Perspectives on US Foreign Policy in Colombia: Unilateralism vs.
Engagement
Expanded Objectives and Essential Questions
Students will be able to create an action plan that will force them to evaluate US involvement in
Colombia. This will push them to increase their reading, writing and overall communication
skills. In completing their action plan they will have had contact with local, state and federal
officials who are involved in making foreign policy. Not only will they be engaged in dialogue
with these individuals, but they will be breaking down the barriers they face in their civic life.
Essential Questions:
· When should a nation interfere in the affairs of another nation?
· In world affairs, should the US lean towards “passive isolationism” or “active
interventionism”?
· In world affairs, should the US lean towards power or principle? That is, what should be
the primary motivator of US Foreign Policy goals, our National Self Interest or the
Interests of the ENTIRE world?
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Under what circumstances should the US wage war on other nations (JUST WAR
THEORY)?
· What philosophical standards should be used to determine “Right” and “Wrong” in
American Foreign Policy?
· How should the US government balance its duty to serve the economic interests of its
corporations and citizens with its “MORAL” responsibility to act decently in the world?
· What is propaganda and how can the public avoid being manipulated by it? (Both in
scaring us and in repressing dissent?)
(CIVICS FOR ALL essential questions)
http://www.civicsforall.org/documents/essential_questions.pdf
Students will understand that:
· Foreign policy is a nation’s external goals and the techniques and strategies used to
achieve them
· The United States has exerted her power over Latin America as far back as 1823
beginning with the Monroe Doctrine.
· The Monroe Doctrine warned European powers not to interfere with Western
Hemisphere affairs or overthrow independent republics there.
· Monroe doctrine led to the Roosevelt Corollary.
· Roosevelt Corollary was a corollary (1904) to the Monroe Doctrine, asserting that the
U.S. might intervene in the affairs of an American republic threatened with seizure or
intervention by a European country.
· There is an increasing voice in Foreign Policy by domestic and foreign interest groups.
· Foreign policy decisions help define national identity and the role of the U.S. in the
world.
· Foreign policy is affect by both domestic and international issues.
· Foreign policy can be viewed as constantly changing.
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Created by Jennifer Gorman-Stokes, 2012
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The goals of US Foreign Policy generally fall into of one the following categories:
national security, trade, world peace, democracy, and humanitarianism.
In the late 1800s, the U.S. began the transformation from an isolationist nation to a major
world power.
Economic growth, fueled by global markets, industrialization, and world diplomacy
contributed to U.S. expansion onto the world stage.
Political and economic ties to Europe brought the U.S. into World War I, testing its
foreign policy objectives, thus laying the foundation for 20th Century foreign policy.
Today the role of the U.S. in the world continues to be debated and shaped by domestic
and international factors.
Students will understand that there is a variety of environmental problems throughout
Latin America.
Colombia is a country of varied natural resources.
A Representative Democracy exists in Colombia.
Guerilla warfare has been waged for many years.
Geographic features influence individual and political decisions
Where export production depends primarily on controlling land resources and labor,
reform movements tend to be muted and more moderate than countries where export
production depends on investments and technology.
Students will be skilled at:
· Identifying quality primary and secondary sources
· Citing specific textual evidence to support their analysis of primary and secondary
sources connecting specific details to the understanding of text as a whole.
· Determining the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; providing
an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
· Evaluating various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation
best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters
uncertain.
· Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent
understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.
· Integrating and evaluating multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats
and media in order to address a question or solve a problem.
· Making inferences from primary and secondary sources, maps and other media using
evidence to support their claim.
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· Reading and comprehending historical texts complex for 12 grade students and doing so
proficiently.
· Writing argumentative essays on a specific topic that introduces a specific claim,
sequenced and with evidence to support their claim.
· Developing their writing through peer-editing, revision, and the draft process as a whole.
· Using technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or
shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or
information.
· Conducting short as well as more sustained research projects to solve a problem; narrow
or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
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Created by Jennifer Gorman-Stokes, 2012
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Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using
advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms
of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively
to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and over reliance on any one source
and following a standard format for citation.
Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.
Voicing their opinion in a way that really allows them to be heard: by using facts and
multiple sources of information to back up their opinions and ideas.
Analyzing the US involvement in foreign affairs a willingness to engage in international
politics.
Examining the ideas and traditions leading to these foreign policies.
Comparing and contrasting the values exhibited and foreign policies implemented by the
United States and other nations over time with those expressed in the United Nations
Charter and international law.
Identifying the effect of location on US Foreign Policy.
How to use proper protocol in contacting public offices for information or to voice a
specific opinion (including how to make telephone calls, write letters, and observe public
meetings)
Performance Task(s):
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Goal: Students will create an action plan in response to one of the following stated goals
of US Foreign Policy: national security, trade, world peace, democracy, and
humanitarianism that will either support or oppose that specific form of interaction. They
will then enact said action plan and write a response paper detailing their experiences,
successes or failures.
Role: Political Activist
Audience: Varies: student population, politicians, teachers, public advocacy groups
Situation: The senior class has been asked to join the political activist fold. They have
completed research on US-Colombian Relations. They have been tasked with either
supporting or opposing their specific tenet of US Foreign policy and acting upon their
own research based opinions
Product/Performance and Purpose: Students will ultimately develop their own method
of support or opposition through the development of an action plan that will help track
their progress and provide guidance for these new political activists. The purpose of this
task is to open their eyes to ways they can be involved in not only the local community
but the global community. They will be voting Americans and must take ownership of
the decisions their elected officials make in their name.
Standards for Success: Rubric for entire project and Rubric for Action Plan itself.
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Created by Jennifer Gorman-Stokes, 2012