Primary Sources Bring the Past to Life!
Vietnam War Primary Sources are just what teachers need to help students learn how to analyze primary sources in order to meet Common Core State Standards!
Students participate in active learning by creating their own interpretations of history using historical documents. Students make observations, generate questions, organize information and ideas, think analytically, write persuasively or informatively, and cite evidence to support their opinions, hypotheses, and conclusions. Students learn how to integrate and evaluate information to deepen their understanding of historical events.
The 20 Vietnam War Primary Sources are:
- Photograph of President Kennedy’s news conference regarding the situation in Vietnam – 1961
- Photograph of U.S. Marine with a Viet Cong suspect during a search and clear operation – 1965
- Photograph of President Lyndon Johnson awarding the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant Marty A. Hammer in Vietnam – 1966
- Photograph of Vietnamese refugees riding in a U.S. helicopter on the way to a safe place near Saigon – 1966
- Photograph of U.S. Army helicopter airlifting soldiers to a new staging area – 1966
- Photograph of Australian soldiers with Labrador dogs (named Justin and Cassius) used for locating Viet Cong fighters and enemy installations – 1967
- Photograph of members of Navy Seal Team One in a Seal Team Assault Boat (STAB) on the Bassac River south of Saigon – 1967
- Photograph of Air Force nurse treating a Vietnamese child during Operation MED CAP, where military doctors and nurses traveled to villages to treat sick people and teach sanitation practices – 1967
- Photograph of protesters against the Vietnam War – 1967
- Photograph of infantryman being lowered into a tunnel during a search and destroy mission—the Viet Cong had an extensive system of underground complexes – 1967
- Photograph of soldiers decorating a small, live Christmas tree sent by a relative in the United States – 1968
- Condolence letter from President Lyndon Johnson to parents of a soldier killed in Vietnam – 1968
- Photograph of military staff carrying wounded serviceman arriving from Vietnam at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland – 1968
- Photograph of director of the Selective Service System turning the drum containing capsules of draft numbers at the annual draft lottery in Washington, D.C. – 1972
- Photograph of Viet Cong soldiers carrying an injured American POW from the hospital tent to a place where prisoners were exchanged – 1972
- Photographs depicting POW bracelet and POWs returning to America
- Map showing location of Hanoi prisons—created by ex-POW Mike McGrath – circa 1975
- Photograph of visitors to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall rubbing the name of a fallen soldier onto a piece of paper – 2003
- Photograph of military rations during Vietnam War – photo taken 2013 in Fort Devens Museum in Massachusetts
- Photograph of U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard folding the American flag over a casket bearing the remains of four men killed in the Vietnam War—during interment ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery – 2013
Your students will:
- Think critically and analytically, interpret events, and question various perspectives of history.
- Participate in active learning by creating their own interpretations instead of memorizing facts and a writer’s interpretations.
- Integrate and evaluate information provided in diverse media formats to deepen their understanding of historical events.
- Create a more relevant and meaningful learning experience.
Download the Gallopade Free Online Teacher's Guide for Primary Sources PDF located in "Additional Info."
All levels. 8 x 11 inches each. Cardstock.

