This simple starter uses just two contrasting photographs, one showing the popularity of Johnson’s policy towards Vietnam, the other opposition to it.

How can we explain the difference?  Students generate questions to ask about each source before being given the answers on the PowerPoint presentation.  They are left with a clear reinforcement of the need to consider the provenance of each source.

This short, but highly effective introduction raises issues about changing attitudes between 1966 and 67 and leads into a living graph showing the overall popularity of the war in each year of the decade starting in 1964.

Resources

Lesson or enquiryHistorical focus
Lynching in the US in the 20th century, 1919–1954Racial violence and discrimination
How popular was the Vietnam War? What can we learn from just two photographs?Photographic evidence and public opinion
Why did the US get involved in the Vietnam War?Explaining US involvement in Vietnam
How significant was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the history of civil rights?Evaluating historical significance
Causes of the Wall Street CrashExplaining the financial crash
Hoover’s rubbish: Roosevelt moves inThe transition from Hoover to Roosevelt
Teaching USA 1900–1990 to Key Stage 4Overview and planning
Did everyone benefit equally from life in the USA in the 1920s? A market place activityUnequal experiences of the economic boom
Thoroughly Modern Millie: how do we know this song is about flappers?Using music to explore social change
When Prohibition was so popular when introduced, why had it failed within 12 years?Explaining the failure of Prohibition
Kennedy and the Cuban Missile CrisisLeadership and crisis management
New Deal or No Deal? How has the New Deal been criticised?Evaluating criticisms of the New Deal
Why was there a boom in the US economy in the 1920s?Explaining economic growth
Roosevelt and the 1936 election: can you write his manifesto?The New Deal and electoral support
Rosa Parks – the true storyEvidence and interpretations of Rosa Parks
Marking the anniversary of the Wall Street CrashTeaching the Wall Street Crash
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