Virginia SOL USII.5.b
The Standard
examining how the rise of communism affected America, including, but not limited to the first Red Scare
Virginia Standards of Learning for History and Social Science
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students explain why fear of communism grew after World War I. They connect that fear to the Palmer Raids, limits on civil liberties, and suspicion of immigrants and labor activists.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students can describe a clear cause and effect using accurate historical evidence. They can explain how fear led to arrests, deportations, and unfair accusations.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may confuse the first Red Scare with McCarthyism in the 1950s. They may also assume every person arrested was a communist or that all labor strikes were communist plots.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Explain one way fear of communism changed American life after World War I, using the Palmer Raids as evidence.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Sort event cards about strikes, bombings, the Palmer Raids, arrests, and deportations into causes, government responses, and effects.
Write a response to this prompt: When can public fear threaten individual rights? Use one example from the Palmer Raids.
Play a cause-and-effect matching game with cards showing Red Scare events, government actions, and consequences.
Compare a Red Scare newspaper headline with a modern alarming headline, then circle words designed to create fear.
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