60th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift

Occasionally anniversaries of events occur that can - and probably should be - utilized in a classroom experience for the students even if it is not the 'topic of the day'.

May 12th marked the 60th anniversary of the end of the Berlin Airlift, a monumental effort by the American, British, French, and other allied forces to resupply Berlin, Germany, after the Soviets made a power-play to gain the divided city by cutting off all access to supplies. Stalin miscalculated, as President Truman and America's allies came up with an alternative, heroic method of resuppling the city with food, coal, clothing, and the necessities of life.

For a 10 minute BBC documentary on the Berlin Airlift, click here.

For an excellent lesson plan, with primary resources (both print and visual), click here.

Our county library system has several books concerning the Berlin Airlift, including The Candy Bombers : The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour by Andrei Cherny.

Essential Question: How effective are the tools above in teaching students about the Berlin Airlift.

-