Name: __________________________ Date: ___________________ Period:____

Vietnam War Activity Packet A

Directions: Complete the questions corresponding to each station as you move from table to
table with your group. Be sure to hustle! You only have 8 minutes at each station to answer all
questions. On DAY 2, you will pick an EXTENSION ACTIVITY from one of the stations to
complete.

Station 1: Geography
Look at the map and answer the questions.

1. On which continent is Vietnam located?

2. What are the countries that border Vietnam?

3. What are the two major cities in Vietnam?

Watch the video clip from Forrest Gump.

4. Based on the video, what is the Vietnam terrain like?

5. What other general observations can be made about Vietnam or the Vietnam war based
on this scene from Forrest Gump?

GEOGRAPHY EXTENSION ACTIVITY: Create an annotated map of Vietnam and the surrounding area
that shows 5 significant locations. Each location should include a short annotation to explain why it was
significant (i.e. Ho Chi Minh Trail - military supply route going through Cambodia and Laos to supply the
North Vietnamese).
Station 2: History
Watch video clips and answer the questions.
1. What year did war break out?

2. Why did the U.S. get involved in Vietnam?

3. What happened in the Gulf of Tonkin?

4. In your own words, what was Guerilla Warfare?

5. What happened to Vietnam after the U.S. pulled out its troops?

6. Write down one other fact you learned about the Vietnam War.

HISTORY EXTENSION ACTIVITY: Create an annotated timeline (by hand or electronically using
Visme.co/Canva/Google Sites/etc.) identifying at least 8 key events of the Vietnam War. Be sure
that each event has the correct date and that you include at least 3 pictures.
Station 3: Photos & Images
Examine the photos of “Soldiers in Vietnam,” “In Combat,” and “Impact on the Vietnamese.” Pick
two photos to describe.
1. Photo 1:
● What I think is happening in this photo:

● This photo makes me feel/think…

● I want to know more about…

2. Photo 2:
● What I think is happening in this photo:

● This photo makes me feel/think…

● I want to know more about…

Examine the pictures of the Viet Cong tunnels.

3. What is one trap you see in the diagram?

4. What is one way the Viet Cong adapted the tunnel system for living in as a home?

PHOTOS EXTENSION ACTIVITY: Choose one of the people in the photos and write a letter from
their perspective talking to their family about the war. Be sure to reference at least 4 key details
from the other stations in your letter (slang, history, etc.).
Station 4: Music
Listen to Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” and answer the questions.

1. According to the lyrics, who is the fortunate son? What lines show this?

2. Based on the lyrics, compare and contrast the “fortunate” and “unfortunate” sons that are
mentioned in the song.

3. How does the speaker feel about the war? How do you know?

MUSIC EXTENSION ACTIVITY: Find another war protest song of any era and create a Venn
diagram comparing and contrasting the way both musical artists use lyrics to advance their
cause. Make sure you have at least 8 bullet points on your Venn Diagram.
Station 5: Slang
Match the terms and definitions on the white cards to the fill-in-the-blank sentences on the blue
cards. After matching them, check your answers. Write the correct answers in the blanks below.

1. Because we were in the _____________________ it was hard to navigate.

2. The soldier laid a surprise mine trap, in the event that _____________________ walked

over it.

3. The men stared up at the _____________________, a little envious of their comrade’s

return home.

4. “Ain’t nobody care about you, man. You’re just a _____________________. You fight.

You die. They bring another in.”

5. I was glad I was too big to be a _____________________, since I would be too

claustrophobic in those tight burrows.

6. We all returned to the _____________________ to rest for the night.

7. “I dunno. The guy went _____________________. No one’s sure where he is.”

SLANG EXTENSION ACTIVITY: Create an illustrated translation guide for recently deployed
servicemen using at least 5 slang words of the era. Be sure that each word in your booklet
includes a definition and an example sentence that shows how it is used in context.
Name: __________________________ Date: ___________________ Period:____

Vietnam War Activity Packet B

Directions: Complete the questions corresponding to each station as you move from table to
table with your group. Be sure to hustle! You only have 8 minutes at each station to answer all
questions. On DAY 2, you will pick an EXTENSION ACTIVITY from one of the stations to
complete.

Station 1: Geography
Look at the map and answer the questions.

1. Why is it significant that North Vietnam shares a border with communist China?

2. Why do you think the Ho Chi Minh trail (North Vietnamese supply line) runs through Laos
and Cambodia? What advantage would this give them?

3. What are the two major cities in Vietnam?

Watch the video clip from Forrest Gump.

4. Based on the video, how could the Vietnamese terrain be difficult or dangerous for
unfamiliar soldiers?

5. What other general observations can be made about Vietnam or the Vietnam war based
on this scene from Forrest Gump?

GEOGRAPHY EXTENSION ACTIVITY: Create an annotated map of Vietnam and the surrounding area
that shows 5 significant locations. Each location should include a short annotation to explain why it was
significant (i.e. Ho Chi Minh Trail - military supply route going through Cambodia and Laos to supply the
North Vietnamese).
Station 2: History
Watch video clip and write down at least 5 key facts about the Vietnam War. ***Be sure to
identify how the US got involved in the war!***
1. ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

HISTORY EXTENSION ACTIVITY: Create an annotated timeline (by hand or electronically using
Visme.co/Canva/Google Sites/etc.) identifying at least 8 key events of the Vietnam War. Be sure
that each event has the correct date and that you include at least 3 pictures.
Station 3: Photos & Images
Examine the photos of “Soldiers in Vietnam,” “In Combat,” and “Impact on the Vietnamese.” Pick
two photos to describe.
1. Photo 1:
● What I think is happening in this photo:

● This photo makes me feel/think…

● I want to know more about…

2. Photo 2:
● What I think is happening in this photo:

● This photo makes me feel/think…

● I want to know more about…

Examine the pictures of the Viet Cong tunnels.

3. Why would it be risky for an American soldier to investigate a Viet Cong tunnel? What is
one bad thing that could happen based on the diagram?

4. What are some features of the Viet Cong tunnels that allowed North Vietnamese forces
to stay hidden?

PHOTOS EXTENSION ACTIVITY: Choose one of the people in the photos and write a letter from
their perspective talking to their family about the war. Be sure to reference at least 4 key details
from the other stations in your letter (slang, history, etc.).
Station 4: Music
Listen to Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” and answer the questions.

1. Based on the lyrics, compare and contrast the “fortunate” and “unfortunate” sons that are
mentioned in the song. What does this show about class distinctions during the war?

2. How does the speaker view Americans who support the Vietnam War? How do you
know?

MUSIC EXTENSION ACTIVITY: Find another war protest song of any era and create a Venn
diagram comparing and contrasting the way both musical artists use lyrics to advance their
cause. Make sure you have at least 8 bullet points on your Venn Diagram.
Station 5: Slang
Match the terms and definitions on the white cards to the fill-in-the-blank sentences on the blue
cards. After matching them, check your answers. Write the correct answers in the blanks below.

1. Because we were in the _____________________ it was hard to navigate.

2. The soldier laid a surprise mine trap, in the event that _____________________ walked

over it.

3. The men stared up at the _____________________, a little envious of their comrade’s

return home.

4. “Ain’t nobody care about you, man. You’re just a _____________________. You fight.

You die. They bring another in.”

5. I was glad I was too big to be a _____________________, since I would be too

claustrophobic in those tight burrows.

6. We all returned to the _____________________ to rest for the night.

7. “I dunno. The guy went _____________________. No one’s sure where he is.”

SLANG EXTENSION ACTIVITY: Create an illustrated translation guide for recently deployed
servicemen using at least 5 slang words of the era. Be sure that each word in your booklet
includes a definition and an example sentence that shows how it is used in context.