The lesson plan examines McCarthyism and the Red Scare of the 1950s. Students will critically examine the political, social, and cultural impact of McCarthyism in America and analyze how it responded to fears of communism during the Red Scare. The teacher will give a lecture on the Red Scare, where hysteria over communism led to investigations of suspected communists. They will also cover McCarthyism, where Senator Joseph McCarthy falsely accused hundreds of government employees of being communists, fueling paranoia. Students will then discuss in groups how the Red Scare led to McCarthyism and its repressive policies that blacklisted many in the entertainment industry.

1. Teacher: Brandon Carnevale
Unit Plan 2
Lesson for 10/25/2012
Grade Level: 11
Subject US History
1. Objectives
a. Students will be able to critically examine the political, social and cultural impact of
McCarthyism in America
b. Students will understand what the red scare was
c. Students will analyze how McCarthyism was a response to the red scare
2. Hook
a. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyBiSk97Hag
3. Lecture McCarthyism and Red Scare.
a. Red Scare
i. As the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States intensified in
the late 1940s and early 1950s, hysteria over the perceived threat posed by
Communists in the U.S. became known as the Red Scare. (Communists were
often referred to as "Reds" for their allegiance to the red Soviet flag.) The Red
Scare led to a range of actions that had a profound and enduring effect on U.S.
government and society. Federal employees were analyzed to determine whether
they were sufficiently loyal to the government, and the House Un-American
Activities Committee, as well as U.S. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, investigated
allegations of subversive elements in the government and the Hollywood film
industry. The climate of fear and repression linked to the Red Scare finally began
to ease by the late 1950s.
b. McCarthyism
i. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s America was overwhelmed with concerns about
the threat of communism growing in Eastern Europe and China. Capitalizing on
those concerns, a young Senator named Joseph McCarthy made a public
accusation that more than two hundred “card-carrying” communists had
infiltrated the United States government. Though eventually his accusations were
proven to be untrue, and he was censured by the Senate for unbecoming conduct,
his zealous campaigning ushered in one of the most repressive times in 20th-
century American politics.
ii. While the House Un-American Activities Committee had been formed in 1938 as
an anti-Communist organ, McCarthy’s accusations heightened the political
tensions of the times. Known as McCarthyism, the paranoid hunt for infiltrators
was notoriously difficult on writers and entertainers, many of whom were labeled
communist sympathizers and were unable to continue working. Some had their

2. passports taken away, while others were jailed for refusing to give the names of
other communists. The trials, which were well publicized, could often destroy a
career with a single unsubstantiated accusation.
iii. During this time there were few in the press willing to stand up against McCarthy
and the anti-Communist machine. Among those few were comedian Mort Sahl,
and journalist Edward R. Murrow, whose strong criticisms of McCarthy are often
cited as playing an important role in his eventual removal from power. By 1954,
the fervor had died down and many actors and writers were able to return to
work. Though relatively short, these proceedings remain one of the most
shameful moments in modern U.S. history.
4. Students will break up in groups and discuss how they think that the Red scare lead to
McCarthyism
Assessment: Students will Read and outline the major points of Red Scared by Michael Barson. The link
to access the article is below.
Red Scared! (by Michael Barson and Steven Heller, Chronicle Books, 2001), CNN Cold War website
(http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/)