Containment and the Domino Theory
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the importance of the Domino Theory.
Key learning points
- America had been opposed to communism long before the Cold War started.
- Communism spread rapidly after World War Two.
- America committed itself to containing the spread of communism.
- Eisenhower believed communism might spread in Southeast Asia.
- Eisenhower committed large amounts of money to supporting Diem to stop the spread of communism in Vietnam.
Keywords
Containment - Containment was a foreign policy strategy used by the US during the Cold War to try to prevent the spread of communism
Domino Theory - the Domino Theory was the idea that if one country fell to communism more would follow
Marshall Aid - Marshall Aid (or the Marshall Plan) was the American strategy of giving money to European countries to help them recover after World War Two
Common misconception
Foreign aid support packages, for instance Marshall Aid, are made up of just money.
Equipment such as heavy machinery or weapons, natural resources such as coal, as well as money, make up foreign aid support packages.
Teacher tip
Hammer home the point that the Cold War was a global conflict, and events occurring on one side of the world, for instance Europe, had an impact on how countries acted on the other side of the world, for instance Southeast Asia.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who were the Viet Minh?
Q2.Complete the sentence: the Viet Minh specialised in __________ warfare.
Q3.How did the people of France refer to the conflict in Vietnam against the Viet Minh?
Q4.Which countries supported the Viet Minh during their conflict with France?
Q5.How was Vietnam divided at the Geneva Conference in 1954?
Q6.When were elections supposed to take place to unify Vietnam?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Complete the sentence: The __________ Scare referred to a wave of anti-communist feeling in the US.
Q2.Which area of Europe saw communist parties come to power in multiple countries?
Q3.What plan aimed to rebuild Europe in order to prevent the spread of communism?
Q4.Which Asian country became communist in 1949?
Q5.Place the events in the correct order
Q6.What was the term given to President Eisenhower's fear of communist governments coming to power in Southeast Asia?
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Containment and the Domino Theory, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Containment and the Domino Theory, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the The USA, 1954–75 conflict at home and abroad unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.