Growing up in an era when protest at national political conventions is carefully contained in "free-speech zones" (often physically removed from the site of the official conventions), students today may have a difficult time conceptualizing the tumultuous scene that was the 1968 Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago. Fueled by…

Andean society is polarized into two key segments: the national Spanish-speaking culture and the native Quechua-speaking culture. Each group ignores or reconstructs history in order to perpetuate its deep-seated prejudices. A group called "The Shining Path" is trying to transform both cultures through violent revolution. (RM)

Because the Daughters of the American Revolution's (DAR) Black exclusion rule prevented Black singer Marion Anderson from performing in the DAR auditorium in 1939, Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the organization. Primary source materials regarding this incident and learning activities for secondary level students are presented. (RM)

Images of heretics burning at the stake or of traitors being drawn, hanged, and quartered for disloyalty to the king seem well removed from twenty-first century America. Yet the laws that defined these offenses--which included heresy and blasphemy, sedition and treason--were at the heart of some of the most significant debates defining the shape…

Argues that a new political culture has developed since the 1960s in West Germany. Discusses the interest in issues related to the environment, women's rights, peace, and similar issues. Describes the development of the Green Party and its impact on mainstream political parties and the movement toward European unity. (CFR)

Reports an individual's observations during a trip to China. Argues that the U.S. government and students must learn to understand and appreciate China because of its large population, market potential, and position among major world powers. Discusses personal impressions, the protesters at Tiananmen Square and elsewhere, and reactions to…

Suggests teaching about the Chinese government's 1989 suppression of student protesters at Tiananmen Square. Argues that the lesson can aid students understanding of the role of student protest in shaping China's history and interactions with the rest of the world. Offers strategies and questions for student research including reasons for the…

Presents a simulation in which a student political action committee organizes to protest budget cuts affecting their high school. Seeks to engage students in legal reasoning over First Amendment issues. Poses possible protests, then asks students whether they believe First Amendment rights would protect them. Includes Supreme Court precedents for…