Learning Activity: North Korea nuclear tension

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(CNN Student News) -- Students will explore possible U.S. responses to North Korea's purported nuclear test.

Procedure

Ask students: What U.S. interests do you think are at stake in the wake of North Korea's purported nuclear test? If you were a U.S. policy maker, what information would you need to know before recommending a response to the North Korean nuclear threat?

Have students develop a list of questions about North Korea's nuclear threat, and then have them assign the questions to the following categories:

History of/Facts about North Korea,

History of U.S. relations with North Korea,

History of other countries' relations with North Korea,

History of North Korea's nuclear program, and

Kim Jong Il.

Organize students into small groups, and have each group research one of the above topics. After the groups present their findings, have students assume the roles of U.S. policy makers who must decide whether to take action regarding North Korea. Refer students to the CNN Student News Video and the "Related Resources" box and other Web sites to learn more about the following possible U.S. options for responding to North Korea's purported nuclear test:

Multilateral discussions as part of the six-party talks,

Bilateral discussions with North Korea,

Economic sanctions,

Military strike on nuclear capabilities,

Missile defense, and

No action.

As a class, discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each option. Ask: In what ways, if any, would each option address U.S. interests in the North Korean nuclear standoff? Then, have students write proposals stating which, if any, option(s) they would recommend and why.

Correlated Standards

United States History

Standard 27. Understands how the Cold War and conflicts in Korea and Vietnam influenced domestic and international politics Level IV [Grade 9-12]

Benchmark 1. Understands U.S. foreign policy from the Truman administration to the Johnson administration Standard 30. Understands developments in foreign policy and domestic politics between the Nixon and Clinton presidencies Level IV [Grade 9-12]

Benchmark 5. Understands the influence of U.S. foreign policy on international events from Nixon to Clinton.

World History

Standard 44. Understands the search for community, stability, and peace in an interdependent world

Level IV [Grade 9-12]

Benchmark 11. Understands common arguments of opposition groups in various countries around the world, common solutions they offer, and the position of these ideas with regard to Western economic and strategic interests

Civics

Standard 22. Understands how the world is organized politically into nation-states, how nation-states interact with one another, and issues surrounding U.S. foreign policy

Level IV [Grade 9-12]

Benchmark 3. Understands the major foreign policy positions that have characterized the United States' relations with the world

Benchmark 5. Understands the process by which United States foreign policy is made, including the roles of federal agencies, domestic interest groups, the media, and the public; and knows the ways in which Americans can influence foreign policy

Benchmark 9. Understands the current role of the United States in peacemaking and peacekeeping

Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (Copyright 2000 McREL) is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks), 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014; Telephone: 303/337-0990.

Keywords

North Korea, Pyongyang, Kim Jong Il, six-party talks, nuclear test

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