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The Foreign Policy Association developed the Great Decisions Program in 1954 to engage large numbers of people in active discussion of foreign policy alternatives and to equip citizens to take action and make responsible decisions in the area of international affairs. FPA has expanded the program into high schools to increase the emphasis on global education to the next generation of world leaders.

The major components of Great Decisions in the Classroom are: the Great Decisions briefing book, Teacher's Guide, Great Decisions Video Series, the website and the opinion balloting process.

The Briefing Book.

The annual briefing book is the basic component for teaching global affairs in the classroom. It provides well-researched, balanced analyses and background information as the basis for all discussion. Reading the book ensures that all students come together from the same point of reference, with the same facts and a basic understanding of the issue.

The book consists of eight ten-page articles, each addressing a specific topic of current interest in international affairs. Each piece provides in-depth background and current data, current U.S. policy and pros and cons of alternative policy options. Illustrations include maps, photos, charts and graphs. Discussion questions, recommended readings and resources, and a set of opinion ballots accompany each article. Under the supervision of the editor in chief, the articles are written by knowledgeable journalists and academics. FPA strives to provide balanced and objective briefs that espouse no one point of view or policy but offer instead a range of views.

The Teacher's Guide. Produced by master teacher and curriculum developer Marcel Lewinski, the guide contains glossaries for each article in the Great Decisions briefing book, teaching strategies, activities and reproducible handouts.

The Great Decisions Video Series. The video series is based on the eight U.S. foreign policy issues analyzed in the Great Decisions briefing book. The videos provide documentary footage, analysis by experts and a lively exchange of views on the critical issues facing the U.S. and the world.

The video can be used by teachers as a resource to stimulate further discussion on the eight issues addressed in Great Decisions.

The Website.The website is intended to help keep the discussion going

outside of the classroom. The site provides:

• Educators Corner
  An online community for educators who teach international affairs. Includes teaching resources, sample lesson plans for teaching with Great Decisions, professional development resources and tools that allow you to build your own classroom webpage.
  

• Students Corner
  A resource center for students interested in international affairs. Resources include information on student-oriented conferences, graduate programs, study abroad opportunities and foreign policy related summer programs.
  

• Resource Library
  In addition to the resources available in the Educators Corner and Students Corner; the Resource Library features articles, organization links, maps, speeches and transcripts and news directly related to each Great Decisions article.
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Opinion Balloting.

While developing informed opinions and expressing them in a classroom are valuable, FPA believes that participation is vital to strengthening the democratic process and encourages citizens to communicate their opinions to policy makers. Between the topics in the briefing book there is a set of opinion ballots, which students may use to express their thoughts on the various policy options. Each year the ballots are tabulated and FPA, with the help of a public opinion expert, produces a National Opinion Ballot Report reflecting the results. The report is submitted to the White House, Members of Congress, the departments of State and Defense, and the media. In addition, FPA encourages participants, individually or as a group, to contact their representatives in Congress. Communicating views to representatives is critical to the functioning of a democracy. Indeed it is the goal of a true, democratic process.

To learn more about Great Decisions in the Classroom, please email or call our Programming Department at 800-628-5754 ext. 250.