Geography (B) Analyze geographic changed brought about by human activity using appropriate maps and other geographic data.

The concept we are using for our box project is The Cold War/Iron Curtain. We will have a layout that will be a map of Berlin, Germany; with a button to illuminate the map. There will be a button light up the “Iron Curtain”. On either side of the “wall”, there will be a button that which will light up a caption (or summary) of what that side was doing during the Cold War.

We will be doing out project about the Cold War and the Berlin Wall A.K.A. Iron Curtain. This occurred in Berlin, Germany. The Soviet Union split Berlin into two regions, West Berlin and East Berlin. The Soviet Union took control of East Berlin, while West Berlin was with the United States. Winston Churchill issued a warning about the Soviet Union as early as 1946. This is important because of this wall; people weren’t able to see their friends and families on the other side of the wall. This benchmark relates to the project because it shows how their feuding caused a geographic change (read: The Iron Curtain).

This image is showing a map of a difficult time in our country’s history; a time that people didn’t know if they were going to live another day; a time when children would wake up and wonder if today was the day they were going to die. Tensions were high between two powers – the United States and the Soviet Union. The dispute between these two countries is known by, The Cold War.

This Cold War came to be known as such because although they were at war, there were no casualties compared to the wars that are going on now. There were no bullets being shot; no missiles being fired. This was a war based mainly on verbal arguments and manipulations. Although the United States and the Soviet Union didn’t fight directly, they manipulated allying nations to do their bidding. The war took place a while after World War II. At the end of the war, Germany was split up into many different regions, which were controlled by the winners of the World War II (America, France, and Great Britain). In time, the Soviet Union became involved and took a region of Germany. Germany was split into two parts, East and West Germany. The Soviet Union and the United Stated began their dispute and thus began the Cold War.

Not only was Germany split into two parts, but also Berlin, which was an important city in Germany. It was split into East and West Berlin. Berlin, though, was located in East Germany, which was ruled by the Soviet Union. West Berlin was surrounded by what is known as the Berlin Wall or The Iron Curtain. This wall being built separated families and friends which lived on the other side of the wall. West Berlin was cut off from the rest of West Germany because it was located in East Germany.

There were a few points in the city in which the western powers were able to reach West Berlin. One such point was Berlin Friedrichstrasse, also known as, Checkpoint Charlie. The main purpose for Checkpoint Charlie was to register and debrief members of the Western Military on what is currently going on in West Berlin. West Berlin was also in a bad predicament; because they were surrounded by the enemy, the people of West Berlin didn’t have a way to support themselves. The Allied Forces, seeing that West Berlin wouldn’t last long as it was, set up what is known as the Berlin Airlift. The Berlin Airlift was where the Western powers would send multiple airplanes to West Berlin loaded with clothing and food for the people of West Berlin.

This image of a map represents not only the boundary that was placed between the city, but also the hardships that people had to go through to be able to see their families. The Cold War ended on December 25, 1986. Afterwards, on June 12, 1987 President Ronald Reagan visited West Berlin to give a speech to the people there and that is when he said his famous quote, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Although the war ended in 1986, the Iron Curtain wasn’t torn down until two years later, in 1990.

Split in half,

Split in the Middle,

Surrounded by those trying to harm you,

Helped by those trying to supply you.

With food for the people to eat,

With clothes that people could wear.

Trying to see family on the other side of the wall,

With friends trying to support you where you are.

Trying to hold out with what you have,

Showing that your will is stronger than theirs.

Surviving what is thrown at you,

Jumping over any obstacle in your path,

With the road crumbling before your feet,

To the streets being split down in half.

Finding the your own path,

‘Till the barrier is broken, and you’re let go.

1. What is going well?

Everything is going at a decent rate; we're getting our work done in a nice time, and things are moving smoothly.

2. What is not going well?

Some of the project parts are setting us back; we may not be able to start something because a teacher hasn't been able to look at our things yet.

3. What do you need to do to make sure that you meet all of your deadlines?

We have to move on when we see a teacher is busy, and try to get another part of the design done. If things are going really slow, we could stay after school and make sure that everything is going well.

4. What is your overall impression on the project?

I think that it's complicated, but I also think that this project is showing us what it may be like in the propessional world when you have a deadline and you have to do a little extra to get it done.

5. If you had to rate your own progress what score would you give yourself?

I think I would give myself a 4 - because I've been working hard and have been getting the things I need  do done. I havn't been fooling around a lot, and I've been focused on getting this project done.