Special Projects Archive

 

Critical Turning Points in the History of American Foreign Policy engages teachers at the secondary level in professional development under a program funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching American History program. The Choices Program worked with the Omaha Public Schools to provide summer teaching institutes for secondary level teachers in 2006 and 2007.  
Teaching American History: Critical Turning Points in the History of American Foreign Policy

From 2002-2006,the Choices Program led a Teaching American History initiative that engaged teachers at the secondary level in eleven districts in eight states in professional development focused on increasing the international content in the core U.S. history curriculum. This work was funded under a program funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching American History program.

 
The Slave Trade and Slavery in New England

The Choices Program worked with Brown University's Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice to develop a curriculum resource on this topic. A Forgotten History: The Slave Trade and Slavery in New England explores the nature of the triangle trade and the extent of slavery in colonial and antebellum New England. The curriculum also examines the effects of the trade in slaves and of slavery itself for the new Americans of that period and helps students understand how history and the telling of history affect us today. Teacher workshops on this subject began in June 2005. A sample agenda is available.

 
Teacher's Guide for The Fog of War

The Choices Program and the Critical Oral History Project, both of Brown University's Watson Institute, have developed lesson plans to accompany Errol Morris' Academy Award winning feature-length documentary, The Fog of War. These resources include a Teacher's Guide and accompanying online resources. In December 2003, the Teacher's Guide was distributed at no charge by Sony Picture Classics to teachers throughout the country. The guide continues to be available from the Choices Program and online resources are available free on the Choices web site.

  
The U.S. Role in the World: Youth Speak Out

As the 2004 national election approached, high school students across the country wrestled with the question of our nation’s role in the world. Study and discussion took place both in class and in extracurricular programs and involved consideration of a wide range of current international issues. At the core of students’ deliberations was a framework of four divergent policy directions—four Futures. An online ballot was developed to provide an opportunity for students to register their views on key international issues and then to have those views presented to elected officials at the start of the new administration in January 2005. More than 8,200 students participated in the online ballot. Ballots were entered online between March 1, 2004 and January 7, 2005.

The U.S. Role in the World: A Report on Student Views was released on January 28, 2005. Senators Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Jack Reed (D-RI) distributed the report to their colleagues in the U.S. Senate, and Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Christopher Shays (R-CT) did the same in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A printed report is available online.

Four Divided Societies: A Choices Program on World History

In April 2002, Choices received three-year funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities to develop four new curriculum units focused on topics in world history, offer a teaching institute at Brown University in summer 2004, and engage participating teachers in leading professional development for peers in their districts and regions following the institute.

The People Speak Youth Circles

The People Speak Youth Circles is an invitation to America’s youth to join in a national conversation on the role of the United States in the world. This youth initiative is part of The People Speak, a national grassroots effort to engage Americans from all walks of life in discussions about America's role in the world. The People Speak is an initiative of United Nations Foundation and a diverse group of more than thirty other organizations.