Designed to help students better understand the controversial issue of affirmative action, this teacher's guide supplements the thirty-minute instructional videotape of the same name. The videotape explores the history of affirmative action in the United States, including its successes, failures, and future. The videotape and the teacher's guide should help students to: (1) trace the history of the civil rights movement and the development of affirmative action; (2) understand the goals of affirmative action and the program's implications for Americans; (3) compare and contrast the perspectives and viewpoints Americans have about affirmative action; and (4) develop informed opinions about affirmative action. The guide contains four activities that involve class discussions and small-group work. Student handouts are provided. The active learning approach encourages students to go beyond recognition or knowledge of facts to begin analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating the issues and concepts being studied. (LH)