As students struggle through this activity, remind them of how complex a government's policies can be and how difficult it can be to make valid decisions. What evidence can students gather from the video Star Wars that illustrates some of the considerations facing Reagan and Gorbachev as they moved ahead with disarmament discussions. Have students create a chart with the columns labeled United States and Soviet Union and the rows labeled political, economic, and social issues. Based on the video, have them chart examples of political, economic and social issues that affected the arms race. Distribute the primary document transcript of the conversation between Reagan and Gorbachev at Reykjavik.
Students can read the dialogue aloud and after each excerpt, add evidence to their chart.
Based on the figures in this U.S. Nuclear Weapons Cost Study Project, have students assess the costs of nuclear disarmament. SDI Distribute the excerpts from the Memorandum of Conversation for the Second Shultz-Gromyko Meeting from January 1985. As students read this dialogue, have them identify the goals and concerns of both Gromyko and Shultz regarding arms control. Next distribute the declassified U.S. document called Soviet Motivations for a Quick-Fix Arms Control Agreement. Distribute Reagan's Evil Empire and Star Wars Speeches, Excerpts of the Politburo discussions between 1983 and 1986 and the Episode Timeline .