Lavender Scare Reading - LGBT and Cold War History Activity

This activity is excellent for incorporating LGBT history into your Cold War unit! Plus, it includes both printable and Google Docs versions of the activity in this one download!

This features a 1-page article on the history of the "Lavender Scare" of the 1950's. The "Lavender Scare" coincided with the Red Scare and saw thousands of government employees lose their jobs due to being homosexual.

The article details how Senator Joseph McCarthy connected homosexuality to the Red Scare and how President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Executive Order 10450 led to a crackdown on homosexuality throughout the federal government. The article concludes by connecting the scare through to President Clinton's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and finally President Obama's repeal.

Following the article is a worksheet with reading comprehension questions designed to help your students think critically about the period. An answer key for this is included for your convenience.

Finally, this download also includes suggested extension activities and links to primary sources. These can be used for a collaborative learning and primary source analysis activity based on the Congressional reports, Executive Orders, and other documents mentioned in the article. A worksheet for analyzing the primary sources is included.

The editable Google Docs version can be accessed via a link at the end. This will bring you to a digital version you can share through Google Classroom and your students can type directly on! It's perfect for 1:1, paperless classes, or just an online activity!

This whole activity is great for connecting LGBTQ awareness to your social studies curriculum in a natural way.

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