BRIGHT STAR CHRISTIAN LEARNING CENTRE.
SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADE 9
TERM 2 HISTORY ACTIVITIES.
TOPIC: THE NUCLEAR AGE AND COLD WAR
Activity 1 Date: _________________
Topic: Was it justified?
ATOMIC BOMBS AND THE BEGINNING OF THE NUCLEAR AGE
Study SOURCE 3A, SOURCE 3B and use your own knowledge to answer the
questions below.
SOURCE 3A SOURCE 3B
Elbert Einstein and J Roberts The Hiroshima atom bomb cloud 2–5
Oppenheimer the Leading Scientist at Los minutes after detonation
Alamos National Laboratory
www.wikipedia.org//wiki
1. With which two countries did Japan sign a treaty with in 1940? (2x1)
2. Which naval base that belonged to USA was bombed by Japan? (1x1)
3. What was the response of the American Government to the bombings?
(2x1)
4. What was the nickname given to the bomb? (1x1)
5. Which scientist warned the American Government about the involvement
of Germany with the atomic bomb? (1x1).
6. Use SOURCE 3B and your own knowledge to write a paragraph of about
EIGHT lines stating whether the action of USA of using an atomic bomb in
Japan was justifiable or not. (8)
Activity 2 date: _____________________
Topic: DEFINITION OF SUPERPOWER AND THE MEANING OF COLD WAR
Study SOURCE 4A and use your own knowledge to answer the questions below.
SOURCE 4A is an extract of causes of the tension between the USA and USSR
America was against the spread of communist policies of dictatorship, state ownership of
everything and no freedom of speech, religion, movement or press. The USSR’s aim was to
spread communism throughout the world.
Adapted from: Spot on Social Sciences grade 9 pg. 136
1. Give the definition of the following concepts.
a) Superpower. (2)
b) Cold War. (2)
c) Ideology. (2)
2. What stopped the superpowers from actually fighting each other during
the Cold War? (2)
3. What type of war was the cold war? (2)
4. List four weapons of the cold war. (4)
Activity 3 Date: __________________
Topic: THE ARMS RACE
Use SOURCE 5A and your own knowledge to answer thequestions that following.
1. In your own words explain what you understand by the term “arms race”
Who were the leaders of USA and USSR during this period? (2x1)
2. What are these two men or opposing groups in the SOURCE arguing
about? (2)
3. Give the name of the secret agents of both countries which were used to
spy on each other. (2x1)
4. Why do you think the Cartoonist drew these men with their weapons on a
tree that is joined together? (2
5. What does the statement in the SOURCE A “ I can build anything you can
build bigger” tell you about the attitude of the USA towards the USSR? (1
x2)
6. Using SOURCE A and your own knowledge. Write an ESSAY of ONE PAGE
where you discuss what the Arms Race was. (20)
Activity 4 Date: _____________________
Topic: SPACE RACE
Use SOURCE 6A and your own knowledge to answer the questions following.
SOURCE 6A
1. Which TWO countries are referred to in the SOURCES? (2x1)
2. What is the competition all about? (2x1
3. What was the SPUTNIK? (2x1)
4. Why do you think the Russian spaceship\Satellite is written “glorious. Soviet
Space agency”? (2x1)
5. Which organization was responsible for the American Space race? (2X1)
6. What was the program to land the first man on the moon called? (2X1)
7. Who was the first American to walk on the moon? (2X1)
8. Why were the space race achievements of both countries seen as great,
propaganda victories? (2X1)
9. Carefully study SOURCE 6A, use it and your own knowledge to write a
paragraph of not less than eight, explaining what the Space Race was.
(8)
