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A Look at U. S. Foreign Policy in the Americas
Focus on Cuba
Understanding how foreign policy affects the lives of people.
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A Collaboration by the Members of The Learning Community
The U. S. Foreign Policy in the Americas thematic unit provides an in-depth
analysis of a regional issue that sheds light on a larger hemispheric issue. The unit
involves individual research outside of class, group research on the World Wide Web, and
small-group presentations of students' findings. Data is then shared among study groups
via student-produced Web pages. Upon completion of the research, students present and
discuss the issues. The project culminates in a group simulation in which the class is
asked to design what they considered to be a rational and just foreign policy toward Cuba.
In this segment of our study, our class converged on foreign policy issues pertaining
to the island republic of Cuba. We looked at the historical background of Cuba as a colony
and as an independent country caught in the imperialistic struggles of the region. Also,
we looked at current issues facing Cuba, including the economic sanctions that the U. S.
government has initiated and justification of such a policy. Although this study could
have taken a semester, we put these materials together over a period of five weeks.
Our class formed eight study groups of three to four students. These groups researched the
following topic areas in order to build a composite picture of the issues effecting the
development of U.S. foreign policy toward Cuba.
Information for teachers:
To navigate the U.S. Foreign Policy: Focus on Cuba site, follow this
 symbol.
In February 2000, twenty of our students visited Cuba to observe the political and social reality of the country.
We were given total access and the freedom of travel to assemble the following documentary films:
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