The Process

1. You will listen to a mini-lecture on the Cold War, the U.S. policy of containment, and the conflict in Korea, including President Truman’s argument for fighting a limited war in Korea.

2. You will complete a timeline or flowchart covering the major events of the post-World War II period through the Korean Conflict.

3. You will read General Douglas MacArthur’s 1951 address to a joint session of Congress and outline his argument for expanding the war in Korea to include the use of nuclear weapons.  MacArthur’s address can be found at the following link on the Library of Congress Web site: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mcc:@field(DOCID+@lit(mcc/034))

4. You will write a persuasive essay (a minimum of five paragraphs) that answers the essential question:  Was President Truman’s decision to fire General Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War justified? 

These Web sites are useful for writing persuasive essays:

http://www.infoplease.com/homework/writingskills7.html

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Atrium/1437/pers.html

http://www.grossmont.edu/ewc/essay_writing.asp