Student Handouts
Foreign Affairs
Inform your class about foreign policy during the Reagan administration. The resource includes a reading passage that gives an overview of foreign policy decisions made during the Reagan administration and nine questions for pupils to...
PBS
President Theodore Roosevelt: Foreign Policy Statesman or Bully?
Can a negative perception of a president's foreign policy harm his or her historical legacy? A project that winds the clock back to the date of Theodore Roosevelt's death puts students at the editorial desk of a fictional newspaper....
Curated OER
Decoding US Foreign Policy: The Iran-Contra Affair
This is a really good lesson. Learners explore US Foreign Policy, the Reagan Administration, and the Iran-Contra Affair through various documents and readers theater. Worksheets, script, and web links are all included. Teaching can't get...
Foreign Policy Association
Reform in the Middle East Online Lesson Plan
Give your class the opportunity to take the time to examine their beliefs and misconceptions about American foreign policy in other countries. Learners begin by moving around the room to identify to others whether they agree or disagree...
Center for History Education
U.S. Foreign Policy and the Iran-Contra Affair: Was Oliver North a Patriot, a Pawn, or an Outlaw?
If you had to write a song about Oliver North, would it be a ballad or a dirge? If you had to put him on a trading card, would he be a hero or the bad guy? Young historians decide for themselves after examining documents from the...
Curated OER
American Foreign Policy: 1920 - 1941
Take your class through the period between World War I and World War II. Covering various treaties and pacts between America and its neighbors - namely, Japan, Germany, and the Soviet Union- these slides could inspire some political...
Curated OER
Intervene or Interfere?
Students research the motives, actions, and results of U.S. intervention in foreign affairs between the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Curated OER
War and International Law:America’s Foreign Policy: A Brief History
Students discover the history of American foreign policy. In this foreign policy lesson plan, students listen to their instructor present a lecture that presents a brief history of American foreign policy. Students respond to discussion...
Curated OER
Foreign Policy: Containment
Students examine opinions regarding the American policy of containment. In this Cold War lesson, students read articles by George F. Kennan and Walter Lippmann. Students compare the perspectives of the 2 men on U.S. foreign policy.
Curated OER
US Government: Foreign Policy (Part 1)
Students explore foreign policy. In this foreign policy lesson, students define terms regarding foreign policy. Students respond to questions regarding textbook readings and a lecture regarding U.S. foreign policy.
Curated OER
War and International Law America’s Foreign Policy: Military Intervention
Students analyze America's foreign policy. In this military intervention lesson plan, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on U.S. military interventions since 1989. Students respond to discussion questions about the...
Curated OER
Managing or Meddling?
Students examine Bosnian and Herzegovinian society before and during American involvement, focusing on the successes in Brcko. They write a reflective essay considering the role of "helper countries" in foreign affairs.
Curated OER
The Monroe Doctrine: U.S. Foreign Affairs (circa 1782-1823) and James Monroe
Young scholars read the test of the Monroe Doctrine then list the key points and discuss its central tenets.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 2: The United States, France, and the Problem of Neutrality, 1796–1801
While the French Revolution could be considered inspired by the American Revolution, it created thorny problems for the new United States. Should the United States get involved and be drawn into a European drama? Was the US strong...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 1: The United States Confronts Great Britain, 1793–1796
After the Revolutionary War, the success of the United States was far from guaranteed. Foreign powers coveted the new land, and Great Britain challenged American sovereignty. Learners consider the challenges facing the new nation using...
Curated OER
Book: Crossing the Seas
As learners read each chapter of Eric Schwartz's Crossing the Seas, they analyze the actions of United States in Venezuela, Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and the intent of the Monroe Doctrine. They then compare American...
Foreign Policy Association
Public Diplomacy Online Lesson Plan
To build an understanding that there are many perspectives of global issues and that an individual's perspective is influenced by background and experience, class members assume the identity of a person in the global community and...
Curated OER
Forceful Persuasion
Students investigate U.S. foreign policy in Middle Eastern countries, and rank their level of support for American military and diplomatic actions.
Curated OER
America's Wars, 1898-1945
Students examine the wars the United States was involved in between 1898 and 1945. In groups, they determine the causes and effects of each war and how each war changed the way the United States handled their foreign affairs. As a class,...
Curated OER
The foreign and domestic policies of Lyndon B. Johnson
Eleventh graders study and evaluate the successes and failures of LBJ's domestic and foreign policies. They formulate historical questions and defend findings based on inquiry and interpretation. Each student identifies, analyzes and...
iCivics
Conflict & Cooperation
Considering such conflicts as the Vietnam War and the war in Afghanistan, what motivates nations to cooperate? Your class members will analyze past and current international events in order to understand the types of conditions and...
Curated OER
Trouble for the United States in the Middle East: The Reagan-Bush Years
Students examine U.S. foreign affairs with the Middle East during the Reagan and Bush presidencies. In this Middle East lesson, students watch video segments, examine maps, and listen to music regarding the relationship between the U.S....
Curated OER
The Hispanic World
Go on an electronic field trip. Discover Spanish-speaking countries through Internet exploration. Students participate in a whole group discussion to general knowledge about the location, cultural background, independence and current...
Curated OER
Troop Surge vs. Redeployment
Students explore American foreign policy regarding the war in Iraq. In this Iraq debate lesson plan, students examine videos and documents about the pros and cons of keeping American troops in Iraq.