dome). Crewmembers of the Enola Gay
saw a column of smoke rising fast and intense fires springing up. The burst temperature was
estimated to reach over a million degrees Celsius, which ignited the surrounding air, forming a
fireball some 840 feet in diameter. Eyewitnesses more than 5 miles away said its brightness
exceeded the sun tenfold.
www.atomic archive.com
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SOURCE 1B-1
www.atomic archive.com
SOURCE 1B-2: "My God, what have we done?". It emphasizes the destructive effects of the atomic
bomb.
In less than one second, the fireball had expanded to 900 feet. The blast wave shattered
windows for a distance of ten miles and was felt as far away as 37 miles. Over two-thirds of
Hiroshima's buildings were demolished. The hundreds of fires, ignited by the thermal pulse,
combined to produce a firestorm that had incinerated everything within about 4.4 miles of
ground zero.
To the crew of the Enola Gay, Hiroshima had disappeared under a thick, churning foam of
flames and smoke. The co-pilot, Captain Robert Lewis, commented, "My God, what have we
done?"
www.atomic archive.com
SOURCE 1C: Hiroshima strives to make the world aware of getting rid of nuclear weapons.
The downtown streets of Hiroshima are now lined with high-rise buildings, and the park is green
again. Every year on August 6, the day the bomb was dropped, Hiroshima holds a ceremony in
Peace Memorial Park, where the mayor reads his annual Peace Declaration. Determined to fulfill its
mission as an international peace culture city, Hiroshima strives to rid the world of nuclear weapons.
The hibakusha who are still alive are becoming quite elderly, averaging over 70 years old. Sadly,
some are confined to hospitals due to after effects, and many live in fear, wondering when the
radiation might strike again. Although it is painful for them to tell their stories, many hibakusha are
willing to do so in order to help the next generation understand the importance of peace.
www.atomic archive.com
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