Search

This booklet for juvenile readers describes the creation, structure, and activities of the United Nations. The book also examines how the role of the United Nations has changed since the end of the Cold War, citing specific UN actions and the issues surrounding difficult and expensive operations. The booklet provides an overview of ideas about how the organization can successfully respond to future crises and considers the debate over what kinds of future role, if any, the United States should have in the United Nations. The teachers' guide offers classroom activities, handouts, and test materials around which teachers can create a comprehensive lesson plan to help students understand the United Nations' evolving role in international events especially its peacekeeping and humanitarian missions of the last 50 years. (EH)

This teacher's guide is designed to accompany the two-part videotape "To Keep and Bear Arms: Gun Control and the Second Amendment." The videotape and teacher's guide should help students to: (1) understand the history of the Second Amendment; (2) examine how guns and gun control laws affect people's lives; (3) compare and contrast the many perspectives and viewpoints Americans have on the Bill of Rights, gun control, and crime in the United States; and (4) develop informed opinions about the issue and discuss the future of gun control. 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)

This teacher's guide is designed to accompany a videotape by the same title which shows communications and education experts discussing the information superhighway, the government's role in its construction, privacy and regulation issues, and the effects of technological advancement on education. The goals of this guide are to help students to: (1) understand the potential impact of the information superhighway on communications in the United States and in their community and schools; and (2) become more aware of potential regulatory problems that may develop as the information superhighway gathers millions of users. The guide includes a list of objectives, key terms, five student activities related to the videotape, handouts and answer keys, and additional suggestions. Suggested activities range from a class debate to a survey of the community. A bibliography contains seven recommendations for further reading. (BEW)

This student booklet and teacher's guide analyze the roots of the conflict resulting in the Yugoslav War in 1991 and examine the impact nationalism is having on European stability. The first section of the student booklet defines nationalism and traces its prominent role in inciting World War I and World War II. The second section describes how Yugoslavia was driven into civil war and surveys the devastation the war has brought to its people. The third section details the West's unsuccessful attempts at brokering a peace agreement and examines the debate over U.S. military intervention in the conflict. The last section highlights other parts of eastern Europe that are falling victim to renewed nationalism and asks what the global community can do in the future to contain this powerful and often destructive force. Chapter titles include: (1) "Nationalism Rising"; (2) "Nationalism: Ghosts from the Past"; (3) "Yugoslavia: 'Self-Determination Gone Mad'"; (4) "The World Edges toward Intervention"; and (5) "The Balkanization of Europe." Seven bibliographic references for further reading conclude the text. The teacher's guide contains lesson plans to be used in conjunction with the student booklet, and includes objectives, a list of key terms, a motivator activity, student activities and handouts, and test materials with an answer key. (EH)

This student booklet with accompanying teacher's guide examines the issues and controversies surrounding the nation's debt and deficits. The first section defines key terms relating to the issues and traces how the United States got on the road to fiscal disorder. The second section examines what specific federal spending programs have triggered the accumulation of large annual deficits. Section 3 compares the recently proposed deficit reduction plans made by President Clinton, Ross Perot, and the Concord Coalition. The last section addresses the issue of whether people are prepared to sacrifice to bring down the debt and, if they are not, what the consequences might be for the nation. Chapter titles include: (1) "Deficits As Far As The Eye Can See"; (2) "Budget Deficits and the National Debt"; (3) "Federal Spending: Where Does the Money Go?"; (4) "The Pain and Gain of Deficit Reduction"; and (5) "Is America Ready for 'Fair, Shared Sacrifice'?" Nine bibliographic references for further reading conclude the text. The teacher's guide offers classroom activities, handouts, and test materials around which to create a comprehensive lesson plan. Used in conjunction with the student booklet, this teacher's resource will help students gain an understanding of why the United States has such huge budget deficits and how they may be reduced in the future. (EH/AA)

This student booklet and teacher's guide examine the causes and the aftermath of the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The first two sections of the student booklet briefly summarize the Cold War and describe the unfulfilled promises of Mikhail Gorachev's "perestroika," the rising discontent among the people, and the birth of nationalism within the republics. The next section details the key events leading to the breakup of the Soviet Union. The last section discusses how the United States is responding to the challenges posed by the breakup of an old enemy and the beginning of a new era in foreign relations. Chapters include: (1) "U.S.-Soviet Relations: 1917-1989"; (2) "Upheaval in the Soviet Union: 1990-1991"; (3) "The End of an Empire: March-December 1991"; and (4) "U.S. Foreign Policy: Mapping Out a Post-Cold War Agenda." Six bibliographic references and a section for further reading conclude the text. The teacher's guide contains lesson plans to be used in conjunction with the student booklet, and includes objectives, a list of key terms, a motivator activity, student activities and handouts, and test materials with an answer key. (EH)