This is a topical collection about the American experience during the Cold War. How did Americans feel during the Cold War? How was this expressed in United States culture? How successfully did the government address these emotions? 

The collection also features a diary kept by Francis Gary Powers, a U2 pilot who was shot down and imprisoned in a Soviet prison for 10 years. Students will be asked to investigate the diary and consider how Powers' experience supported or disproved the general sentiments of Americans about the Cold War and the Soviet Union.

Students and teachers may want to explore the resources in this collection to consider the psychological impact of the Cold War and how Americans prepared themselves for the unknown.

Tags: Cold War, McCarthy, UFOs, aliens, space race, fallout shelters, Civil Defense, radiation, spies, Hiss, Rosenberg, Murrow, Sputnik, cause and effect

Adapted from Cold War Fears by Kate Harris