Media Construction of War
A Critical Reading of History
High School through College
This kit analyzes Newsweek coverage of the Vietnam War, Gulf War and the War in Afghanistan. Students will learn core information about the wars in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and Afghanistan, how media influences public opinion of current events, and how to ask key media literacy questions and identify bias in the news.
All materials are classroom-ready, including: teacher guides, student handouts, overviews, and assessments.
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Download each teachers guide, slide show or video below.
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click a unit title to view/close list of downloads Units
The Vietnam War
Teacher's Guide- Slide Show
Supplemental Resources
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Links to Supplemental Resources from Federal Archives The Vietnam War
- PPT Doc.#3, The Power in the Pentagon
Resource: Library of Congress: Photo of Sec. of Defense Robert McNamara pointing to a map of Vietnam at a press conference
- PPT Doc.#4, General Westmoreland
Resource: Smithsonian: Portrait of General Westmoreland
- PPT Doc.#5, Ho Chi Minh
Resource: Library of Congress: Editorial cartoon of Ho Chi Minh
- PPT Doc.#6, A nation at odds
Resource: Library of Congress: The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories on Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Protest movements
- PPT Doc.#7, Lyndon Johnson
Resource: Library of Congress: Cartoon about President Johnson's lack of candor about Vietnam
- PPT Doc.#8, How Goes the War?
Resource: Library of Congress: Exhibit on Vietnam veteran's history project
- PPT Doc.#9, Toll
Resource: Library of Congress: Civilian casualties poster from Vietnam War era
- PPT Doc.#12, Vietnamization
Resource: Nixon Library: Trascript of Pesdient Nixon's 1969 speech announcing Vietnamization
- PPT Doc.#13, Kent State "Nixon's Home Front"
Resource: Library of Congress: House Resolution marking the 40th anniversary of the Kent State shootings
- PPT Doc.#14, Secret
Resource: National Archives: Declassified portions of the Penatagon Paoers
- PPT Doc.#15, The Calley Verdict
Resource: Library of Congress: Transcript of House Arms Service Committee hearings on the My Lai incident
- PPT Doc.#16, The end of an era
Resource: Smithsonian: Exhibit on The Fall of Saigon – April 30, 1975
The Gulf War
- Teacher's Guide
- Slide Show
- Supplemental Resources
X
Links to Supplemental Resources from Federal Archives The Gulf War
- PPT Doc #18, This will not be another Vietnam
Resource: Government Printing Office: Text of President George HW Bush's address to the nation announcing allied military action in the Persian Gulf, January 16, 1991
- PPT Doc.#19, More than just a madman
Resource: Library of Congress: Text of legislation holding Saddam Hussein liable for war crimes
- PPT Doc.#20, The path to war
Resource: National Archives: Second Draft of the Address to the Nation on the Gulf War
- PPT Doc.#22, America at war
Resource: Library of Congress: Operation Desert Storm planning graphic
- PPT Doc.#23, Hards days ahead
Resource: Library of Congress: Text of Congressional resolution condemning Iraq for its treatment of prisoners of war
- PPT Doc.#24, The new science of war
Resource: General Accounting Office: Report on an evaluation of the air campaign during Operation Desert Storm
- PPT Doc.#25, Under the bombs
Resource: White House archives: GW Bush report, "Crafting Tragedies," on Saddam Hussein's reporting of civilian casualties
- PPT Doc.#26, Exorcising demons
Resource: Library of Congress: Cartoon on press censorship during Gulf war "How cozy it is…"
- PPT Doc.#27, Victory!
Resource: Library of Congress: Text of bill to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to General H. Norman Schwarzkopf
- PPT Doc.#28, Triumph and devastation
Resource: Library of Congress: Cartoon on press censorship during Gulf war "Oo!. Is it too late..."
- PPT Doc.#29, March 18, 1991
Resource: Library of Congress: Text of bill to support national victory parade
- PPT Doc.#30, Revolt in Iraq
Resource: Agency for International Development: 1991 Report on displaced persons in Iraq
The War in Afghanistan
- Teacher's Guide
- Slide Show
- Supplemental Resources
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Links to Supplemental Resources from Federal Archives The War in Afghanistan
- PPT Doc.#32, We will not falter
Resource: Library of Congress: Text of bill providing for the removal from power of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan
- PPT Doc.#33, Why they hate us
Resource: Library of Congress: Teaching materials on the Documentary Project related to September 11, 2001
- PPT Doc.#34, Special ops
Resource: Department of Defense: Article on U.S. Special Operations Forces Change "Face of War"
- PPT Doc.#35, Get out of my way
Resource: Library of Congress: Veterans History Project exhibit on Women of 4 Wars: Persian Gulf & Iraq/Afghanistan
- PPT Doc.#36, The men at war
Resource: Department of Defense:Speech by Defense Secretary Rumsfeld on "21st Century Transformation" of U.S. Armed Forces
- PPT Doc.#38, The Fall of the Taliban
Resource: Department of Defense: Article on Northern Alliance, U.S. Special Forces at Gates of Kabul
- PPT Doc.#39, The hunt for Bin Laden
Resource: Library of Congress: Photo of boy with Bin Laden: Wanted, Dead or Alive T-shirt
- PPT Doc.#40, Into the light
Resource: Library of Congress:Text of Afghanistan Freedom and Reconstruction Act of 2001
- PPT Doc.#41, Where we get our strength
Resource: White House archives: President Bush remarks on "We're Fighting to Win - And Win We Will"
- PPT Doc.#42, Eager Boys
Resource: Library of Congress: Text of bill honoring Johnny Micheal Spann, the first American killed in combat during the war against terrorism in Afghanistan
- PPT Doc.#43, How to save the Arab world
Resource: U.S Department of State: Report on Middle East: Attitudes toward the United States
Video: Lines in the Sand
