INTRODUCTION: As a watershed event in modern American history, the Vietnam War is an integral part of America today. Indeed, its impact far transcended southeast Asia and the men, women, and nations that participated there -- it also altered the political, economic, social, cultural, and ideological landscapes of the United States. We still live within the shadows of its legacy. The Vietnam War, therefore, is an essential event to cover in the curriculum of a high school American history class.
PURPOSE: It is with this idea in mind that "The Vietnam War: past and present" has been designed, for few events have had such a profound effect on America. In addition, as a former teacher, I understand the many challenges that instructors face in trying to cover recent US history at the end of the academic year. This web page, therefore, is meant to give teachers a fast and easy way to learn about the war, as well as ideas for how the internet can be used to teach it. It is my belief that the expanding nature of the world wide web, coupled with the fact that many Vietnam veterans are actively involved in developing their own war related sites, makes the internet a vital resource for understanding Vietnam -- both as it happened at the time, and as it lives on today. So, whether you are a new teacher looking for lesson plan ideas, or a wise old sage trying to enhance an already existing syllabus, this web page has been built with you in mind.
APPROACH: This site provides two separate avenues of information: Historical Background and Curriculum Ideas. Each area is based on valuable internet links which can be used to develop lesson plans for the Vietnam War, and the sites have been selected based on their accuracy, interest, and relevance. As such, I have examined all of them closely to ensure their appropriateness. Not all of them, however, fit the traditional description of award-winning educational sites. Rather, I think part of what makes the war so fascinating is the wide range of parties which have developed related pages. So while some of the links I've included are government or university produced, others have been created by individuals or special interest groups. In my opinion, this variety provides us with valuable insights into the war, then and now. In addition to these links, you will also find curriculum ideas that I have developed based on specific sites. And while these suggestions reflect my preference for student centered learning, as well as the notion of multiple intelligences, they're not based on a singular pedagogical philosophy. Rather, it is my hope that you will utilize the "The Vietnam War: past and present" to help you develop or enhance the methods that work best for you in your classroom.
OTHER RESOURCES: The emphasis here is obviously on the internet. However, this doesn't mean that I think traditional sources of information, such as books, articles, or audio/visual aids, are becoming obsolete -- to the contrary. Most of the best information and curriculam ideas about the Vietnam War still can be found on the shelves of your local library, or even within the pages of your school textbook. Rather, it is my hope that by integrating traditional resources with the world wide web, teachers will be able to develop the most dynamic, thought provoking, and conceptually valuable lesson plans yet. "The Vietnam War: past and present" is, I hope, a step in that direction.
This photograph is part of Larry Powell's book, Hunger of the Heart: Communion at the Wall.