WORLD Yemen is in the midst of an unfathomable humanitarian crisis. What factors are contributing to the conflict? (BBC and Lawfare) Where is Yemen? Use our map to customize a map of Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula. Discussion Ideas Read through the truly great Lawfare article on the Yemeni crisis, and try to unpack some of the issues with the questions below. Here’s its perfect … Continue reading What’s Going on in Yemen?
UNITED STATES With just a few quick strokes of the pen, President Donald Trump banned more than 134 million people from entering the United States. (CNN) What countries are impacted by the ban? Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit, including a link to today’s MapMaker Interactive map. Discussion Ideas Are all Muslims banned from entering the United … Continue reading What is the ‘Muslim Ban’?
POLITICS After years of civil war, Syria is now a country that lies in ruins. Thousands of people have died, millions have fled. With no end of the war in sight, groups continue to battle for control over large parts of the country. The Syrian government, ISIL, Kurdish factions, and several other rebel groups are still fighting for some of the most important parts of … Continue reading Who Is Fighting Whom in Syria?
POLITICS President Barack Obama has delivered his 2015 State of the Union speech to Congress, outlining what his administration is calling “middle-class economics.” Read the full text of the speech, and explore some of the issues raised by middle-class economics—and President Obama’s final term in office. (Medium) Use our resources to better understand the U.S. government. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key … Continue reading What’s the State of the Union in 2015?
GEOGRAPHY Zivotofsky v. Kerry is a U.S. Supreme Court case that has to do with two big, difficult issues in real-world geography: how the US government is allowed to make foreign policy and—in case that isn’t tough enough—the state of Jerusalem in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Good luck, justices. (Vox) Use our resources to navigate the physical and cultural geography of Jerusalem. Teachers, scroll all the way … Continue reading Supreme Court Gets a Pass(port)
