Opposition to the Vietnam War in the US
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain why opposition to the war grew.
Key learning points
- Americans protested against the Vietnam War for a variety of reasons.
- These reasons included the cost in American lives, racism and inequality, expense of the war and how unethical it was.
- Protests took a variety of forms, such as marches and burning draft cards, but were predominantly peaceful.
Keywords
Unethical - if something is unethical then it is morally wrong
Veteran - a veteran is a person who has served in the armed forces
Protest - a protest is a statement or action expressing disapproval of or objection to something
Sit-in - a form of protest in which demonstrators occupy a place, refusing to leave until their demands are met
Teach-in - an extended meeting usually held on a college campus for lectures, debates and discussions to raise awareness of or express a position on a social or political issue.
Common misconception
Everyone who joins the armed forces does so willingly and supports the actions of the government.
Conscription is common around the world, and many people are forced to join the armed forces against their will.
Teacher tip
If possible, play students examples of protest songs from this period in order for them to get a greater sense of the public mood at this time, examples include Bob Dylan's 'Blowin' in the Wind' and Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Fortunate Son'.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.How long after he became president did it take Nixon to open peace negotiations with North and South Vietnam?
Q2.Complete the sentence: the Ho Chi Trail enabled North Vietnam to move troops and equipment into South Vietnam.
Q3.Roughly how many miles did the jungle paths that linked North Vietnam with South Vietnam stretch for?
Q4.When did the US and South Vietnam invade Cambodia?
Q5.Nixon ordered that the US troops should limit their invasion of Cambodia to within a limit of how many miles?
Q6.By the end of the Easter Offensive in 1972, what percentage of South Vietnamese land did North Vietnam control?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.How many US soldiers lost their lives in Vietnam?
Q2.What were two other issues that people in America were protesting about alongside the Vietnam War?
Q3.Roughly how much was the US spending on the Vietnam War per year?
Q4.Match the keyword to the correct definition.
morally wrong
a person who has served in the armed forces
a statement or action expressing disapproval of something
Q5.Complete the sentence: Agent was a chemical used to destroy jungle terrain.
Q6.Which high profile boxer was convicted of draft-dodging?
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Opposition to the Vietnam War in the US, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Opposition to the Vietnam War in the US, 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.