Alabama Social Studies SS24.WH.15a

Social Studies9th GradeThe Cold War Era

The Standard

SS24.WH.15: Trace the progression of the Cold War from the end of World War II to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Explain the development of new technologies and their significance in the nuclear arms race and space race.

2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students explain how new nuclear weapons and long-range missiles changed the Cold War. They connect rocket technology to both nuclear missiles and satellite launches.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can explain that the rocket used to launch Sputnik grew from Soviet missile technology. They can explain why the launch worried US leaders and led to more investment in missiles and space programs.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think Sputnik carried a nuclear weapon or that space rockets had no military use. They may think the space race was only about reaching the Moon.
How to Assess It: Ask on an exit ticket: Why did Sputnik's launch worry the United States? Name one military use and one space use for its rocket technology.

Lesson moves

Give pairs cards labeled Sputnik, R-7 missile, nuclear warhead, and satellite; have them arrange the cards to show two uses for rockets.
Ask students to write two sentences answering: Why could an unarmed satellite launch worry a country facing nuclear threats?
Run a card sort: students place ICBMs, satellites, and stronger nuclear weapons under arms race, space race, or both, then defend one choice.
Show a phone GPS map and a Cold War satellite image; ask students to name one civilian use and one military use for satellites.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to SS24.WH.15a, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

Keep exploring

Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.