Support for the Vietnam War in the US
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain why some groups supported the war.
Key learning points
- After anti-war protests, Nixon called on the ‘Silent Majority’ of Americans to support his methods of ending the war.
- Nixon’s popularity increased greatly after this speech.
- People supported the war because of their patriotism and fear of communism.
- Blue-collar workers in favour of US involvement in Vietnam held their own rallies and attacked anti-war protesters.
Keywords
Patriotism - patriotism is a great love for one’s own country
Hard hat - a hard hat is a rigid, protective helmet, as worn by factory and construction workers
Blue-collar worker - a blue-collar worker is someone who works in manual labour, such as manufacturing, agriculture, construction or mining
Common misconception
Large-scale protests must mean that most people are against something.
A majority of people rarely, if ever, get involved in public protests, so we cannot draw absolute conclusions about what the majority thinks.
Teacher tip
For Task C 1), you could introduce other groups and ask students how they might feel about Nixon's actions in supporting the Hard Hats. Other possible groups could include black civil rights leaders, Vietnam veterans, and the women's lib movement.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Roughly how much did the US spend on the Vietnam War in total?
Q2.What happened in My Lai in March 1968?
Q3.Complete the sentence: the Students for a Society was an anti-war group that had roughly 30 000 members across 300 colleges.
Q4.Match the form of protest to the definition.
demonstrators occupy a place by refusing to move
an extended meeting usually held on a college campus
a group of people walking from an assembly point to a specific place
Q5.What was the term used for someone who refused the draft?
Q6.Place these events in chronological order.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What term did Nixon use to refer to the people who supported him and the war effort?
Q2.What is meant by the term 'blue-collar worker'?
Q3.Pick two ways that Americans displayed their patriotism.
Q4.Complete the sentence: four students were killed and nine more injured by national guardsmen at State University, Ohio, on 4th May 1970.
Q5.What was the nickname given to construction workers who supported Nixon?
Q6.How did Nixon respond to the Hard Hat Riot?
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Support for 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: Support for 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.