Students watch a video in which a Vietnam War veteran reminiscences about his battle experiences. Then, they analyze major issues of the war, including the escalation and the Tet Offensive. Next, they research a timeline of the war and make their own of major events during the war. Then, they study the constitutional issue behind the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the War Powers Act of 1973. Finally, they reflect on the heroism of Sgt. Roy P. Benavidez, who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Objectives:
- Describe the issues that led to the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
- Explain the domino theory.
Scene 1 — Engage
Student Activity
Students view introductory images of Vietnam and read background text about the Vietnam War’s significance and the lesson objectives. They then respond to a wall prompt describing what they already know about the Vietnam War and how they learned it.
Teacher Moves
Review the lesson objectives and use student responses to prompt a brief class discussion. As time permits, ask students to generate questions they have about the Vietnam War, noting that many will be addressed in this and later experiences.
Scene 2 — Explore
Student Activity
Students examine an image of U.S. and South Vietnamese leaders, then read The Vietnam War (sections “Overview” and “Origins of the war in Vietnam”) and the early portion of Vietnam War Timeline (up to “America Enters the Vietnam War”) to learn about the origins of the conflict and early U.S. involvement. They answer multiple-choice questions about Ho Chi Minh’s ideology and the goals of the National Liberation Front to check their understanding.
Teacher Moves
Highlight key developments in the origins of the Vietnam War and clarify any misunderstandings revealed by the multiple-choice responses. Offer Early Involvement as an optional extension resource for students who want more detail.
Scene 3 — Explain
Student Activity
Students study an illustration of the domino theory in Asia and read explanatory text connecting the falling-domino metaphor to international politics. They post predictions on a wall about what they think the domino theory means based on the image, then read Domino Theory (the introduction and the sections “What Is the Domino Theory?” and “Nations Are Not Dominoes”) to compare the formal explanation with their initial ideas.
Teacher Moves
Share one or two interesting or exemplary student predictions with the class and discuss how they compare to the explanation in the reading. Emphasize that “Nations Are Not Dominoes” expresses an opinion and ask students what kinds of historical evidence would be needed to evaluate it. Suggest additional independent reading, such as From Vietnam to Iraq: The Rise and Fall and Rise of the Domino Theory, for students who want to explore how the theory has been applied beyond Vietnam.
Scene 4 — Elaborate
Student Activity
Students view an image of President John F. Kennedy and read text introducing the historical debate over whether the Vietnam War was justified. They read Arguments #1 and #2 in Debate: Vietnam War to examine pro and con positions on U.S. intervention, vote in a poll indicating which argument they find most convincing, and post on a wall explaining why they judged the arguments as convincing or unconvincing. They then review classmates’ posts and respond to at least two with questions or positive comments.
Teacher Moves
Guide discussion of students’ evaluations of the arguments, drawing attention to how evidence and reasoning support or weaken each position. Point out that some arguments on the Debate: Vietnam War page may contain exaggerations or logical and factual fallacies, and invite interested students to analyze additional arguments for such weaknesses.
Scene 5 — Evaluate
Student Activity
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher Moves
Facilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
©2026 Exploros. All rights reserved.