Contextualization

Thinking about the Cold War not only refers to the study of a conflict between powerful nations, but also to understanding how this period directly affected international relations, political and cultural trends, and even the technologies we see today. The Cold War, which began in 1945 and ended in 1991, was a series of political and military tensions between the two great powers of the time: the United States and the Soviet Union.

During these almost five decades, the bloc policy divided the world into two ideological perspectives: capitalist and communist. This division generated not only indirect armed conflicts and arms and space races but also influenced art, music, cinema, labor relations, and diplomatic relations between nations.

The Cold War is still a relevant and current topic, especially when we analyze the contemporary political scenario. The relations between countries, the formation of economic blocs and military alliances, as well as tensions between major world powers, can have their roots traced back to this historical period.

The Cold War also allows us to understand migratory movements, ethnic-racial conflicts, political tensions, and disputes over territory and natural resources that mark our century. Studying the Cold War is, ultimately, understanding how the impact of this period shapes the world we live in today.

To deepen the study of the Cold War, we recommend the book 'The Cold War: A World History' by Odd Arne Westad, with an excellent analysis of the entire period. In addition, the BBC Brazil website has a rich archive with images, videos, and articles about the Cold War. And a tip for a documentary that explores the period is 'Cold War', available on the Netflix streaming platform.

Practical Activity - 'The Cold Race of History'

Activity Objective

Students must stage a 'race' simulating the main points of tension of the Cold War. This will allow them to understand the flow, dynamics, and changes that occurred during this period of time, as well as put them in situations where they must think and act as the leaders of that time did.

Detailed Description of the Activity

After dividing into groups, each one will be responsible for representing one of the two blocs that played a leading role in the Cold War: the United States or the Soviet Union. The 'race field' will be divided into stages, representing events or significant aspects of the Cold War that must be analyzed and explored by the group: Formation of blocs, Korean War, Space Race, Vietnam War, Fall of the Berlin Wall, etc.

At each stage, the group must:

1. Research about the event
2. Analyze the actions of the United States or the Soviet Union at that moment
3. Discuss among themselves and decide what action they would have taken if they were in that situation
4. Present their decisions and justify them

Required Materials

1. Research materials: Computers with internet access, books about the Cold War, documentaries, etc.
2. Presentation materials: Paper, pen, cardboard, markers, etc.

Activity Step by Step

1. Divide the students into groups of 3 to 5 people.
2. Each group will choose a side to represent (United States or Soviet Union).
3. Present the stages of the race and explain what each one represents.
4. The groups should start researching the first stage.
5. After the research, the group must discuss and decide what action would be taken.
6. Next, they will present their decisions and justify them to the class.
7. The process is repeated for all stages.
8. In the end, students should reflect on the race and discuss the lessons learned.

Project Deliverables

After completing the practical activity, each group must write a report containing:

1. Introduction: Contextualization of the theme, its relevance and real-world application, as well as the objective of this project.

2. Development: In this section, students should detail the unfolding of the activity, the research done, the justifications presented at each stage, and the relationship with the theoretical concepts studied. In addition, they should indicate the methodology used and clearly present the results of the group discussion.

3. Conclusion: Recap of the main points discussed during the practical activity, the learnings obtained, and the conclusions drawn from the project.

4. Bibliography: Indication of the sources used for the project such as books, web pages, videos, etc.

The report must be submitted for evaluation one month after the project start date.