Choices for the 21st Century Education Program, Brown UniversityThis lesson plan enables students to consider the principal alternatives facing U.S. policymakers in Iraq and to formulate their own points of view.

Yali Zhao and John D. HogeWhen Japan approved a textbook glossing over wartime atrocities in Asia, it not only sparked regional protests, but also exposed a hole in World War II studies on this side of the Pacific.

Samuel TottenTwelve years after genocide, Rwandans work hard to overcome the scars; yet a recent trip showed the author that division and rage still threaten the nation’s stability.

Johanna Gorelick and Genevieve Simermeyer/The Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of the American IndianWhile the modern story of Thanksgiving describes the original feast as a friendly gathering of neighbors, in reality it had much more to do with political alliances, diplomacy, and an attempt at peaceful coexistence.

C. Frederick RisingerFrom classroom blogs, day-to-day assignments, research links, or descriptions of special history projects, teachers and schools are expanding their use of the internet. The author reviews some particularly noteworthy teacher- or school-designed websites.

Ron LevitskyThis veteran teacher concurs with a recent report that social studies “gets no respect,” but while pondering key issues, he asks: Are things that bad?

Raphael Mazzone and Lee Ann PotterAs World War I neared its end, a worldwide epidemic claimed more victims than the war itself. The two featured documents recall the loss of life and havoc in the United States.