The U.S. in Iraq: Confronting Policy Alternatives (Fall 2006)
An important debate is taking place in the United States concerning U.S. policy. This is not a new debate. Some would date it back to the pre-war period in 2002 through early 2003. Others would begin with the discussion prior to the first Gulf War in 1991. At this point in the conflict, discussion is focused on the question of the U.S. presence in Iraq. What is our purpose? How long should we stay? What does this mean for the larger question of America's role in the world today?
The U.S. in Iraq: Confronting Policy Alternatives is an interactive lesson plan that engages students in consideration of divergent policy alternatives concerning Iraq.
This online lesson is an excellent entrée into the larger question of America's role in the world. The U.S. Role in a Changing World is a one-week curriculum unit that provides a substantive look at this larger question. The online student ballot on this topic provides an avenue for students to express their views after they have considered a range of perspectives.
This lesson includes:
Policy Options: Three Policy Options help students think about divergent policy alternatives, each driven by different underlying values, each with merits and trade-offs. The Options provided have been developed with input from the research staff at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University. The Policy Options can be printed for classroom use from the Choices web site. A summary of options prior to the Iraq War is also available.
Lesson Plan: A two-period lesson plan is provided. It is focused on role-play and deliberation exploring the three Policy Options. Teachers are encouraged to integrate the suggested background resources into their courses as appropriate. A map of Iraq is available as a pdf.
Ballot Activity on America's Role in the World: After consideration of this issue, we invite you to give students an opportunity to wrestle with the larger question of America's role in the world using an online ballot activity. What do they think about America's role? What issues are of most concern to them? What kind of world do they want in the 21st century? A 5-day published unit, The U.S. Role in a Changing World, is also available.
Supplemental Materials
See Supplemental Materials on Iraq for links to additional web resources.
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Review a list of Choices publications: In addition to its online resources, the Choices Program publishes a wide range of curriculum units on historical turning points and current issues. All published units include extensive background readings and accompanying lesson plans. Ordering is available online.