This unit plan outlines a lesson on the Cold War for an 11th grade US History class. It includes a 10 question multiple choice test covering topics like the Red Scare, McCarthyism, containment policy, and postwar events. It also includes short answer and essay questions asking students about the Gulf of Tonkin incident, US foreign policy aims, and the political/social impact of McCarthyism or how postwar policies reflected containment. The test and questions are designed to assess students' understanding of key events and policies during the Cold War era.

1. Teacher: Brandon Carnevale
Unit Plan 2
Lesson for 10/31/2012
Grade Level: 11
Subject US History
Cold War Unit Test
1. In the United States, the Red Scare of 1919 and the McCarthy Era of the early 1950’s
were periods of
a. severe economic depression
b. widespread support for groups promoting international anarchy
c. great growth in art, literature, and music
d. persecution of people suspected of holding anti-American political views
2. One way in which the Red Scare of the 1920s and McCarthyism of the 1950s were
similar is that both
a. jeopardized the rights of individuals suspected of un-American activity
b. occurred during times of economic depression
c. addressed the issue of increased government bureaucracy after a world war
d. led to the imprisonment of ethnic minorities during wartime
3. In the 1950’s, Senator Joseph McCarthy was most closely associated with issues related
to
a. Communist infiltration and the denial of civil liberties
b. farm problems and taxation
c. military preparedness and foreign aid
d. collective bargaining and the rights of unions
4. A governmental action that was consistent with the Cold War mentality was the
a. establishment of loyalty reviews of government employees
b. reduction in military defense spending
c. elimination of the Central Intelligence Agency
d. adoption of the GI Bill of Rights
5. What was one similarity between the Red Scare following World War I and the Cold War
following World War II?
a. Fear of communism led to the suppression of the civil liberties of some
Americans.
b. Large numbers of Russian revolutionaries set-tled in the United States.
c. Congressional investigations proved that the Federal Government was heavily
infiltrated by Communist spies.
d. Renewed fighting between wartime enemies was a constant threat.
6. The growth of McCarthyism in the early 1950s was based on

2. a. public fear concerning the spread of communism
b. outrage over government corruption
c. dissatisfaction with the results of World War II
d. opposition to the policy of containment
7. Who led a “witch hunt” for Communist spies in the United States government during the
early 1950s?
a. Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren
b. President Dwight Eisenhower
c. Senator Joseph McCarthy
d. Secretary of State Dean Acheson
8. The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan represented attempts by the United States to
deal with the
a. national debt
b. spread of communism
c. President’s political opposition
d. arms race
9. In the years just after World War II, the United States attempted to prevent the spread of
communism in Europe mainly by
a. taking over the governments of several Western European nations
b. increasing opportunities for political refugees to settle in the United States
c. holding a series of summit meetings with leaders of the Soviet Union
d. establishing policies of economic and military aid for European nations
10. Which is a valid conclusion based on United States involvement in the Korean War?
a. The policy of containment was applied in Asia as well as in Europe
b. United Nations economic sanctions are more effective than military action.
c. The American people will support United States participation in any war, whether
declared or undeclared.
d. United States cooperation with a wartime ally ends when the war ends
Short Answer
Directions: Put together a response using your knowledge of history
1. What event sparked the Gulf Of Tonkin incident? How was this Incident Resolved?
2. Throughout United States history, the most important aim of the country’s foreign policy
has been what?
Essay Questions:
Directions: Choose one of the two essay questions and put together a response using your
knowledge of history
a. What was the political, social and cultural impact of McCarthyism in America
b. How did the Korean War, Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine reflect the United
States policy of Containment.