Berlin, 1961-63: the Berlin Wall
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the impact of the Berlin Wall on the city and people of Berlin and on US-Soviet relations.
Key learning points
- Escalating tensions after the Vienna Summit (June 1961) led to an increase in people attempting to leave East Germany.
- In August 1961, to stop people leaving East Berlin, East Germany began to build what would become the Berlin Wall.
- The Berlin Wall made it extremely difficult and dangerous to move between East Berlin and West Berlin.
- The Berlin Wall confirmed the division of Berlin and Germany between East and West until it fell in 1989.
- The Berlin Wall reduced the chance that the superpowers would go to war over Berlin and temporarily reduced tensions.
Keywords
Summit - a meeting between leaders to discuss significant issues or make important decisions
Refugee - someone who has been forced to leave their home country because of war, persecution, natural disaster, or violence, and seeks safety in another country
Border guard - someone who makes sure that rules are followed when people and goods cross from one country to another; someone who protects the borders of a country
Socialist - relating to a system of government where all property is owned by the community and resources are shared equally
Symbol - something that is used to represent something else
Common misconception
Some people underestimate the length of the Berlin Wall and believe that it only divided the city of Berlin.
The Berlin Wall divided the city of Berlin but it also encircled the city. The iconic stretch of wall that divided Berlin was approximately 26 miles in length. The total length of the Berlin Wall was approximately 96 miles.
Teacher tip
Use personal stories to illustrate the impact of the Berlin Wall on ordinary Germans. A popular German museum about the wall has a range of resources that are freely accessible online, including stories of escape similar to those shared in the Additional Material for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Complete the sentence: By 1958, over three million people had left Germany via Berlin to live in West Germany.
Q2.Which keyword describes someone who has been forced to leave their home country because of war, persecution, natural disaster, or violence, and seeks safety in another country?
Q3.Put the following events in chronological order.
Q4.Complete the sentence with the same keyword: By the late 1950s, West Germany was a country with a high standard of living in comparison to East Germany which was far less .
Q5.Which statement correctly describes Khrushchev's demand in the Berlin Ultimatum (1958)?
Q6.Match the country to its later name.
West Germany
East Germany
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Complete the sentence: Escalating tensions after the led to an increase in people attempting to leave East Germany.
Q2.Which keyword describes someone who makes sure that rules are followed when people and goods cross from one country to another or someone who protects the borders of a country?
Q3.Complete the quote using a keyword: Khrushchev claimed that the Berlin Wall was “guarding the gates of paradise”.
Q4.How much did Kennedy increase US military spending by following the Vienna Summit?
Q5.What do Conrad Schumann, Waltraud and Erika Kopp and Hans-Peter Dünnhaupt all have in common?
Q6.Which of the following were consequences of the Berlin Wall?
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Berlin, 1961-63: the Berlin Wall, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Berlin, 1961-63: the Berlin Wall, 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 Period study: Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941–91 unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.