The Vietnam War & Its Aftermath

Term: 1 (not offered every term)
Grades: 12, PG

This one-term elective will explore the causes and effects of the Vietnam War and how the United States became embroiled in the conflict. Specific attention will be given to major events such as the Tet Offensive, the My Lai Massacre, and the Kent State shootings. Students will study the Vietnam War through the eyes and experiences of visiting veterans, personal memoirs such as A Rumor of War (Philip Caputo) and The Things They Carried (Tim O€™Brien) and feature films like Platoon. Cultural and social topics of the era will also be explored, including the rise of counter-culture movements, the changes in music and television, the evolution of various civil rights movements, the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment, and the tumultuous year of 1968. The second half of the term will move beyond the war and include a study of Watergate, the energy crisis, the election of Jimmy Carter, and the Iranian hostage crisis.

Note: This course precedes 1980€™s and the Modern World