New
New
Year 11
AQA
The 13 Days of the Cuban Missile Crisis
I can account for the key events and decisions made during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
New
New
Year 11
AQA
The 13 Days of the Cuban Missile Crisis
I can account for the key events and decisions made during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- The Cuban Missile Crisis began on 14th October 1962 when the USA discovered Soviet missile bases in Cuba.
- ExComm helped President Kennedy to make decisions during the crisis.
- The USA set up a blockade or 'quarantine zone' around Cuba.
- The risk of war was considered high by both the USA and USSR during the crisis.
- The crisis was resolved as both the USA and USSR agreed to make compromises.
Keywords
Blockade - a situation in which a government or soldiers stop goods or people from entering or leaving a place
Compromise - an agreement to accept something which is not exactly what you want
Common misconception
Only the USSR made compromises during the crisis.
Both superpowers agreed to compromises in order to avoid war and resolve the crisis. Soviet missiles were withdrawn from Cuba whilst the US promised not to invade Cuba and to withdraw its own missiles from Turkey.
Provide students with the options Kennedy had for resolving the Cuban Missile Crisis and get them to debate which was best. Students could be asked to 'vote with their feet' and justify their choice before Kennedy's decision is revealed.
Teacher tip
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Write the missing word. If you someone, you make them less likely to do something.
Q2.
What type of American planes detected Soviet missiles in Cuba in 1962?
B52 bomber planes
F-11 fighter jets
Q3.
Which country was allied to Cuba in 1962?
Britain
France
USA
Q4.
Which country had Jupiter missiles based in Turkey (Turkiye)?
Britain
China
France
USSR
Q5.
Which statement is most accurate?
The USSR installed nuclear weapons in Cuba publicly.
The USSR installed nuclear weapons in Cuba with American agreement.
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Write the missing keyword. A is a situation in which a government or soldiers stop goods or people from entering or leaving a place.
Q2.
Who was President of the USA during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Fidel Castro
Nikita Khrushchev
Dwight D Eisenhower
Q3.
What was the shortened name of the group of advisors who helped JFK during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Q4.
What did JFK prefer to call the American blockade of Cuba?
bombardment
siege
Q5.
At the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis, what American response were hawks in JFK's group of advisors most likely to recommend?
blockade of Cuba
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
Additional material
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