This ERIC Digest discusses issues relating to teaching about U.S. foreign policy in the changing international environment following the end of the Cold War era and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The document treats: (1) the need and rationale for teaching and learning about current foreign policy issues; (2) main themes in foreign policy…

This booklet is a comparative analysis of how six high school history textbooks present events and issues related to the Cold War. The texts are "History of a Free People" (Macmillan, 1973), "Rise of the American Nation" (Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1977), "The American Experience" (Addison-Wesley, 1975), "A New…

Designed to correspond with the similar topic in the American Issues Forum program, this article provides readings and discussion questions on America's role in helping to solve world problems. The readings focus on the ethical decision of whether to share our affluence with the rest of the world. (DE)

A simulation designed for an introductory college-level international politics and comparative foreign policy course is described. Regional Crisis requires student decision-maker diplomats, grouped in teams, to respond to a Middle Eastern crisis that has substantial potential for escalation. In response to an initial crisis scenario, student teams…

Procedures for the operation of the Political-Military Exercise (PME) are detailed in this handbook as a means of involving political science students in the actual dynamics of international policy-making decisions through the PME game experience. Two basic designs for operating the simulation exercise are presented with a discussion of the format…

Describes the development and use of a geography instructional game that is based on the actual travels of U.S. Secretaries of State. Contends that analyzing the nations visited provides clues to international events and foreign policy development. Provides maps and charts detailing visits by Secretaries of State between 1866 and 1990. (CFR)

This is the third of seven resource units for a twelfth grade course on value conflicts and policy decisions. The topic for this unit is the underdeveloped countries. The objectives are listed as to generalizations, skills, and values. The double-page format relates objectives to pertinent content, teaching procedures, and instructional materials.…

The manual consists of six easy to use simulation exercises for foreign relation classes at the secondary level. The games are designed to teach decision making skills, to sensitize students to the manner in which Americans have come to view the world, to help students understand the need to manage problems before they become too severe, and to…

This is the sixth of seven resource units for a twelfth grade course on value conflicts and policy decisions. The topic for this unit is war and peace. The objectives are listed as to generalizations, skills, and values. The double-page format related objectives to pertinent content, teaching procedures, and instructional materials. This unit…

Is there really a connection between "adult education" and "peace" today: or are many of today's adult educators so busy they are not interested in the big issues of the day? Or is it perhaps that concerns about "world peace" appear to be too remote to be influenced by adult education initiatives? The purpose of this…

This unit presents students with dilemmas faced by U.S. policymakers with three distinct options for U.S. policy toward Japan. Background readings provide students with information on the U.S. decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan in 1945. By exploring a spectrum of alternatives, students gain a deeper understanding of the values underlying…

The Middle East decision making game has been developed to provide college level political science students with some indication of the complexities of international political situations. The central issue examined in the game is the way in which perceptions of a conflict relate to foreign policy decision. The game is divided into two sections. In…