Suggests that a good starting point for social studies curriculum units on Japan at the secondary school level is an analysis of the interrelationships between Japan and the United States. Information is presented on population figures, industrialization, standard of living indicators, consumer price indexes, and crude birth and death rates for…

The Falklands dispute is used as an example of a political dispute with geographical overtones which can be used as a secondary level geography unit. Students are introduced to the conflict, discover where the Falklands are, examine their history and human ecology, and finally consider possible resolutions to the conflict. (IS)

Presents an exercise that can help students understand the concept of national interest and deal better with foreign policy issues. Students use a chart with information about the United States and 10 other countries to answer questions such as what criteria the United States should use to select allies. (SR)

The purpose of this guide is to encourage a rational understanding of the problems associated with nuclear armaments and to present a constructive approach to finding a solution. Each unit is introduced with a review of new terms, after which the topic is summarized and then is concluded with a vocabulary review and unit examination. Unit 1…

Presents background material to help British high school students study the economics of the fishing industry. Students apply their knowledge of cost and revenue theory to a case study of a European Economic Community fisheries dispute which raises questions about government intervention in international resource allocation issues. (AM)

This program examines the history of U.S.-Haitian affairs and the events leading up to the recent deployment of U.S. troops to Haiti. This program provides essential background to those interested in the current and future situation in Haiti as it struggles with democracy-building. The study guide offers questions to use before viewing the video,…

One of a series of booklets on world issues examines the sharpened differences between those nations that have declared sovereignty over parts of Antarctica and those that have not; between those nations that have arbitrarily assumed responsibility for the administration of Antarctica and the smaller, more numerous nations that believe their…

The roots of American involvement in Vietnam, which stem from the ending of World War II, are examined. (RM)

This document, a curriculum guide, grew out of a symposium on the role of secrecy in U.S. foreign policy. The curriculum examines ways in which citizens get information about the government and how government secrecy influences that information. Students analyze covert U.S. involvement in such places as Iran, Guatemala, and Cuba, and consider the…

In October 2002 North Korea admitted that it had been operating a secret nuclear weapons program in violation of international treaties and the 1994 Agreed Framework with the United States. North Korea also appeared to be taking steps to begin production of nuclear weapons and, according to U.S. officials, may have a missile that can hit…

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…

Although some people believed that the end of the Cold War would herald a new age of peace, the 1990s have seen more than five million people die in over 35 deadly conflicts. New technologies have made warfare ever more deadly. There is, however, a breadth of options available to prevent or control deadly conflict in the world. This curriculum…

This paper presents material from interviews with Israeli Jews and Arabs concerning the Intifada (Palestinian uprising to gain freedom from Israeli rule); interviews were conducted during a visit to Israel. The material is offered to teachers interested in teaching about the Arab-Israeli conflict. An analysis of the interviews revealed several…

The United States fulfilled its desire to be the country that reopened trade with Japan through the Kanagawa Treaty (1854). Japan reluctantly rejoined the world community at a time when their culture and economy were in disorder. While grappling with the changes within their borders they tried to keep the ways of the "barbarians" from…

Clearly, the United States cannot respond to every crisis, but what is meant precisely by the phrase "American interests"? How is the U.S. national interest defined and by whom? Does its definition affect the decision of how to respond to a crisis? This lesson deals with these complex and intertwined questions. By defining the national interest…