Current Events Case Studies with Helpful Links
Modern World Maps
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Sustainable Development Goals tracker
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Flow of International Trade Map
"Global Markets" google earth Map
Two Centuries of U.S. Immigration Map
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ALL-STAR TEACHER TIP: Follow us on Pinterest for more visuals like this.
Economics: China and the U.S.
America Revealed: "Made in the USA"
"Is China About to Overtake the U.S.?"
"China is greatest, growing threat to U.S."
The New Geography of Global Diplomacy
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"The World According to China"
How China is Challenging American dominance in Asia
How Chinese Cash Flows Into Latin America
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China is working on the largest infrastructure endeavor in human history
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"Tales from the New Silk Road"
What is this "One Belt, One Road" thing?
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The Battle for the South China Sea
China's Sea Control is a done deal
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Teach Asia better using "Asia for Educators" from Columbia University. + Take students on a web quest to answer the question: What does China want in the South China Sea? Does their strategy in Djibouti change your opinion?
Historical Conflict: The Korean Peninsula

Can You Find North Korea on a Map?
North Korean defector: Explaining the Video
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"Secret State of North Korea" (documentary)
"Secret State of North Korea" (website)
What North Korean propaganda posters reveal
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North Korea is the most underreported humanitarian crisis of 2017
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Explore North Korea's External Relations (map)
North Korea's Nuclear Infrastructure
(and other infographics)
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North Korea Nuclear Negotiations Timeline
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Crisis Guide: The Korean Peninsula
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U.S. Relations with South Korea
The China-North Korea Relationship
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Will the Olympics make the Korea Crisis Worse?
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What North and South can learn from Germany
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3 Military Ideas for Dealing with North Korea
North Korea Isn't Crazy, but Rational
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"North Korea Nuclear Crisis" (lesson plan)
Truce Village between North and South Korea (podcast)
"A road trip on the edge of North Korea"
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ALL-STAR TEACHER TIP: Check out all our Resources from the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Terrorism: Afghanistan, Iraq, and the U.S.
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"Iraq, Afghanistan, and the War on Terror"
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Interactive Timeline: War in Afghanistan
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(video) How Many Wars Equal the One in Afghanistan
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3 Countries with More than Half the World's Terrorism
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"4 Maps that Explain the Chaos of the Middle East"
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(long read) The U.S.- Iraq Experience
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Help students understand that you can’t really have an informed opinion about what the U.S. should do until you understand the history of the U.S. in the Middle East.
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See "This Year's 9th Graders Have No Experience with September 11th"
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Help students put together something like this about the Arab Spring.
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Help students see there’s a much bigger Civics + Government question here too — What’s the right balance between liberty and order?
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Help students see that’s it’s hard to blame one group or another for the the rise of ISIS, but that history + foreign policy has a long tail and evil can be defeated by faster learning, better strategy, and more collaboration.
Have students write a White House Brief using a resource like “Backgrounders” from the Council on Foreign Relations to summarize for the President who ISIS is and potential solutions. Work in how to write thesis statements, topic sentences, and supporting paragraph tips.
Syria's Civil War and Russia's Influence
"Proxy War In Syria: U.S. and Russia" (video)
Who gained ground since Russia began airstrikes?
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"Syria's Civil War Explained"
Explore the World's ?s about the Syrian Refugee Crisis
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Turkey: Where East Meets West
ALL-STAR TEACHER TIP: Use the CIA World Factbook to get students making a simple infographic or concept diagram about 1) the history of Turkey 2) it’s geographic significance between East and West 3) and its relationship with the United States.
Religion and Land: Israel and Palestine
The Geopolitics of Food
"Hungry Planet: What the World Eats"
"What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets"
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"How did your School Lunch Compare?"
School Lunches Around the World
What Foods Kids Eat Around the World
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"How Much Each Country Spends on Food"
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World Food Program: Hunger Map
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The geopolitics of General Tso's chicken (video)
The political history of Ramen (video)
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McDonalds Around the World (activity)
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"Combat-ready pizza for U.S. troops"
"The Supremacy of Iowa's Scotcheroo"
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Columbus + the potato that changed the world
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countries with more butter have happier citizens
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Venezuelans find relief from hunger with mangoes
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Climate Change is Messing With Dinner
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See how families around the world live by income
The Geopolitics of Garbage
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The World is Drowning in Garbage
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How Big is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
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Garbage Waves in the Dominican Republic (video)
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Garbage Waves in the Philippines (video)
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History of a city, told through trash
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10 Rivers cause Ocean Pollution
8 countries responsible for ocean plastic
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Watersheds in the U.S. (map)
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"Drowning in Plastic" (map)
"Sailing Seas of Plastic" (map)
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These 3 Recycling Myths Will Blow Your Mind
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How Plastic Changed the World (video)
"Life Without Plastic is Hard"
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Climate Lab (videos)
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The most effective ways to curb Climate Change might surprise you
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Africa: It's Not a Country
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African Countries are the Most Diverse
See how Diverse Language is: AfricaMap
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"Everyday Africa" on Instagram
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Top Priorities for the Continent in 2017
Growth Projections: East Africa
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Behind the secret U.S. war in Africa
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All the African countries a U.S. president never visited
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Piracy: Somalia
Foreign Aid: Why might the U.S. help Haiti more than Congo or Myanmar?
The Haitian Revolution (via Khan Academy)
"The Battle for Haiti" (documentary)
"Rebuilding Haiti" (game)
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Borders: Migration and Refugees
Migrants are on the rise around the world
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Options for refugees are shrinking worldwide
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Origins and Destinations of the World's Migrants
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Two Centuries of U.S. Immigration (map)
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A History of American Anti-Immigrant Bias
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U.S. Postwar Immigration Policy
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Where the U.S.- Canadian Border is Marked by Flowers
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"Deconstructing the Wall" (lesson plan)
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"Borders" video series from Vox News
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ALL-STAR TEACHER TIP: Program your social media to bring you the best resources from around the world wide web (see our follow lists from facebook and twitter) and teach your students to do the same
The U.S. Military and the World
"Where in the World is the U.S. Military?"
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"The Price of Freedom: Americans at War"
A Long History of Overseas Military Operations
Instances of Use of U.S. Armed Forces Abroad
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"America's Long and Complicated History in Middle East"
US Policy in Middle East: Analyzing Political Cartoons
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U.S. Foreign Policy Powers: Congress and the President
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"Visionaries of the American Empire"
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Engaging U.S. Documentary Series
"What Happens Next" follows technologists building a new means of global exchange; workers taking up revolutionary tools; and farmers preparing for a changing climate.
"Dark States" visits three American cities and examines a uniquely devastating human crisis in each. ​
"America Revealed" explores the hidden patterns and rhythms that make America work.
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"Untold America" is a series about underrepresented, forgotten and misunderstood communities in the U.S.
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"We the Economy" aims to drive awareness and establish a better understanding of the U.S. economy.
"How We Got To Now" reveals the story behind the remarkable ideas that made modern life possible.
Relevant U.S. Inquiries
ALL-STAR TEACHER TIP: Structure a Fishbowl or "Socratic Smackdown" discussion about any of these current events topics that will continue to make headlines.
Go-To Resources for More Case Studies