A textbook author reflects on the ethical and ideological choices she made in her quest to create a history book that would be relevant to demographically diverse high school students.

In May 2010, scientists, national security experts, and state delegates from nations around the world will convene in New York for the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. They will review current guidelines for nuclear testing and possession of nuclear weapons in accordance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968,…

This article looks at various cases of the Supreme Court's most recent term. In contrast to the 2006-2007 term when the Supreme Court was regularly split 5-4, during this last term, the justices have formed surprising coalitions in cases considered highly controversial. For example, it was the so-called liberal bloc's Justice Stevens who wrote the…

The dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II inaugurated a new era in world history, the atomic age. After the war, the Soviet Union, eager to develop the same military capabilities as those demonstrated by the United States, soon rivaled the U.S. as an atomic and nuclear superpower. Faced by the possibility of…

This September, Oxford University Press is publishing "Out of Range: Why the Constitution Can't End the Battle Over Guns." Written by Mark Tushnet, the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, "Out of Range" explores competing interpretations of the Second Amendment and discusses how the entanglement of…

The Committee on the Present Danger, Inc., the Committee of Atomic Bomb Survivors in the United States, the World Friendship Center in Hiroshima, two authors, physics and education professors, an English and history teacher, and a high school student comment on nuclear education. (RM)

This three- to eight-week unit encourages dialog among students concerning the myriad aspects of the nuclear weapons controversy. The unit is comprised of several areas: a preassessment quiz; a section on relevant vocabulary; an historical overview; a literary exploration; guest speakers; suggestions for personal involvement; and a major project.…

Reports on a United Nations committee recommendation that the Security Council establish a universal register of arms. Suggests that such a register would limit the destabilizing influence of major arms sales on developing nations. Argues that visibility of arms sales may help reduce their number. (DK)

Concepts which represent the minimal conceptual essentials for the study of nuclear weapons in secondary level social studies classes are discussed, and issues and controversies which may rise during such a study are examined. (RM)

Topic 7, Atomic Bombs and Radiation, from a theme issue on Teaching World History Through Science Fiction, stimulates discussion on mutation and radiation effects. (JB)

The schools must confront and deal with the issues of the nuclear weapons controversy on pain of ceasing to be relevant to the critical needs of the rising generation. Every aspect of the nuclear arms controversy needs to be discussed in secondary and university classrooms. (RM)

In an age when international terrorism poses a threat to peace and stability, the use of not only nuclear, but also biological and chemical weapons are important topics for classroom discussion. In this article, the author explores four approaches to teaching this topic. Examining a controversial topic involves the evaluation of values, the use of…

Argues that nuclear weapons are affecting the environment through their production, testing, transport, and storage. Warns that the effect on the world's ecosystem could be irreversible. Provides data and maps on testing, deployment, and future possible effects, such as a nuclear winter. Discusses the challenge to future generations. (NL)

Explores the issue of nuclear proliferation, noting that the countries with nuclear capability now include Israel, South Africa, India, and Pakistan. Describes the role and problems of the United States in halting nuclearization. Supplies charts, maps, and information concerning the state of nuclear capability in each country. (NL)

Using Argentina as a sample case study, presents a classroom unit designed to explain the implications for world peace of nuclear weapons development. Employs a policy analysis model to make an indepth examination of the values underlying all government policy decisions. Includes unit topics and procedures for the exercise. (NL)