The Choices Program Geography Series integrates the study of geography into dynamic U.S., World History, and Current Issues curriculum units. Whether practicing map-reading skills, charting trade routes, mapping religions, or considering political geographies, students engage with ideas about how geography affects societies and politics while building valuable skills.
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 arrival of Osama bin Laden, and the U.S. involvement since 2001.
Brazil
Brazil: A History of Change
The largest South American country has an often surprising and overlooked history. In this unit, students see Brazil as a unique, dynamic country with an important history, diverse culture, and its own path of development.
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.
Colonization in Africa
Colonization and Independence in Africa
Students explore Africa in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and consider the changes colonialism imposed on African governments, economies, and societies. Students consider some of the ways Africans responded to European colonialism.
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.
Immigration
Immigration and the U.S. Policy Debate
Students explore the history of immigration to the United States and recent U.S. immigration policy as they consider the complexities of U.S. immigration policy and prepare to articulate their own views about this issue.
Indian Independence
Indian Independence and the Question of Partition
Students examine the history leading up to the British withdrawal from the Indian subcontinent in 1947 and the legacies of partition that remain today.
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.
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 significance of the Iranian Revolution, 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.
Russia
Russia’s Transformation: Challenges for U.S. Policy
Students survey the economic issues and political developments that have shaped the outlook of policymakers in the Kremlin and Washington, D.C.
South Africa
Freedom in Our Lifetime: South Africa’s Struggle
Students examine the history of South Africa and the development of a race-based society, the effects of apartheid, and the use of violence by some members of the anti-apartheid community.
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.
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.