Social Studies - United States Government & Citizenship
Lesson Plans

U.S. GOV Strand 5: THE U.S. AND OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE WORLD

As a global superpower with an enormous influence on other nations, it is vital to understand the ways in which the U.S. interacts with the world. Whether through negotiating trade agreements, protecting the security of this nation and its allies, cooperating in humanitarian campaigns, creating infrastructure to handle immigration and refugee demands, or any number of other initiatives, this nation has significant interrelationships with other countries and international bodies. These complex relationships deserve study if students are to understand the global implications of decisions made by leaders and policymakers.

Possible Guiding Questions to Consider:

• How do we determine what is in our national interest, and how should that determination guide our foreign policy?
• What are the best ways to ensure the future economic health of the United States?
• What role should the United States play in addressing global economic, environmental, or social issues?

U.S. GOV Standard 5.2:

Students will analyze the justification for, and effectiveness of, specific foreign policy positions, such as military intervention, isolationism, alliance formation, economic sanctions, or other security measures.

• Background Beliefs
  We've all had that experience, the one where we start arguing with someone and find that we disagree about pretty much everything. When two people have radically different background beliefs (or worldviews), they often have difficulty finding any sort of common ground. In this lesson, students will learn to distinguish between the two different types of background beliefs: beliefs about matters of fact and beliefs about values. They will then go on to consider their most deeply held background beliefs, those that constitute their worldview. Students will work to go beyond specific arguments to consider the worldviews that might underlie different types of arguments.

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http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Robert  Austin and see the Social Studies website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Jennifer  Throndsen.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.