Students will view selected video segments from The Vietnam War that explore the impressions Americans had about Vietnam, the Vietnamese people, and the Vietnamese governments. Students will examine the reality American policy makers espoused about the war versus the situations and conditions that soldiers experienced on the ground. Periods covered include: 1960-1962 (Activities 1-4), 1961-1963 (Activity 5).

• How did preconceptions and misunderstandings affect the war efforts of the Vietnamese and the United States?
• Why is it important for a nation’s leaders to fully understand their adversaries and the physical and political environments in which they find themselves?