Gulf of Tonkin

Students will write an essay that uses evidence from primary sources and their own background knowledge to make an argument and answer the following prompt:

The Gulf of Tonkin Incident was the reason the U.S. fought the War in Vietnam. Do you agree with this explanation of the cause of the Vietnam War? Why or why not?

Students will need to read and analyze documents to create a thesis-driven essay. Before students write their individual essays, they will participate in some scaffolding and preparation instructional activities.