Center for History Education
Guatemalan Coup of 1954: How Did the Cold War Influence American Foreign Policy Decisions?
Was it all about the bananas—or the fear of a communist threat? Young historians use a history lab to examine documents from the American-led 1954 Guatemalan coup. Using graphics, government documents, and speeches, they examine the...
Curated OER
Foreign Policy Simulation
Learners role play to solve various foreign policy problems. They explore how various elements of the US foreign policy system operate and practice in conflict resolution.
PBS
President Theodore Roosevelt: Foreign Policy Statesman or Bully?
Can a negative perception of a president's foreign policy harm his or her historical legacy? A project that winds the clock back to the date of Theodore Roosevelt's death puts students at the editorial desk of a fictional newspaper....
Curated OER
Questions of War and Peace: Using Case Studies to Teach the History of American Foreign Policy
Students read three case studies to focus on how the United States dealt with foreign policy issues. In groups, they read about the decision to drop the atomic bomb, the commitment of troops to Vietnam and wwhether to send troops to...
School Improvement in Maryland
United States Foreign Policy
Policies of United States government which promote or fail to promote relationships with other countries—national defense, arms control, security of other nations, trade, human rights, economic sanctions, foreign aid, etc.—come under...
Curated OER
George Washington's Foreign Policy
Learners compare George Washington's foreign policy to the policies of presidents who followed him. For this primary source analysis lesson, students compare Washington's Farewell Address to the Roosevelt Corollary, the Monroe Doctrine,...
Curated OER
Writing A Foreign Policy
Students write a modified "foreign policy" between their own high school and a rival school in the conference. They describe the significance of a foreign policy from the World War II era.
Curated OER
The Foreign Policies of Harry S. Truman
Students read an article about the new interest in Harry S. Truman. In groups, they review his foreign policy decisions and how situations might have been different if he had made a different decision. They also examine the problems he...
Curated OER
Latin America and United States Policy Today
Learners compare the situation of Latin American immigrants with the situation of immigrants from other areas of the world. They use media to obtain information on topics of academic interest, personal interest, and intellectual interest.
Curated OER
1960 America: Foreign Policy
The 1960's marked shifts in American culture, politics, and policy. Your class groups up to research a series of primary source documents resulting in a timeline and a 15 minute oral presentation. Active learning all the way.
Curated OER
War and International Law:America’s Foreign Policy: A Brief History
Students discover the history of American foreign policy. In this foreign policy instructional activity, students listen to their instructor present a lecture that presents a brief history of American foreign policy. Students respond to...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Refugees from the Caribbean: Cuban and Haitian “Boat People”
Should refugees fleeing poverty be allowed the same entrance into the United States as those fleeing persecution? High schoolers read about US foreign policy in the late 20th century regarding refugees from Cuba and Haiti, and engage in...
Curated OER
Cold War Conflict in Vietnam: The Vietnam-Era Presidency
Comparing and evaluating various media types is a great way to build critical analysis skills. Learners read about the Vietnam era presidency, specifically the foreign policy established by Johnson and Nixon. Then they compare several...
US House of Representatives
Hispanic Americans in Congress During the Age of U.S. Colonialism and Global Expansion, 1898–1945
To be Puerto Rican, in the words of one politician, is to be "foreign in a domestic sense." Young historians consider the American role in colonialism and its impacts on Hispanic Americans through the first part of the twentieth century...
Curated OER
US Government: Foreign Policy
Students examine American foreign policy. In this diplomacy lesson plan, students research Internet sources to identify and describe foreign policy events that have shaped the United States and examine the role of the United Nations.
Curated OER
US Government: Foreign Policy
Students explore the basic precepts of American foreign policy. In this diplomacy lesson, students read textbook chapters regarding American foreign policy practices before and after World War II. Students also watch a filmstrip...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 3: Britain, Napoleon, and the American Embargo, 1803–1808
While the French were once the allies of Americans, the Napoleonic Wars saw the United States almost drawn into a war with its one-time friend. Wars in Europe threatened to draw in the early republic. A primary source-based activity...
Curated OER
Exploring US Foreign Policy after WWII--The Cold War
Scholars explore U.S. Foreign Policy and Cold War ideologies adopted after WWII. They conduct Internet research on a topic or issue related to the Cold War Era, watch two films, and compose a time line and a multimedia presentation to...
Curated OER
US Policy Toward Egypt: A Dialogue
Young scholars examine U.S. foreign policy concerning the 2011 Egyptian uprising. In this current events lesson plan, students discuss the uprising in Egypt and examine news reports related to it. Young scholars then discuss their...
Curated OER
"Police Action": The Korean War, 1950-1953
Students investigate facts about the war in Korea in the 1950's and attempt to classify American foreign policy as a triumph or a failure. Why the U.S. became involved and the unpopularity of the war in America forms the focus of this...
Curated OER
US Government: Foreign Policy (Part 1)
Students explore foreign policy. In this foreign policy lesson, students define terms regarding foreign policy. Students respond to questions regarding textbook readings and a lecture regarding U.S. foreign policy.
Curated OER
Foreign Policy: Containment
Young scholars examine opinions regarding the American policy of containment. In this Cold War lesson, students read articles by George F. Kennan and Walter Lippmann. Young scholars compare the perspectives of the 2 men on U.S. foreign...
Curated OER
War and International Law America’s Foreign Policy: Military Intervention
Students analyze America's foreign policy. In this military intervention lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on U.S. military interventions since 1989. Students respond to discussion questions about the lecture.
Curated OER
American Imperialism
Critical analysis skills can be built in a variety of ways. Using editorial cartoons (both domestic and foreign) learners will consider how American Imperialism was perceived during the late 19th century. Critical thinking questions,...