Classroom Use

This activity was designed to give students practical experience and understanding of just how narrowly war was escaped during the Cuban Missile Crisis situation. While most students can get the basic idea from a picture of Russian ships drawing closer to a U.S. blockade, and a lecture explaining that if they ran the blockade war would have started, the event is much more complex than that.

This simulation puts the students in the drivers seat. Playing through the scenario from the different leaders' perspectives should allow them to gain an understanding of just how difficult it was to navigate the situation without starting a war. Similarly, they should also gain an understanding that, while shots were never fired between the two countries, the stakes were high and tensions were stretched to the limit. This, in essence, is what students should grasp about the Cold War. One wrong move and the whole world is doomed.

This simulation is designed to students to fail. For students to learn the correct path that was taken, by making mistakes. I only give them a few basic things to do during the activity. Most of the rest of what they are graded on comes from the end of the activity (reflection). I do not let them work in groups. I want the students navigating the crisis as if they are in command. They are in the Oval Office, the Kremlin, or Havana.

By playing through each character, students gain an understanding of the actions taken by each individual, how complicated the situation was, and how lucky we all are today.

Below, you'll find a summary of each leader and the general takeaway students should gain about the leader through the situation.

Castro (Easy)

Playing as Castro, students should learn that it doesn't really matter what choices they make. They have little bearing on the events taking place. They, simply, are a cog in a machine being run by much bigger, more powerful countries.

Khrushchev (Medium)

Playing as Khrushchev, students should gain an understanding that his role is to escalate the situation, but that he also doesn't want war. Khrushchev is in a difficult situation due to the urging of the Party leaders, wanting him to never back down to capitalism, but also acting with the understanding that he truly could end humanity. Students should come away with the understanding that Khrushchev backed down, fully knowing that it would result in political suicide in Russia.

Kennedy (Hard)

Playing as Kennedy, students should gain a grasp of the fact that Kennedy did exactly the right things at exactly the right time. Any action, either too strong or too weak, would have been catastrophic. He had to walk a tightrope on the situation and did so masterfully. His cool head and calm thinking guided the U.S., not only through the situation, but also to appearing as though it won what many looked at as a no-win situation.