In an innovative approach to history education, Sachem High School East teacher Mr. Cellini recently brought the Cold War era to life for students through a unique blend of historical analysis and interactive gameplay.

As part of the school’s Global History curriculum, students explored key Cold War themes using a curated selection of video games that spanned from early home consoles to more modern platforms. The lesson was designed to help students engage with complex historical topics in a hands-on and memorable way.

The games, ranging from Missile Command on the Atari 2600 to Call of Duty: Black Ops on PlayStation 3, represented various facets of Cold War history, including the Iron Curtain, the nuclear arms race, global espionage, proxy wars and the Space Race. Cultural tensions were also examined through games like Ice Hockey (NES), symbolizing Cold War rivalry in international sports, and Tetris, a game with Soviet roots that became a global phenomenon.

In addition to gameplay, students read supporting historical texts and completed a structured worksheet to reinforce their understanding of how the games reflected actual Cold War events and policies, many of which appear on the Global History and Geography Regents Exam.

By combining classic and modern video games with academic analysis, Mr. Cellini’s Cold War lesson provided a dynamic and relatable way for students to connect with one of the most defining periods of the 20th century.

Date Added: 4/10/2025