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Augmented Reality App "Cold War Berlin"

Screenshot from the AR app Cold War Berlin

Screenshot from the AR app Cold War Berlin

On the 60th anniversary of the Wall’s construction, the Berlin Wall Memorial created an augmented reality app on the 1961 tank confrontation at Checkpoint Charlie.

Das App-Icon

In October 1961, a few months after the Wall was built, U.S. and Soviet tanks engaged in a standoff at the GDR’s Friedrichstrasse border crossing and the Allied Checkpoint Charlie. The augmented reality app “Cold War Berlin” turns the history of the tank confrontation into a three-dimensional experience: From any site, you can use your smartphone or tablet to view a true-to-scale 3D model of the border crossing and explore the intersection of Friedrichstrasse/Zimmerstrasse from the time of the Wall’s construction to the confrontation in 1961. View the events from different perspectives and discover historical photos, films and radio broadcasts. Immerse yourself in the history of the Cold War in Berlin!

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Using the app in the classroom

Augmented reality creates an innovative learning environment that conveys the events from different perspectives and facilitates a critical examination of one of the Cold War’s most iconic moments. The 3D-modeled scenes were created on the basis of detailed research of historical sources from both the East and the West.

The imbedded historical photos, films and radio broadcasts reveal how the events were interpreted and portrayed differently in the East and West. They show both the role of the media in political events and how historical images are constructed.

Below we have compiled teaching aids for using the “Cold War Berlin” app in class. They are especially suited for teaching 9th and 10th grade history. In four modules, students can work step by step through the history of the tank confrontation – alone or in small groups – and discuss their findings with the class.

The worksheets and historical source material can be downloaded for free. Please note the copyright information provided.

 

Summary Teaching Material AR-App [pdf, 77.03 KB]
Summary Teaching Material AR-App [pdf, 77.03 KB]

MODULE 1: CAUSES OF THE CONFLICT

The lesson begins with the photograph on Information Sheet 1, which shows an iconic image of the tank confrontation. The class creates a mind map containing information that the students already know about the topic.

Afterwards, the class is divided into workgroups of two. They watch the scenes "Berlin 1961" and "October 22, 1961" together in the AR app. The workgroups note in the table on Worksheet 1 what information in the scenes seems familiar to them and what is new. The answers are discussed in class and added to the mind map.

If needed, the teacher can use the map material on Information Sheets 2 and 3 to explain the division of Germany and the four-power status of Berlin.

Social form: plenary, partner work

MODULE 2: TANKS AT CHECKPOINT CHARLIE

The workgroups watch the augmented reality scene "October 25, 1961" together. Afterwards, they write down on Worksheet 2 the reasons provided in the narrative for why the U.S. tanks drove up at Checkpoint Charlie.

In Task 2, students focus closely on two sources that appear as points of interest (PoI) in augmented reality at the end of the scene which can be accessed through the app. The first source is a West German newsreel covering the events at the Friedrichstrasse border crossing. The second source is a newsreel from the GDR. Students analyze and compare the content and effect of the two sources.

Tips for differentiation: Information Sheet 4 provides adjectives that can be used to describe the effect.

Afterwards, the class discusses how the newsreel reports from 1961 differ from today's news broadcasts and considers their credibility.

Social form: plenary, partner work

Information Sheet 04 [pdf, 69.21 KB]
Control Sheet for Worksheet 02 [pdf, 101.93 KB]
Information Sheet 04 [pdf, 69.21 KB]
Control Sheet for Worksheet 02 [pdf, 101.93 KB]

MODULE 3: CONFRONTATION ON FRIEDRICHSTRASSE

The workgroups watch the augmented reality scenes "October 27, 1961" and "October 28, 1961" together. Afterwards, students use Worksheet 3 to recapitulate the exact sequence of events during the tank confrontation. Together, the class compares what they learned from the app with the mind map from Module 1, adding to it if necessary.

The students now turn their attention to the historical material from the two scenes and relate them to each another. This helps them grasp how the situation evolved over the course of two days and helps them better understand the end of the confrontation. They share their impressions of a film clip from October 27, 1961 and relate it to the historical photographs from October 28, 1961.

Finally, the class discusses why the photographs of the tanks on Friedrichstrasse became so famous. At this point, students can reflect on the use of historical sources in remembrance culture and how historical narratives are constructed.

Social form: plenary, partner work

MODULE 4: REFLECTION ON MEDIUM

The lesson can end with a reflection on the use of this medium for teaching. The students examine how they experienced history through the app. To do this, they first describe their overall impression and then compare them with the impression that a film would have left.

Afterwards, the working groups analyze and compare the historical photo on Worksheet 4 from Information Sheet 5 with the image of the same scene from the augmented reality on Information Sheet 6. In doing so, the students reflect on the varying effects.

Finally, they consider whether this medium is a good way to teach history.

Social form: plenary, partner work

Worksheet 04 History through AR [pdf, 84.33 KB]
Information Sheet 05 [pdf, 1.85 MB]
Information Sheet 06 [pdf, 340.06 KB]
Control sheet for Worksheet 04 [pdf, 95.15 KB]
Worksheet 04 History through AR [pdf, 84.33 KB]
Information Sheet 05 [pdf, 1.85 MB]
Information Sheet 06 [pdf, 340.06 KB]
Control sheet for Worksheet 04 [pdf, 95.15 KB]

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