What's New
New Curriculum: Competing Visions of Human Rights: Questions for U.S. Policy
Using readings, case studies, and primary sources, students trace the origins and history of international human rights, exploring the effects of events such as World War II and the Nuremberg Trials, the birth of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Cold War, and decolonization. They also consider human rights in practice today, exploring how different actors—such as national governments, the UN, international courts, NGOs, and individuals—influence human rights around the world. Students consider current challenges in human rights, and also examine five case studies that highlight major controversies. View details and ordering information
Revised Edition: China on the World Stage: Weighing the U.S. Response
The United States faces a China on track to become the world's largest economy. China is also rapidly increasing its military strength. At the same time, the social, political, and economic forces of China's transition threaten to spin beyond Beijing's control. This curriculum unit explores the history of U.S. relations with China and prepares students to advocate different options for U.S. policy towards China in a simulation set in the U.S. Senate. View details and ordering information
Revised Edition: Shifting Sands: Balancing U.S. Interests in the Middle East
This curriculum unit draws students into the debate on U.S. policy towards one of the world's most volatile regions and explores the most recent developments. Students examine the Arab-Israeli conflict, the role of oil in geopolitics, the politicization of Islam, the significance of the Iranian nuclear program, the War in Iraq, and other historical issues that have shaped U.S. relations in the region. View details and ordering information
The Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution explores the development of the American colonial world and one of the greatest wealth-producing colonies in world history. Students consider the different groups involved in the conflict, draw connections between events in Europe and the Americas, and reflect on the legacies of the only successful slave revolt in the history of the world. View details and ordering information
Revised Edition: Dilemmas of Foreign Aid: Debating U.S. Policies
What is foreign aid for? Is it to help the world’s poor or is it a way to meet U.S. foreign policy priorities? How much should the United States devote to foreign aid? The readings, case studies, simulations, and primary sources in Dilemmas of Foreign Aid: Debating U.S. Policies allow students to examine U.S. aid policy while inviting them to explore the dilemmas faced by policy makers everyday. View details and ordering information
Be The Change Student Video Contest
The Choices Program invites students in grades 9-12 to create a 2-minute video detailing a global issue that matters to them and what they are doing to make a change in their school, neighborhood, or beyond. We are looking for videos that are creative, compelling, and informative. Videos must be submitted by April 16, 2010. For more details visit: www.choices.edu/bethechange
Summer Leadership Institute: Competing Visions of Human Rights
Over the past several decades, human rights discourse has permeated international relations. Yet while the general principle of human rights has been broadly accepted, human rights abuses persist and the intricacies of the subject remain hotly contested. While in attendance, participants will learn from leading scholars in the fields of international law and foreign policy, and will explore effective instructional strategies for engaging in the topic of human rights. More information and application.
New Teaching with the New: The Haitian Crisis: Thinking Historically
On January 12, 2010 a powerful earthquake devastated Haiti, killing thousands upon thousands and laying waste to the country’s capital, Port-Au-Prince. Known as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti faces a terrible crisis that it cannot begin to cope with alone. Many in the international community have rushed to help, raising larger questions about how to best assist the impoverished country in its recovery.
In this free one-day lesson, students are challenged to think beyond the earthquake and consider the role of Haiti’s rich history in the current crisis. Students explore the historical reasons for Haiti’s poverty and Haiti’s relationship with the United States. Using video and audio of scholars from Brown University, the lesson asks students to consider how historical understanding affects our response to the current crisis. View lesson.
Revised Edition: U.S. Role in a Changing World
As President Obama begins the second year of his presidency, the United States faces critical international challenges, including a war in Afghanistan and the threat of terrorism. Other questions also clamor for attention, a struggling global economy, the threat of climate change, and concerns about global pandemics.
The U.S. Role in a Changing World engages students in consideration of the range of issues on the U.S. agenda. The updated curriculum unit devotes additional attention to U.S. military security since the Cold War. View details.
Revised Edition: Freedom in Our Lifetime: South Africa's Struggle
This curriculum unit addresses the development of apartheid, the responses to it, and the decision by some members of the anti-apartheid community to use violence to protest the government's policies. This question-whether the use of violence against an oppressive regime is justified-has been discussed at length in recent years, often without a clear answer. This unit will introduce students to one instance in which violence was used, and will allow them to consider that question in the South African case. View details.
New Teaching with the News Lesson: U.S. Policy in Afghanistan
Afghanistan is one of the most daunting challenges facing the United States. President Obama and his advisors are reassessing U.S. policies in Afghanistan, a task complicated by a flawed presidential election. In this free two-day lesson, students debate three possible options for U.S. policy in Afghanistan and articulate their own views on the issue. View lesson.
New Curriculum Unit: The French Revolution
The French Revolution traces the history of France during this epoch. Students explore France's political and social organization, its competition for empire, its financial crises, and the efforts to reshape French society. An exciting central activity helps students bring to life the debate in France in 1789 and 1790. View details.
NEW Current Issues Lessons
Now it is easier than ever to cover current issues in your classroom! Choices is introducing a new line of Current Issues Lessons. We know you enjoy using our curriculum, but often don't have time to use the entire thing. Now for $10 you get 10+ pages of scholar-reviewed readings and 1-2 days worth of lessons. New topics include:
North Korea and Nuclear Weapons
North Korea with nuclear weapons is one of the most pressing issues facing the international community today. This Current Issues Lesson helps students better understand the domestic and international issues around North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
Crisis in Zimbabwe
Once one of Southern Africa's most prosperous countries, Zimbabwe has recently been wracked by massive hyperinflation, 80 percent unemployment, political violence and repression, and a devastating cholera epidemic. This Current Issues Lesson helps students better understand the current political, economic, and health crises in Zimbabwe.
Tips for a Successful Choices Role Play
Are you new to using Choices? Or would you like some tips on how to better the experience in your classroom? We have created a video full of helpful tips on how to prepare, execute, and debrief a Choices role play. Play Video.
Now Available in Spanish–Ahora Disponible en Espoñol
Caught Between Two Worlds: Mexico at the Crossroads
Mexico has undergone a dramatic transformation in the last twenty years. The end of one-party rule and an effort to embrace globalization have led to profound changes in Mexican society. Mexico's historical experience and unique cultural heritage continue to shape and inform Mexican society. Caught Between Two Worlds: Mexico at the Crossroads seeks to bring Mexico's national identity and history into sharper focus for high school students. This curriculum unit is available for purchase as a PDF. View details.
Scholars Online Videos: Dennis Davis
Scholars Online brings university scholars into high school classrooms with short informative video clips. Videos from Dennis Davis have just been added to our Scholars Online library. Davis is a judge at the High Court of Cape Town, South Africa. In his videos, Davis speaks on issues relating to human rights and South Africa. Find these videos and more from Scholars Online. View videos.
Teaching wih the News: Looking at the Tank Man
On June 4, 1989—-twenty years ago this week—-government troops killed hundreds and injured thousands more in a crackdown on protestors in Tianamen Square, Beijing, China. In April 2009, for the first time in two decades, Chinese people were able to search for information about these protests on the internet after the Chinese government removed some of its heavy censorship. View lesson.
Teaching with the News: A Nuclear North Korea?
On May 25, 2009 North Korea conducted an underground test of a nuclear weapon. Later that same day, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a resolution condemning the test, claiming it was a “clear violation” of an earlier agreement in which North Korea promised to disable its nuclear facilities. In this free online lesson students view videos from our Scholars Online video library and think critically about the issues surrounding North Korea and nuclear weapons. View lesson.
Scholars Online Activity: Xu Wenli
Xu Wenli spent 16 years in a Chinese prison for his activities as a dissident. He was a leader in the Democracy Wall movement from 1979 to 1981 and helped establish the China Democracy Party in 1998.
Xu Wenli and the China Democratic Party is an activity that incorporates videos in which he describes his time in prison and the democracy movement in China. It also includes suggestions and questions that teachers may adapt for use in their classrooms. See all of Xu Wenli's videos.
Scholars Online: Jeff Guy
Jeff Guy is a professor of history and a research fellow at the Campbell Collections of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. Guy has published widely on South African history, focusing on the history of British colonialism and its effects on South Africa and particularly on what is today KwaZulu-Natal province. View videos.
Teaching with the News: Crisis in Zimbabwe
This Teaching with the News lesson helps students better understand the current political, economic, and health crisis in Zimbabwe. Readings explore the country’s past and the historical origins of the crisis. The lesson asks students to consider what role, if any, the international community should play in Zimbabwe, through the perspectives of a number of UN member countries. View lesson.
Teaching with the News: Interrogation Tactics in the News
On April 22, 2009 The New York Times reported on the CIA's adoption of the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) program as an interrogation technique. Stories on this topic are headlining major media sources around the country and the world. The documentary film, Torturing Democracy, tells the inside story of how the U.S. government adopted these techniques as official policy in the aftermath of 9/11. The Choices Program has developed an accompanying study guide to this film as well as a media literacy activity to help students think critically about this complicated and politically-charged issue. View lesson.
Scholars Online: Fatima Meer Videos added
Fatima Meer is considered one of South Africa’s most distinguished twentieth century leaders. As a political leader, publisher, writer, and human rights and gender activist, she has worked tirelessly to improve race relations, and promote justice, reconciliation, and non-violent action in such fields as education, social work, poverty alleviation, and health care. She will be featured in the Scholars Online videos for Freedom in Our Lifetime: South Africa's Struggle. View videos.
Updated Unit: Environmental Policy
This edition of Global Environmental Problems: Implications for U.S. Policy incorporates new images, political cartoons, maps, charts, and graphs as well as the latest data and statistics from fields such as climate change, population growth, and resource consumption. A new Day One lesson explores competing interests in the Amazon through the perspectives of stakeholders in the region. A supplemental lesson adds significant depth to this lesson by having students explore the Amazon Basin using Google Earth. Graphic organizers and suggestions for using Scholars Online are also included in the updated unit. View details.
New Unit: International Trade: Competition and Cooperation in a Globalized World
International Trade: Competition and Cooperation in a Globalized World helps students understand the basics of international trade and consider the role of trade in this era of globalization. Armed with an understanding of core economic principles, students explore the expansion of international trade and economic globalization after World War II, and the affects that these changes have had on people in the United States and around the world. Readings and activities draw students into the debate about U.S. trade policy and the role of the United States in the world. View details.
Teacher's Guide for Secrecy
The Choices Program has developed the Teacher's Guide for Secrecy, a new documentary by Peter Galison and Robb Moss. The film explores the tensions between our safety as a nation and our ability to function as a democracy. Download the Teachers Guidefrom the Secrecy web site
Expanded Darfur Lesson in "Teaching with the News"
Choices has posted an updated edition of its Teaching with the News lesson on Darfur, that includes video footage provided by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. In this lesson students explore the continuing violence in Sudan using multiple sources, evaluate the effectiveness of a range of online resources, assess the argument over whether Darfur is a conflict or a genocide, consider the international response to Darfur and assess possible consequences. View lesson.
Lesson Plans for India: Conflicts Within
Choices has developed lesson plans to accompany the Pulitzer Center's Global Gateway on India. The lesson plans and link to the India: Conflicts Within site are available from Teaching with the News. Multiple lessons are available.
Resources for Community Dialog
Choices is sharing seven of its Teaching with the News resources for use in community dialogs as a part of the Issue Guide Exchange, a program of Everyday Democracy.