Curated OER
Late 19th Century U.S. Foreign Policy
Eleventh graders discover that many of the issues the United States faces today elicit the same type of political, philosophical and moral debate that has divided the country in the past.
C-SPAN
Foreign Interference in U.S. Elections
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...
Curated OER
US Foreign Policy at the Turn of the Millennium
Students explore U.S. foreign policy. In this diplomacy lesson, students discuss and analyze the evolution of U.S. foreign policy between 1970 and 2000. Students research their textbooks, the Internet, videos, and filmstrips.
Curated OER
The U. S. at War
Students examine reasons for going to war. In this foreign policy instructional activity, students analyze the reasons the U.S. entered the the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean...
Curated OER
Imperialism and Expansion: Part 2
Students explore the concept of American Imperialism. In this American foreign policy lesson, students take notes on the Spanish-American War and foreign policy practices of the United States in the late 1800s.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 2: The United States, France, and the Problem of Neutrality, 1796–1801
While the French Revolution could be considered inspired by the American Revolution, it created thorny problems for the new United States. Should the United States get involved and be drawn into a European drama? Was the US strong...
Theodore Roosevelt Association
Defining America's Role in the World
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...
Deliberating in a Democracy
Preventive War
"Those who knocked these buildings down will hear from all of us soon!" - George W. Bush. Scholars investigate and analyze the events of September 11, 2001 in ushering in the Bush Doctrine on foreign policy. Using primary documents as...
Curated OER
Book: Crossing the Seas
As learners read each chapter of Eric Schwartz's Crossing the Seas, they analyze the actions of United States in Venezuela, Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and the intent of the Monroe Doctrine. They then compare American...
Curated OER
Debate: Should the U.S. Annex the Philippines?
Building an argument with supporting evidence is a vital skill. Learners engage in a debate over the annexation of the Philippines after the Spanish-American War. They take on the perspective of an individual from that time period,...
Curated OER
Truman's Foreign Policy Decisions
High schoolers examine foreign policy decisions of former President Truman which still affect us today, review factors to be considered in making foreign policy decisions, closely explore specific major foreign policy decisions, and...
Curated OER
Imperialism
Learners explore the concept of Imperialism. For this foreign policy lesson, students examine the policies of the US and other countries through time. Learners then create a political cartoon of their own and create a timeline that...
Curated OER
Iran Hostage Crisis: Reading Primary Documents
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...
Curated OER
American Foreign Policy Since World War II (The Cold War)
Students identify and interpret some key figures and major events during the Cold War era, including the Korean War, Vietnam, Cuban Missile Crisis, Bay of Pigs Invasion, and the United States and China Cold War Relations. They also play...
Friends of Fort McHenry
A Just War or Just a War?
What, if anything, makes a war "just"? This is an interesting and important question to explore with your class, and you can utilize an excellent lesson plan to support your group inquiry. The American Revolution and the War of 1812 are...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Special Order 40
The city of Los Angeles' 1979 Special Order 40 states: "LAPD officers shall not initiate police action with the objective of discovering the alien status of a person." After reading a fact sheet that details the history of Special Order...
Curated OER
Lesson 2: "To Elect Good Men": Woodrow Wilson and Latin America
Young scholars analyze Woodrow Wilson's foreign policy. In this foreign policy lesson, students examine how the Wilson administration responded to civil unrest in Latin America.
Curated OER
Forceful Persuasion
Students investigate U.S. foreign policy in Middle Eastern countries, and rank their level of support for American military and diplomatic actions.
Curated OER
Executive Orders
Pupils interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this foreign policy lesson, students examine U.S. foreign policies of Presidents since World War II. Pupils prepare PowerPoint presentations with...
Curated OER
The Bush Doctrine
Learners analyze the Bush Doctrine and its effects on foreign policy. In this foreign policy lesson, students read and discuss the Bush Doctrine. Learners research and debate on whether or not the Bush Doctrine should be part of U.S....
Curated OER
Teaching With Documents Lesson Plan: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Young scholars demonstrate understanding of the ideology of Manifest Destiny, the nation's expansion to Northwest, and the Mexican-American War. Students understand national foreign policy.
Curated OER
Al Qaeda & the Taliban: What threat to the U.S.?
Students examine the War on Terror. In this national security instructional activity, students read articles about the War on Terror and President Obama's foreign policy. Students respond to discussion questions and debate the presence...
Brown University
Considering the Role of Values in Public Policy
Strong opinions come from deeply held values. Young citizens explore the values that are most important to them in a class discussion and activity. As they prioritize a list of values cards that include freedom, justice, and democracy,...
Curated OER
The Foreign Policy of Franklin D. Roosevelt To The Entry Into World War Ii
Students examine the U.S.A.'s entry into World War II, and Franklin DO. Roosevelt's foreign policy. They analyze the life of I.E.., the election of 1932, and the New Deal.