Emily Bennett and Liz Varenas

The Cold War

Pictured above is a piece of the Berlin Wall. It served as a divide between East and West

Berlin, since the wall encompassed the entirety of West Berlin. The wall symbolized the lack of

freedom that citizens had under communism and was a divide between the eastern communist

Soviet bloc and the western democratic, capitalist bloc. Prior to the construction of the wall,

people were fleeing from East Berlin to West Berlin. The Berlin Wall was constructed on August

13, 1961 and at that point, completely cut off West Berlin from East Berlin until November

1989. At that time, citizens from East Germany could visit West Germany and West Berlin.

However, for 28 years, the defectors fleeing from East Berlin to West Berlin halted. It was a

known fact that if you attempted to cross the wall, you would not survive. During this time, some

people used the wall as a canvas to express their opinions and beliefs. Many pieces of the wall

have paint on them, because they once portrayed a masterpiece. This could be used to teach a
lesson on the Berlin Wall because its a tangible piece of history. That one chunk of the wall

stopped thousands of people from fleeing away from a communist lifestyle. It would hopefully

put into perspective for students the ramifications of a communist society. Students could look at

pieces of the wall and interpret the pictures and art displayed on them to uncover how people

might have felt during that time. The wall could also be used to do a simulation in the classroom.

When students enter the room, they will be divided into two sides separated from friends. One

side will be east and one side will be west. The students on the west side will be given more

freedoms: more bathroom breaks, less homework, freedom to talk in class, etc. The students on

the east side will have more strict rules: no leaving the classroom, more homework, no talking,

etc. After students spend the class period learning about the Berlin Wall under their new rules,

the students will have the opportunity to voice their opinions as to how the activity made them

feel. This activity provides students with the chance to make a connection with the people of

Berlin and gain an inside perspective as to how it was in Berlin during the Cold War.