The Vietnam War

Introduction

In 'Vietnam War,' Ken Burns Wrestles With The Conflict's Contradictions | WBEZ Chicago

Welcome! To get a better understanding of your assignment please check here!

 

Things to know: 

  • The Vietnam war began in 1955 & ended in 1975
  • The height of the war was under President Lyndon Johnson
  • One of the main supporters of the Vietnamese people was the Soviet Union

 

Vocabulary Words

  • Communism - a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.
  • Agent Orange - a powerful herbicide and defoliant containing trace amounts of dioxin, a toxic impurity suspected of causing serious health problems, including cancer and genetic damage, in some persons exposed to it and birth defects in their offspring: used by U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam War to defoliate jungles.
  • Conscientious Objector - a person who refuses on moral or religious grounds to serve in the armed forces or to bear arms in a military conflict.
  • Draft -  Conscription is the compulsory induction of individuals into the Armed Services, whereas the draft is the procedure by which individuals are chosen for conscription. 
  • Cold War -intense economic, political, military, and ideological rivalry between nations, short of military conflict; sustained hostile political policies and an atmosphere of strain between opposed countries. 
  • Ho Chi Minh - Leader of the Vietcong & former prime minister of Vietnam
  • Vietcong- The opposing force of the Americans. Communist backed army fighting for an independent Vietnam.
  • Gulf of Tonkin- The 1964 attack that initiated the Americans full involvement in the Vietnam war after two American Navy Vessels were attacked.
  • Regime - A government, often authoritarian. 

 

Task

You are required to write a 500 word essay explaining whether or not you believe, with your research, that the United States was justified in joining the Vietnam War. To pass this assignment you need:

  • 500 Words (no more than 550).
  • To use all vocabulary words for this unit
  • Properly state your opinion and then have cited sources to back up WHY you feel that way

Take your time to examine the main events leading up to the war, during the war and its ending to help form your opinion. There is no wrong answer but you are expected to be as detailed as possible. Refer to the homepage for help with your vocabulary words. 

Process

  1. Research the vietnam war using your text book, study guide or appropiate links (NO WIKIPEDIA)
  2. Use the information provided on the intro page of this webquest. 
  3. Use your chromebooks to type your essay & submit through google classroom.

Evaluation

Rubric

Point value

100 Points

3 Exceeds Standard

10 Points

2 Met Standard

7 Points

1 Standard not Met

5 Points

Vocabulary

The student managed to use all or minimum required vocabulary words and demonstrated full understanding.  

The student used the vocabulary words but not always correctly showing little understanding.

The students either did not use the minimum amount of words or used all or most of them incorrectly.

Assignment

Student met the word count, met the assignment goals and completed in a timely manner with accurate and sourced work.

Student completed the work, met the goals but work was not always accurate and did not show clear understanding.

Student turned in work late, did not meet the goals or showed no understanding.

Assessment

Student passed the assessment meaning they met their lesson and unit goals.

Student showed satisfactory level of understanding but could still improve.

Student showed little to no understanding of the unit or lesson and will need further assistance or to repeat.

Total Points: 100

 

 

This is your rubric. To pass the assignment your opinion must be clearly stated and must be well reasoned and explained. 

Conclusion

This essay is meant to teach you! Please research and take this as a learning opportunity to not only better understand the Vietnam war but to also learn how to create an argument essay and better explain your thoughts. Ask yourself these questions before submitting :

 

  • What is my opinion on the war?
  • Was my opinion clearly articulated (shown clearly)
  • Is my essay well organized? Did I use the right grammar and vocabulary words?

If you are ok with your answers, submit!

Credits

All vocabulary words on the front page can be found using dictionary.com or an alternative dictionary source.

Teacher Page

If you need any help please email me day or night!

Kiera Stark

7th grade Social Studies