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The U.S. Role in a Changing World
$20 Teacher Set (one reproducible text, one teacher's guide)
$16 Downloadable Teacher Set
Click here for a description of formats available, including Classroom Sets and interactive E-texts.
Fourth edition.
Overview of the Unit
The U.S. Role in a Changing World helps students reflect on global changes, assess national priorities, and decide for themselves the role the United States should play in the world today.
For many, the attacks of September 11th, 2001 brought home the importance of international issues. The war in Iraq has added to the immediacy of international issues. While questions about terrorism and security are high on the list of concerns, other issues also clamor for attention. A changing global economy, the threat of climate change, and the spread of HIV/AIDS are on policymakers' radar screens.
Readings
Readings review the forces that shape the U.S. role in the world today.
- Part I reviews three critical turning points in the history of U.S. foreign policy.
- Part II examines several pressing issues facing the United States and the world today: the economy, human health and the environment, internationalrelations, and culture and values.
- Part III explores security concerns in the United States and considers how the issues presented in Part II influence policy decisions about security.
Framework of Policy Options
The "Futures" at the heart of this unit presents four distinct alternatives that frame the current debate on the U.S. role in the world. Each alternative includes a set of policies on specific issues, an overview of the beliefs that underlie it, some arguments in support of the position, and some criticisms of it.
- Future 1: Lead the World to Democracy
- Future 2: Protect U.S. Global Interests
- Future 3: Build a More Cooperative World<
- Future 4: Protect the U.S. Homeland
Suggested Five-Day Lesson Plan
The Teacher Resource Book accompanying The U.S. Role in a Changing World contains a day-by-day lesson plan and student activities.
- Day One: International Relations Terminology--A definitions exercise to help students preview the reading
- Day Two: Examining Global Opinion--Students consider data from Views of a Changing World 2003 published by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.
- Day Three: Role-Playing the Four Futures--Organization and Preparation
- Day Four: Role-Playing the Four Futures--Presentation and Discussion
- Day Five: The Futures and Beyond: Ballot and Discussion--Students complete the online ballot and frame their own "Future Five" articulating their own policy recommendations grounded in their own values and beliefs.
- Optional Lesson 1: Rethinking International Relations--Students assess six contrasting perspectives (replaces Day One for more advanced students)
- Optional Lesson 2: Interpreting Political Cartoons in the National Press (designed to precede Day Three)