What's New
February 2010
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.
January 2010
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.
December 2009
Revised Edition
Freedom in Our Lifetime: South Africa's Struggle
Freedom in Our Lifetime: South Africa's Struggle explores the dilemma faced by black South Africans in the early 1960s of how best to battle the racial discrimination imposed by the apartheid system.
The curriculum 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.
November 2009
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.
September 2009
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.
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. The Choices Program has developed a new Current Issues Lesson to help 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. The Choices Program has developed a Current Issues Lesson to help students better understand the current political, economic, and health crises in Zimbabwe.
August 2009
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.
July 2009
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.
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.
June 2009
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.
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.
May 2009
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.
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.
April 2009
Teaching with the News: Crisis in Zimbabwe
Once one of Southern Africa’s most prosperous countries, Zimbabwe today is wracked by massive hyperinflation, 80 percent unemployment, political violence and repression, and a devastating cholera epidemic.
The Choices Program has developed a new Teaching with the News lesson to help 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.
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.
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.
March 2009
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.
February 2009
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.
January 2009
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. See the Secrecy web site to download the Teachers Guide or for information on screenings and DVD sales.
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.
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.