The Choices Approach

Choices curricula are designed to make complex international issues understandable and meaningful for students. Using a student-centered approach, Choices units develop critical thinking and an understanding of the significance of history in our lives today—essential ingredients of responsible citizenship.

An overhead on skills is available for use in professional development. A chart comparing the Choices approach to current issues and historical turning points is also available. These are often used as in professional development workshops.

Teachers say the collaboration and interaction in Choices units are highly motivating for students. Studies consistently demonstrate that students of all abilities learn best when they are actively engaged with the material. Cooperative learning invites students to take pride in their own contributions and in the group product, enhancing students’ confidence as learners. Research demonstrates that students using the Choices approach learn the factual information presented as well as or better than those using a lecture-discussion format. Choices units offer students with diverse abilities and learning styles the opportunity to contribute, collaborate, and achieve.

Choices units include student readings, a framework of policy options, primary sources, suggested lesson plans, and resources for structuring cooperative learning, role plays, and simulations. Students are challenged to:

• Consider multiple perspectives on international issues
• Interpret and analyze primary sources
• Compile, categorize and analyze data
• Differentiate between fact and opinion
• Draw conclusions from evidence
• Identify and weigh the conflicting values represented by different points of view
• Clarify differences between competing ideas
• Work cooperatively within groups to organize effective presentations
• Support arguments with evidence
• Deliver cogent and persuasive presentations
• Evaluate the merits and shortcomings of competing policy options
• Develop a deeper understanding of issues through informed discussion
• Make connections across time and place
• Develop and articulate original viewpoints on an issue

Choices curricula offer teachers a flexible resource for covering course material while actively engaging students and developing skills in critical thinking, deliberative discourse, persuasive writing, and informed civic participation. The instructional activities that are central to Choices units can be valuable components in any teacher’s repertoire of effective teaching strategies.

See Teaching Tools for additional resources to be used with Choices materials.