Your Name: Sal Cusmano

Unit: Cold War Space Race

Unit Overview: This lesson will focus on the Space Race that took place during the
Cold War and how the US and the USSR competed with each other in their
technological battle for supremacy.

A. Unit Learning Goal: How did the Space Race pit the US and the USSR
against each other? How did the Space Race show soft power?
B. Daily Objectives: Students will know/be able to:

Define the term Space Race (Michigan High School US History standard
8.1.2 Foreign Policy During the Cold War – compare the causes and
consequences of the American policy of containment including: the launch
of Sputnik and the beginning of the space race)

Explain how the Space Race was an example of Soft Power (Michigan High
School US History standard 8.1.2 Foreign Policy During the Cold War –
compare the causes and consequences of the American policy of
containment including: the launch of Sputnik and the beginning of the
space race)

Argue who in their opinion won the Space Race. (Michigan High School US
History standard 8.1.2 Foreign Policy During the Cold War – compare the
causes and consequences of the American policy of containment including:
the launch of Sputnik and the beginning of the space race)

List your objectives in state content standards and/or national standards, and cite
which expectations you use (place the number of the standard in parentheses
following your Learning Goal.)

C. Instructional Sequence: Briefly list the steps in teaching this lesson including
ways you intend to launch and close the lesson and the details of teacher and
student actions. *These steps should be appropriately detailed so that a
substitute teacher could teach the lesson.

1. I will launch the lesson by saying something along the lines of “In the
1950s and the 1960s the US and the USSR engaged in of the most impactful
scientific battle of human history. They would fight by sending people and
objects into space in an effort to prove they were better than the other. (1-2
minutes)
 2. I will then begin my lesson with a slide explaining how in addition to the
competition between the two countries militarily the United States and the
Soviet Union competed technologically and that the Space Race was an
example of this. I will also define the term Soft Power. (5 minutes EMC)

3. I will then begin my lecture with 2 slides and 2 videos on the Soviet
Union’s achievements early in the Space Race with the launching of Sputnik
and Sputnik 2, Luna 2, and the launching of Yuri Gagarin. (20 minutes EMC)

4. Following this I will share 2 slides and 3 videos showing the US response
to early Soviet triumphs in the Space Race. I will specifically focus on the
development of NASA, launching Alan Sheppard into space, and the Apollo
missions landing men on the moon. (25 minutes EMC)

5. Finally there will be a slide discussing an end to the Space Race by

discussing how after the Apollo 11 mission funding to these Space programs
began to decline and peter out. (5 minutes EMC)

6. I will conclude my lecture by saying how this time period was another
example of competition between the US and the USSR and showed the many
ways the two countries competed with each other. (2 minutes)

7. Following the completion of the lecture I will present the students with an
assignment. The assignment will have them write a paragraph arguing who
they thought won the Space Race overall by making sure to make specific
mention to the achievements by each country during the Space Race. I would
give them the remaining class time to complete this assignment. (5 minutes
FA)

Etc.

The last step of your instructional sequence should detail how you will conclude the
lesson, including what you would say to the students about the lesson’s “take away”
or main objective and how today’s lesson links to tomorrow’s and thereafter.

Anticipated student conceptions or challenges to understanding: I think the

biggest issue will be having my students understand the concept of soft power. But I
will be very clear when explaining it to them. Another issue I could see my students
having is keeping track of the timeline, but I will also make sure to explain that.

* Materials/Evidence/Sources: The lesson will be primarily delivered through a

powerpoint and video clips.
Assessment: I will assess student understanding by having them complete a FA
detailing who they believe won the Space Race by mentioning specific achievements
listed in the lecture.

Attach all handouts, texts, images, lecture notes, etc. on observation day.

After the lesson reflection: (here, write your take-aways from the lesson so you
can make changes for next time)

* For observations only