+
Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Observing Human Rights Day

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How much intervention is appropriate for America to take in cases of human rights violations? Class members ponder a question that has lingered since the birth of America with a series of primary sources that reflect the degree to which...
+
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

U.S. Foreign Policy and the Iran-Contra Affair: Was Oliver North a Patriot, a Pawn, or an Outlaw?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
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...
+
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Guatemalan Coup of 1954: How Did the Cold War Influence American Foreign Policy Decisions?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Was it all about the bananas—or the fear of a communist threat? Young historians use a history lab to examine documents from the American-led 1954 Guatemalan coup. Using graphics, government documents, and speeches, they examine the...
+
Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Us vs. Them: The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Immigration issues are nothing new. An interesting lesson focuses on the racially motivated Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and its impact on the Chinese American community. Scholars read articles, analyze political cartoons, and...
+
Interactive
DocsTeach

President Reagan and the Cold War: Vision and Diplomacy

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
After years of boiling tension, the presidency of Ronald Regan and the rise of Mikhail Gorbechev paved a new way forward for diplomacy between the United States and the Soviet Union. Using primary source documents, including letters...
+
Interactive
DocsTeach

Nixon Visits China: The Week that Changed the World

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Sometimes one trip shakes up the entire world. When President Richard Nixon traveled to China, he defied international and political boundaries. Nixon was the first American president to visit mainland China, which was a communist nation...
+
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Foreign Interference in U.S. Elections

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
With election security looming large for 2020, pupils decide what should be done to protect them from foreign interference. A series of videos, including interviews with national security officials, elected representatives, and experts...
+
Assessment
New York State Education Department

US History and Government Examination: June 2012

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The reform movements—such as abolition, the push for women's suffrage, and the labor movement—shaped modern America. A document analysis activity and essay prompt help learners consider why. Other items in the high-level exam include an...
+
Assessment
New York State Education Department

US History and Government Examination: June 2013

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
How successful has American foreign policy been in the past? Pupils consider the question as part of a state examination in American history. Other prompts include a document analysis and essay of important civil rights cases decided by...
+
Assessment
New York State Education Department

US History and Government Examination: August 2014

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The Gulf War, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War all featured pivotal moments in United States foreign policy. Individuals consider how these conflicts changed the course of American diplomacy using an essay prompt and documents from a...
+
Assessment
New York State Education Department

US History and Government Examination: January 2014

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
What led the United States to acquire territory? What were some of the effects of those acquisitions? Learners explore the questions using the 2014 essay from the New York Regents exam. Other items include practice multiple choice...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Theodore Roosevelt Association

Defining America's Role in the World

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
As the first American president to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and only one of four presidents to do so in United States history, Theodore Roosevelt's foreign policy achievements and preservation of peace are often overshadowed by his...
+
Worksheet
Student Handouts

Foreign Affairs

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
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...
+
Lesson Plan
6
6
The New York Times

Decision Point: Understanding the U.S.’s Dilemma Over North Korea

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Simulate the Situation Room and analyze the US's relationship with North Korea. The plan starts off with a quick review and an examination of a online timeline that updates as the situation continues. Next, the class reads an article and...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Iran Hostage Crisis: Reading Primary Documents

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Following brief instruction about the Iran Hostage Crisis during Jimmy Carter's presidency, small groups read three-page sections from the diary of hostage Robert C. Ode. They write editorials from the perspective of either U.S. citizens...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Foreign Policy Simulation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners role play to solve various foreign policy problems. They explore how various elements of the US foreign policy system operate and practice in conflict resolution.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Decoding US Foreign Policy: The Iran-Contra Affair

For Teachers 9th - 11th
This is a really good lesson plan. 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...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cold War Conflict in Vietnam: The Vietnam-Era Presidency

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Comparing and evaluating various media types is a great way to build critical analysis skills. Learners read about the Vietnam era presidency, specifically the foreign policy established by Johnson and Nixon. Then they compare several...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate Woodrow Wilson's ideas for peace through the League of Nations. They examine how he attempted to encourage American support for the League and the opposition to it that was found in the Senate.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Police Action": The Korean War, 1950-1953

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars investigate facts about the war in Korea in the 1950's and attempt to classify American foreign policy as a triumph or a failure. Why the U.S. became involved and the unpopularity of the war in America forms the focus of...
+
PPT
Curated OER

American Foreign Policy: 1920 - 1941

For Teachers 10th - 12th
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...
+
Lesson Plan
Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Regulating Global Business

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Scholars receive direct instruction about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, international law, and global business behavior. They demonstrate understanding by completing a short-answer formal assessment.
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
School Improvement in Maryland

United States Foreign Policy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Policies of United States government which promote or fail to promote relationships with other countries—national defense, arms control, security of other nations, trade, human rights, economic sanctions, foreign aid, etc.—come under...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

North Korea and the United States

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners analyze U.S. policy toward North Korea. In this foreign policy lesson, students conduct research on the relationship between the United States and North Korea. Learners prepare for a classroom debate to determine whether the...