Victor or Villain? Wernher von Braun and the Space Race
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11592008 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jason O’Brien (University of Alabama in Huntsville, corresponding author), Jason L O’Brien, Christine E Sears (University of Alabama in Huntsville) |
| Year | 2011 |
| Volume | 102 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 59-64 |
| Publication date | 2011-02-07 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Social Studies (BOOK_SERIES) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0037-7996 • E-ISSN: 2152-405X |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00377996.2010.484444 |
| OpenAlex | W1985977051 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 3 |
Set during the Cold War and space race, this historical role-play focuses on Wernher von Braun's involvement in and culpability for the use of slave laborers to produce V-2 rockets for Nazi Germany. Students will grapple with two central questions. Should von Braun have been allowed to emigrate to the United States given his affiliation with the Nazis and use of slave laborers? Should the U.S. government and military have put Braun in powerful positions in NASA and military programs? This activity encourages students to hone their critical thinking skills as they consider and debate a complex, multi-layered historical scenario. Students also have opportunity to articulate persuasive arguments either for or against von Braun. Each character sketch includes basic information, but additional references are included for teachers and students who want a more in depth background
Character (mathematics · Criminology · Culpability · Mathematics education · Nazism · Political science · Politics · Race (biology · Sketch · Social science · Sociology · Space (punctuation) · Educator Training and Historical Pedagogy · Gender Studies · Law · Mathematics · Philosophy · Psychology
| Citations per year | 1.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2025 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |