TEACHER PAGE

Target Audience

This WebQuest was developed for students in higher education but may be adapted for secondary use as well.

Big Idea

The central theme or big idea of this WebQuest is that lessons on political action, domestic policy, and military strategy can be gleaned from understanding the context and history of the Vietnam War.

Essential Questions

• What lessons in policy should be learned from the Vietnam War?
• What constitutes an effective argument?
• Who should be held responsible for unacceptable practices in war (i.e. government, field officers, individual solidiers, etc.)?
• What is the cost of war?
• What is the value of war?

Objectives

Students who successfully complete this WebQuest should be able to:

1. Explain historical and political contexts surrounding the Vietnam War;
2. Identify key figures of and key events in the timeline of the Vietnam War;
3. Recognize different factors influencing political stances, public opinion, and personal choices surrounding the war;
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of U.S. military action within Vietnam;
5. Construct an argument for or against the draft;
6. Construct an argument for or against the prosecution of U.S. soldiers accused of war crimes;
7. Use available resources to make a narrated video or sequence of images and post it online.

Time Frame

This is meant to be a 2-4 week WebQuest intended to give students ample time to research, synthesize, and then create arguments utilizing multimedia.