Current Issues
The Current Issues Series from the Choices Program takes students to the center of debates on a variety of contested international issues that students care about. Students consider multiple perspectives and various policy decisions as they gain content and conceptual knowledge; understand causality, connections, and significance; and build source analysis skills. The units provide your students with the background, depth, and nuance that most textbooks leave out. Introduce your students to a unit and watch them articulate their own informed views on a topic. Pricing for the Current Issues Series reflects a discount of 10 percent.
Afghanistan
The United States in Afghanistan
Students grapple with questions regarding the involvement of the United States in Afghanistan by exploring Afghanistan’s culture and history and then examining the events that led to the Soviet invasion, the role of Osama bin Laden, and the U.S. involvement following 2001.
China
China on the World Stage: Weighing the U.S. Response
Students explore the history of U.S. relations with China and consider the implications of China’s economic growth, societal transformation, and increasing international role.
Climate Change
Climate Change and Questions of Justice
Students examine the causes and effects of global warming and delve into questions of who is most responsible for and vulnerable to the changing climate. Students also grapple with how to respond to climate change in ways that are both effective and fair.
Cuba
History, Revolution, and Reform: New Directions for Cuba
Cubans have very different opinions about their country and its history, particularly about the Cuban Revolution that began in 1959. In this unit, students explore Cuba’s history, the Cuban Revolution, and consider the country’s future.
Foreign Aid
Dilemmas of Foreign Aid: Debating U.S. Policies
Students explore the history of U.S. foreign assistance and institutions that distribute aid today, considering the trade-offs of aid and articulating views on the future direction of U.S. policy.
Genocide
Confronting Genocide:
Never Again?
Students explore the evolution of the international community's response to genocide and examine how the U.S. has responded to multiple cases of genocide. 
Human Rights
Competing Visions of Human Rights: Questions for U.S. Policy
Students probe the history of human rights and consider options for defining and protecting rights.
Immigration
Immigration and the U.S. Policy Debate
Students explore the history of immigration to the United States and recent U.S. policy as they consider the complexities of the U.S. immigration debate and prepare to articulate their own views about this issue.
International Trade
International Trade in a Globalized World
Students explore the controversies surrounding international trade and consider the issues that affect trade including globalization in the United States and abroad.
Iraq
A Global Controversy: The U.S. Invasion of Iraq
Readings and activities explore the history of Iraq, help students understand events surrounding the U.S.-led invasion, and examine the effects of the war on Iraq, the United States, and the international community.
Mexico
Between Two Worlds: Mexico at the Crossroads
Students explore Mexico's economic and cultural transformation and probe Mexico's complex identity and history, coming face-to-face with the difficult policy choices confronting the people of Mexico today.
Middle East
The Middle East: Questions for U.S. Policy
Students examine oil and geopolitics, issues between the Palestinians and Israel, the Egyptian revolution, Syrian refugees, and other issues that have shaped U.S. relations in the region.
Nigeria
Nigeria: History, Identity, and Change
Students explore Nigeria’s history—from the precolonial to the present—and consider the future of Africa's most populous country.
Nuclear Weapons
The Challenge of Nuclear Weapons
Students probe the history of nuclear weapons and the concept of deterrence. They examine arguments for and against nuclear weapons, and the challenges of leftover Cold War arsenals, proliferation, and the threat of nuclear terrorism.
Russia
Russia and the United States: Perspectives from History—Choices for Today
Students survey the economic issues and political developments that have shaped the outlook of policymakers in the Kremlin and Washington, D.C.
Syria
The Syrian Civil War
Students explore the history of Syria from the Ottoman Empire to French colonial rule, Syrian independence, and the rise of the Assad regimes as historical background to understand the recent conflict.
Terrorism
Responding to Terrorism: Challenges for Democracy
Students consider the changing nature of terrorism, the motivations of terrorists, and the policy challenges for the United States.
Turkey
Empire, Republic, Democracy: Turkey’s Past and Future
Students trace the final years of the Ottoman Empire, the struggle for independence, and Turkish resistance against European imperialism.
United Nations
The United Nations: Challenges and Change
Students consider the record of the United Nations since its founding and examine the UN’s role in the world through an evaluation of three areas of UN work: the Security Council, peacekeeping, and human rights.