Since the end of the Cold War, and more recently since September 11, 2001, relations between the United States and Russia have reached new levels of cooperation and accommodation. At the same time, many important developments in Russia remain cloaked by government intrigue or obscured by the complexity of Russia's political and cultural past. This…

This student text and teacher's guide are part of a curriculum unit that examines the process and progress of democratic government from ancient Greece and Rome through the beginning of the twenty-first century. Part 1, "What is Democracy?" explores the growth and spread of democratic principles throughout the Western world, with…

This unit of study allows students and teachers to step back from the confusing media reports of the day-to-day turmoil in the former Soviet Union (FSU) and to examine it from a more thoughtful vantage point. The unit focuses on the most important instrument of U.S. policy toward the FSU--economic assistance. At the core of the unit are four…

This unit is part of a continuing series on current foreign policy issues. The first section asks students to join the debate on U.S. policy toward Russia and its neighbors in the former Soviet Union (FSU). Background readings provide information to help students address policy issues and include: (1) "Two Centuries of U.S.-Russian…

This collection of documents examines the response of the Jewish people--primarily in Russia but also in the West--to the sociological and political crises of Tsarist Russia between the years 1800 and 1914. It emphasizes in particular the emergence and interaction of the two ideologies which formulated the most radical solutions to the Jewish…

This student booklet and teacher's guide examine the causes and the aftermath of the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The first two sections of the student booklet briefly summarize the Cold War and describe the unfulfilled promises of Mikhail Gorachev's "perestroika," the rising discontent among the people, and the birth of…

Describes the Mathematics Correspondence School that was organized in late 1960s and still directed by the author, to serve about 1,000 Russian secondary students in small cities and remote villages. Discusses this project's extension to other disciplines, and the introduction of English versions of the school's textbooks via this regular journal…

This annual briefing book focuses on eight topics related to U.S. foreign policy. The essays provide an overview of the geographic area or subject of concern. The volume's introduction features a discussion of how U.S. foreign policy is made. The eight essays include: (1) "Today's Media: What Voice in Foreign Policy" (Raymond Carroll);…

Russia struggle with questions of identity and economic stability sine ending its Cold War relationship with the United States. In this unit students are asked to see the world through Russian eyes and to contemplate Russian choices in the areas of economic development, political organization, and foreign policy. The unit focuses on three distinct…

This unit is part of a continuing series on current foreign policy issues. This unit draws students into a debate on Russia's identity. Unlike previous units of this series, this one is not written from the U.S. perspective. Rather, students are asked to see the world through Russian eyes and to contemplate Russian choices in the areas of economic…

This teacher's guide and student guide unit contains supplemental readings, activities, and methods adapted for secondary students who have disabilities and other students with diverse learning needs. The materials differ from standard textbooks and workbooks in several ways: simplified text; smaller units of study; reduced vocabulary level;…