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Breadcrumb

  1. History Assessments
  2. Background Knowledge
  3. Cold War
  4. Cuban Missile Crisis Photograph
Topic: U.S. History, World History
Historical Skills: Background Knowledge, Contextualization
Time Period: Cold War, 1900s
  • Assessment
  • Rubric

Alternative Versions of Assessment

  • Gold Rush
  • Berlin Wall
  • Bonus Army
  • Dust Bowl
  • Homestead Strike
  • Iranian Revolution
  • KKK Parade
  • March on Washington
  • Munich Conference
  • Russian Revolution
  • Russo-Japanese War
  • Sit-Down Strike
  • Tulsa Massacre

Cuban Missile Crisis Photograph

To answer this question correctly, students must identify the event depicted in a historical photograph and clearly explain why the event is historically significant. For the first question, successful students will identify this as the Cuban Missile Crisis. For Question 2, successful students might elaborate on one or more of the following:

  • The crisis was a high point in tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and some believe it was the closest the two nuclear powers came to all-out war.
  • Both sides of the conflict recognized the perils of brinkmanship and took steps to de-escalate Cold War tensions, including the establishment of a hotline between Moscow and Washington to facilitate better communication.
  • The Soviet withdrawal of the missiles was regarded as a significant foreign policy success for the Kennedy Administration, which had been embarrassed by the failure at the Bay of Pigs invasion.
  • Premier Khrushchev faced criticism in Russia for standing down in the conflict, which contributed to his removal from power in 1964.

Level: Proficient

Question 1 
Student clearly and specifically identifies the event depicted in the photograph.

Question 2 
Student clearly and specifically explains why the event is historically significant.

Level: Emergent

Question 1 
Student provides correct information related to the event but does not clearly identify the significant event.

Question 2
Student correctly elaborates on the event but does not clearly explain why the event is historically significant.

Level: Basic

Question 1 
Student does not correctly identify the event.

Question 2
Student does not provide a correct or relevant explanation for why the event is historically significant.

Download Materials

Cuban Missile Crisis Assessment Register or Log in to download
Cuban Missile Crisis Rubric Register or Log in to download
Aerial View of Mariel Naval Port in Cuba - Library of Congress Register or Log in to access

Alternative Versions of Assessment

  • Gold miners in California image

    Gold Rush

    View assessment
  • Berlin Wall in 1961. From the Library of Congress

    Berlin Wall

    View assessment
  • Bonus Army encampment, 1932 image

    Bonus Army

    View assessment
  • Child of farmer image

    Dust Bowl

    View assessment
  • Homestead Strike image

    Homestead Strike

    View assessment
  • Iranian Revolution of 1979. From the Library of Congress

    Iranian Revolution

    View assessment
  • KKK parade image

    KKK Parade

    View assessment
  • March on Washington image

    March on Washington

    View assessment
  • Munich Agreement image

    Munich Conference

    View assessment
  • Photograph of soldiers in Saint Petersburg. From the Library of Congress

    Russian Revolution

    View assessment
  • Photograph of Russian warship destroyed by enemy shells, 1905. From the Library of Congress

    Russo-Japanese War

    View assessment
  • Sitdown strikers image

    Sit-Down Strike

    View assessment
  • Tulsa, Oklahoma image

    Tulsa Massacre

    View assessment
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