Post date: Jan 12, 2012 12:32:36 PM
In order to get credit for this project you must write an essay on ONE of the following topics:
Topic A: Cold War
From 1945 to 1991, the world was divided into two camps: the democratic and capitalistic West led by the US and the autocratic and communist nations that orbited the Soviet Union. The two camps were philosophically, economically, and militarily opposed to each other and each waged a 45 year long "Cold War" against the other that sometimes got "hot". Using the knowledge gained from your lessons in this unit, write a 5 paragraph essay of 600 or more words comparing and contrasting the two worlds divided by the Iron Curtain.
Some places to find information for your essay:
Eastern Bloc (in particular, political, economic, and social information)
Post-WWII Economic Boom (especially comparing the boom in Western vs Soviet and Eastern Bloc nations)
European Union (particular attention to the economic and financial institutions)
The easiest way to write this essay is to organize the essay into three or four categories of comparison, like economy, government, and society, and then compare the democratic nations to the communist nations. The Commanding Heights films and filled out movie worksheets will greatly help you with this essay.
Topic B: New World Order
Throughout the Cold War, the West had dramatically overestimated the strength and vitality of its communist foes, and the late 1980's saw the advent of the unthinkable: a complete collapse of Soviet Union and the virtual collapse of the rest of the communist world. By 1991, after 46 long years of opposition, the Cold War was finally over, and US President George H.W. Bush commented that the world was witnessing the rise of a "New World Order". Consider what you have learned about the developments and issues of the modern, post-Cold War world, and write an essay of 600 words or more explaining what this New Order President Bush spoke of is.
Some possible topics to discuss in your essay:
The suggestions above are only suggestions, and you should feel free to discuss whatever you would like in the essay. Basically this is an essay about the modern world. What is the New World Order? Who is in control and/or what is important? What are the economic, political, and social realities for America and the planet in the 21st century? As you sit down to write your essay and consider its organization, remember that you are basically trying to describe the world of the 21st century.