Teaching with the News
The U.S. and Iran: Confronting Policy Alternatives
Iran Through the Looking Glass: History Reform, and Revolution provides a foundation for understanding Iranian history as preparation for this lesson on U.S. - Iranian relations today.
News about the U.S. relationship with Iran and Iran’s uranium enrichment program appears frequently in the headlines these days. The United States and other governments around the world worry that Iran wants to build nuclear weapons. Iran claims it is only developing nuclear power, which it has a right to do under international law. There is much debate internationally about how to respond to this issue. There is also disagreement in the United States on how best to deal with Iran.
Lesson Plan
A two-period lesson plan focuses on role-play and deliberation exploring four Policy Options concerning U.S. policy toward Iran today. Scholars Online videos provide background. [Click here]
Objectives - students will:
- Identify the primary challenges posed by Iran's nuclear program.
- Using a framework of "policy options," analyze the issues and values framing the debate over U.S. policy toward Iran.
- Work cooperatively within groups to integrate the arguments and beliefs of the options into persuasive, coherent presentations.
- Deliberate with classmates on the merits and tradeoffs of each of the options presented.
- Articulate their own views on what U.S. policy should be.
Resources
Policy Options
Four Policy Options help students think about divergent policy alternatives, each driven by different underlying values, each with merits and trade-offs. The Options provided have been developed with input from the research staff at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University.KWL Chart: The Iranian Nuclear Challenge
Scholars Online Video Clips (5 selected - additional clips are available here)
Additional Resources from the Choices Program
Iran Through the Looking Glass: History, Reform, and Revolution
A publisehd unit that traces the history of Iran from its early dynasties to the present and help students understand the political and cultural conditions that led to the 1979 Revolution and its aftermath.The Challenge of Nuclear Weapons
A published unit that introduces students to the history of nuclear weapons and the concept of deterrence. It examines arguments for and against nuclear weapons and looks at the leftover arsenals of the Cold War, proliferation, and the threat of nuclear terrorism.Scholars Online
Resources to accompany Iran Through the Looking Glass: History, Reform, and Revolution and The Challenge of Nuclear Weapons. All Scholars Online resources are also available as downloadable podcasts from Choices or iTunes.Mapping the Nuclear World
An online lesson in which students analyze maps and data to draw conclusions about the status of nuclear weapons today.Supplemental Materials
Materials for Iran Through the Looking Glass: History, Reform, and Revolution.Supplemental Materials
Materials for The Challenge of Nuclear Weapons.
Additional Online Resources
Country Profile: Iran - BBC News Online
Provides an overview of Iran.Online NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (PBS)
Governing Iran provides continually updated interviews and news stories on a range of issues related to Iran.Inside Iran - BBC News Online
Provides interviews, news stories, analysis, and fact sheets on Iran.National Public Radio - Iran
NPR provides audio and print stories on Iran.In Focus: IAEA and Iran
The International Atomic Energy Agency provides links to reports, documents, and press stories.Council on Foreign Relations - Iran
The Council on Foreign Relations provides news and analysis on Iran.US State Department - Iran
The U.S. State Department provides background, news, Congressional testimony on Iran and U.S. Iran policy.
This online lesson was developed with support from the Ploughshares Fund.
