Teacher Guides by Subject foreign affairs / defense

Al Qaeda's New Front
Students prepare presentations for a "summit meeting" in which they will address ways for the U.S., European governments, and Muslims living in Europe to work together and face the growing threat of Islamic fundamentalism in Europe. (Original airdate: Jan. 25, 2006)

Ambush in Mogadishu
In examining the disastrous 1993 U.S. intervention in Somalia, students will develop military, humanitarian, or political criteria about when and where to intervene in a humanitarian crisis. (Original airdate: Sept. 29, 1998)

China in the Red
Students will learn about globalization and economic reforms in China and explore the country's unique blend of socialism and capitalism, and its effects on its citizens. (Original airdate: Feb. 13, 2003)

Dangerous Straits
This film and guide offer the historical context to understand U.S.-Chinese relations. Students will learn about the art and practice of diplomacy and prepare policy briefs for their U.S. representatives. (Original airdate: Oct. 18, 2001)

The Enemy Within
Students will examine the domestic response to the attack on Pearl Harbor and develop a plan on how the U.S. might best respond to terrorism and fears of terrorism.

Ghosts of Rwanda
This guide offers classroom teachers an array of opportunities to teach history and to explore the notion of individual and collective responsibility. (Original airdate: April 1, 2004)

The Gulf War
Using this guide, students will examine the decision-making behind the 1991 Gulf War and explore media coverage of the conflict. (Original airdate: Jan. 9, 1996)

House of Saud
Using this teaching guide, students will examine the power of the fatwa in Saudi Arabia and analyze the impact of other forms of political speech. (Original airdate: Feb. 8, 2006)

In Search of Al Qaeda
Students will use this film -- a reporter's personal journey to the Middle East to understand what happened to Al Qaeda in the months after the war in Afghanistan -- to explore issues of media literacy and how public opinion was formed on both sides of the conflict. (Original airdate: Nov. 21, 2002)

The Insurgency
Using this guide, students will be exposed to arguments for and against the continued occupation of Iraq and will conduct a policy debate on exit strategies. (Original airdate: Feb. 21, 2006)

The Invasion of Iraq
This film and guide examines the 2003 war in Iraq through the eyes of the war's strategists and combatants. Students will evaluate the campaign's successes and failures and look at the war through the eyes of U.S. soldiers. (Original airdate: Feb. 26, 2004)

Kim's Nuclear Gamble
Using the nuclear tensions between the U.S. and North Korea as a basis, students will study the effects of nuclear proliferation and learn to develop effective negotiating strategies. (Original airdate: April 10, 2003)

The Lost American
This guide uses the life story of humanitarian aid worker Fred Cuny to explore the tradeoffs decision-makers must address when considering U.S. humanitarian involvement. (Original airdate: Oct. 14, 1997)

The Lost Year in Iraq
Students will examine and compare three models for postwar reconstruction and evaluate their effectiveness.

Memory of the Camps
This guide provides suggestions for tactful and productive discussion following the viewing of the disturbing, powerful film footage from the liberation of several Nazi concentration camps at the conclusion of World War II. (Original airdate: May 7, 1985)

On Our Watch
This lesson will help students explore and evaluate solutions to the crisis in Darfur. (Original Airdate, November 20, 2007)

Return of the Taliban
The lesson plan examines the growth of lawlessness in the tribal regions of Pakistan and asks students to propose solutions to this problem.

The Roots of Terror
This teacher's guide uses a series of four documentaries produced by FRONTLINE in the wake of Sept. 11 to explore the roots of terrorism and the complex evolution of U.S. policy and Islamic fundamentalism.

Showdown With Iran
This guide will help student understand the historical context for the current U.S./Iranian relationship. (Original Airdate, October 23, 2007)

The Tank Man
Using this guide, students will become familiar with what happened at Tiananmen Square in June 1989, as well as the overall social, economic and political reforms that China has undergone over the past thirty years, and the impact of censorship on the dissemination of information. (Original airdate: April 11, 2006)

The Triumph of Evil
This site examines historical background behind the 1994 Rwandan genocide and offers information explaining why the West lacked the will to intervene. (Original airdate: Jan. 26, 1999)

The Torture Question
Students will learn to analyze the limits of interrogation techniques in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and international law. (Original airdate: Oct. 18. 2005)

Truth, War and Consequences
These teaching activities are designed to help students understand the roots of the current crisis in Iraq, the decision to go to war without United Nations support and the challenges facing post-war Iraq. Students will study the individuals and entities involved in the decision-making, and the possibility for a democratic Iraq. (Original airdate: Oct. 9, 2003)