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Investigating the Vietnam War

Students investigate a variety of perspectives and perceptions of the Vietnam War.

Introduction

The Vietnam War lasted from the mid-1950s until 1975. The United States and the southern-based Republic of Vietnam (RVN) opposed the southern-based revolutionary movement known as the VIET CONG and its sponsor, the Communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam (the DRV, or North Vietnam)... The United States remained involved in the war until 1973, where an agreement was made and the US withdrew their troops. Throughout the war, but mostly at the latter end of the 1960's and early 1970's, American involvement in Vietnam was extremely controversial. The political necessity and risk of the war came under the scrutiny of the American people.

In this investigation, you are a magazine editor/reporter who has been given the task of putting together a magazine entirely on the Vietnam War and the perceptions and perspectives surrounding it. Your magazine is scheduled to come out in 1998, 25 years after the United States withdrew from Vietnam. You will decide what information to include and what not to include in your magazine.

In order to complete this investigation and assignment, you must complete the following tasks. You should utilize online resources and other materials (textbook, public library, oral histories, etc...) as necessary to access information.

1. Research and investigate the following questions. Prepare notes on what information you find to answer the questions.

• What are some key historical events, people, and places related to the Vietnam War?
• What were some of the reasons that the Vietnam War began and ended?
• Why was the United States involved in the Vietnam War?
• What were some of the perceptions and perspectives of the war at the time and afterwards?
• What effect did the Vietnam War have on the citizens of the United States from the time it began until the present?

2. Design a magazine to be released during the 25th Anniversary year of the United States' withdrawal from Vietnam. Complete the following in order to do this.

• On the computer (or on poster paper) using a desktop publishing or web page design program, design a magazine layout which will include your articles. Your layout should include basic magazine features such as titles, authors names, page numbers, advertisements, columns, etc...
• Write articles for your magazine concerning any of the information you encountered online or through other materials. Articles may be in the form of historical facts, editorials, letters, poems, and fiction (if the fiction reflects upon the war).
• You will have a letter from the editor to begin your magazine. In this letter to your readers, you are to explain what you feel the legacy of the Vietnam War is and what lessons the United States and the world can learn from that period of history.

Utilize the following online resources in order to complete the assigned investigation and tasks. Students are encouraged to locate other resources at the library or on the Internet.

• Statistics about the Vietnam War
• The American Experience: Vietnam
• The Vietnam Veterans Home Page
• Remembrance
• To America with Love and Gratitude
• E. Kenneth Hoffman: Vietnam Portfolio
• Vietnam War
• Poems from Twist
• Songs From Mark Jackson
• JM Monsoon
• Images of War
• About the War in Vietnam
• Vietnam Interactive Portfolio
• Vietnam War Home Page
• Vietnam Generation Journal, Nobody Gets Off the Bus: The Vietnam Generation Big Book
• Destination Vietnam
• Vietnam - Stories Since the War

As you look through the above resources and other resources you find in your textbook and at the library, remember to take notes and take the time to reflect upon your research. Your intent has been to access information and gain understanding from a variety of resources on the Vietnam War. The war remains an important and controversial part of the history of the United States, and there will forever be questions about what occurred at home and in Southeast Asia. This lesson was intended to answer some questions and to create many more.