History in Images: an exploration of the Marshall Plan
Application Question: How did American involvement after WWII, specifically
the Marshall Plan, affect Europe for better or for worse?
So What? Students will decide whether or not the Marshall Plan positively
affected Europe, whether the US was right in becoming involved, and whether
or not the US should continue to become involved in foreign reconstruction
efforts.
NCSS Thematic Strand: Strand 9: Global Connections, Strand 5: individuals,
groups and institutions; Strand 6: power, authority and governance
Ohio Content Standard: Grade Ten, History 8, explain how the cold war and
related conflicts influenced US foreign policy after 1945 with emphasis on the
Marshall Plan
Grade Level: Tenth Grade
Class period Required: one 50 minute period
Purpose, Background and Context:
This lesson will explore the goals and the effects of the Marshall Plan
and its role in changing US foreign policy after WWII. Students will gain a
further understanding of the Marshall plan, which is arguably a turning point in
US foreign policy, and be able to relate it to today’s controversial war in Iraq.
Students will also comprehend the Marshall Plan as one piece of American
Foreign policy history and see the change in the policy over time.
Over the past two weeks students will have examined the outcomes of
World War II, as well as the effects of the post war atmosphere in the US as
well as Europe. This study of the Marshall plan is a continuation of the study of
euro-american post war cooperation, and is the third in a series of five lessons
focusing on this particular theme.
After gaining some background information on the Marshall plan itself
through reading the text selection on it, students will then come to class and
exlore political art with relevance to the Marshall Plan. These political cartoons
will help make meaning of the facts about what the foreign policy of the time
was and why it is important. After studying WWII in detail, and how a war can
affect the political world stage, students will then use this information to
understand the political and social culture of this period of time. Students will
have learned how a couple of political states can affect the world stage, and
example how the USSR and the US at this time are redrawing the map of
Europe.
After students have gained this background understanding of the world
stage at this point in time, they can then begin to understand how leaders like
Stalin, Truman, and Marshall and the governments that they represent have
influence on other nations.
This lesson examines the political and social culture in the time
immediately following WWII and will help make sense of how a complex
foreign policy like the Marshall Plan had influence on not only reconstruction of
Europe but on attitudes of nations toward other political entities. This lesson
will segue into further studies of post war US/Soviet relations including such
items as the communist rise to power, the Cuban missle crises, and the iron
curtain.
Goals, Objectives, Student Outcomes, and Performance Expectations
Students will:
• analyze group and institutional influences on people, events, and
elements of culture in both historical and contemporary settings, (NCSS
Thematic Strand V, Performance Expectation B).
• analyze the extent to which groups and institutions meet individual
needs and promote the common good in contemporary and historical
settings(NCSS Thematic Strand V, Performance Expectation G)
• analyze and explain ideas and mechanisms to meet needs and wants of
citizens, regulate territory, manage conflict, establish order and
security, and balance competing conceptions of a just society (NCSS
Thematic Strand VI, Performance Expectation C)
• analyze and evaluate conditions, actions, and motivations that
contribute to conflict and cooperation within and among nations (NCSS
Thematic Strand VI, Performance Expectation F)
• explain conditions and motivations that contribute to conflict,
cooperation, and interdependence among groups, societies, and nations
(NCSS Thematic Strand IX, Performance Expectation B)
Materials:
- Political Cartoons blown up on large posters, hung at different
locations around the room
- Copies of Political Cartoon Analysis Worksheet from the National
Archives and Records Administration adapted to only contain Level
one and Level two boxes
- Blank Poster board for each group
- Markers, crayons, other drawing tools
- 25 (or # of students) Pieces of paper each with one color on it (red,
orange, yellow, green, blue)
- Blackboard
- Chalk
Procedures:
Procedure 1: 8 minutes
Bell Ringer: unveiling the cartoons!
Before class begins, have pieces of paper with colors on it shuffled up
ready to be handed out to students as they walk into class and write the
“application” question on the board in the front of the room. As students enter,
each will be handed a sheet of paper and are instructed to find their fellow group
members based on what color they have. Also instruct them to pick up a packet
of worksheets as they sit down (will contain 3 cartoon analysis worksheets).
Once in groups, teacher will walk by each political cartoon which is blown up to
large poster board size and hung around the room covered with a sheet and
unveil them. Say as you unveil them “what does this mean to you?” Once done,
ask them to think about the application question in their groups and ask how
their reading on the Marshall Plan from the night before is connected to it. Have
them discuss briefly in groups for 2-3 minutes. Walk around from group to
group, listening, making sure students are on task. Avoid giving any input to
begin.
Procedure 2: 15 minutes
Students will then, in their groups, walk to a political cartoon pasted on
the walls around the room and begin to analyze it using the worksheet as a
guide. The group will have 5 minutes before they must rotate to the next
cartoon and begin analyzing the next one. Groups will travel together around
the room in a circle filling in their worksheets and talking about the cartoons
with group members. Groups will only analyze three of the five cartoons.
Procedure 3: 7 minutes
Students will then return to their seats and we will regroup together. I
will then ask a representative from each group to talk about one of the cartoons
that they analyzed and what conclusions they came to after viewing these. Also,
I will ask them to make meaning of what they already know about the Marshall
Plan in terms of its political and social context. After every cartoon is discussed
we will move onto the next activity specifically the cartoon on the US
involvement in Iraq.
Procedure 4: 12 minutes
In these groups students will now create their own political cartoon
using large poster board and drawing tools. These political cartoons can be
from any viewpoint, can have any opinion on the Marshall plan, and may use
the political cartoons studied as inspiration. Using ideas from all group
members, they will draw their own huge political cartoon and hang them around
the room when completed.
Procedure 5: 8 minutes
Final discussion on the topics of today’s class and how the Marshall
Plan shows political and social culture of the time, and how it relates to US
involvement in Iraq. This may stir up some debate between students which they
can then disucss in their “history journals” as the assignment for the night as
they reflect on the So What question of the board.
Assessment of Outcomes
Students will:
• Examine multiple perspectives of history through contemporary
sources
• Demonstrate the ability to interpret symbolism and imagery in the field
of historical study by recording information of National Archives sheet
•
•
•
•
Discover similarities between the reconstruction of 1945 Europe and
2004 Iraq
Analyze the importance of American foreign involvement in postWWII Europe by creating a symbolic representation
Evaluate the success or failure of The Marshall Plan in Europe after
1945 by presenting an argument for or against
Identify the future outcomes and effects of the American involvement
in Europe by expressing in journals the “next step” of the historical
timeline
Extensions and Adaptations:
- For another extension, the lesson could be expanded into two days with
further activities including spending more time creating their own
political cartoon. Also, having students complete more homework,
including researching in depth another conflict involving controversial
student involvement such as the Vietnam War. Then taking this
knowledge, creating a chart on the board or overhead discussing the
similarities and differences between the conflict in question.
- ESL students will have a relatively easy time following the lesson
because of the amount of pictures and visual aspects to this activity.
For the writing portion, they can receive special attention if so needed,
and may complete the journal written assignment in a tutoring session
with me so that we may discuss it first before they have to write it
down in English
- Students with other exceptionalities and learning disabilities will
receive support from their fellow group members and extensions on the
written assignment if so needed
Resources
National Council for the Social Studies, Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum
Standards for Social Studies. (Washington, DC; 1994) Pages 38, 39,
44.
National Archives Primary Source Document Analysis Worksheet
Political Cartoons:
“Can He Block It”:
http://www.hermes-press.com/Stalin-Marshall-Plan.jpg
“Dem Marshallplan”:
http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/images/00022814%20Freie
%20Bahn.jpg
“Go Home”:
http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/data/13030/0w/ft4w10060w/figures/ft4w10
060w_00003.jpg
Herblock:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock/images/s03386u.jpg
Horsey:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/20061026/cartoon20061026.gif
Cartoon Analysis Worksheet
Level 1
Visuals
List the objects or people you see in the
cartoon.
Words (not all cartoons include words)
Identify the cartoon caption and/or title.
Locate three words or phrases used by the
cartoonist to identify objects or people
within the cartoon.
Record any important dates or numbers
that appear in the cartoon.
Level 2
Visuals
Which of the objects on your list are
symbols?
What do you think each symbol means?
Words
Which words or phrases in the cartoon
appear to be the most significant? Why
do you think so?
List adjectives that describe the emotions
portrayed in the cartoon.
Level 3
Describe the action taking place in the cartoon.
Explain how the words in the cartoon clarify the symbols.
Explain the message of the cartoon.
What special interest groups would agree/disagree with the cartoon's message? Why?