SPICE draws upon the diverse faculty and programmatic interests of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. All of our materials are developed to reflect the scholarship and research interests of FSI faculty members, who serve as scholarly advisors for our curricula. 

Since these curricula are still in development, the titles below are working titles and are used for descriptive purposes only.

If you are interested in either fieldtesting (using the lesson with your students) or reviewing (reading through the lesson and offering pedagogical feedback/suggestions without student participation) any curriculum modules from this list, fill out our online form.

For all other questions regarding sales please contact the sales office.

Examining Long-term Radiation Effects:

Case Studies of the Chernobyl Power Plant Thermal Explosion and the Atomic Bombings of Japan

Unit in Development
This curriculum unit aims to underscore the importance of promoting security through an examination of long-term radiation effects. Two case studies will be utilized in the curriculum unit. First, students will be introduced to the medical and social effects of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The radiation and hereditary effects of the atomic bombings on the survivors of the atomic bombings will be highlighted as well as the social consequences of being an atomic bomb survivor (e.g., problems with marriage and employment). Second, students will be introduced to the thermal explosion at the Chernobyl power plant in 1986. The spread of radioactive materials from the Chernobyl power plant and its impact on human health, the environment, and politics will be examined.

Infectious Diseases and Global Pandemics

Unit in Development
Infectious diseases have shaped many aspects of ancient and modern society. In the context of am increasingly interdependent world, emerging infectious diseases pose a threat to millions, if not billions, of people. Simultaneously, biomedical and social science responses are reducing the transmission as well as the threat of communicable diseases. This unit seeks to provide students with up-to-date knowledge on infectious diseases, enabling them to better grasp critical concepts and trends in historical as well as emerging pandemics. A critical component of this unit will be its emphasis on the raging HIV and AIDS pandemic. Using an epidemiological framework, students will be encouraged to consider the many issues involved in the pandemic, including but not limited to poverty, gender inequality, and biomedical research and development. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, students can reinforce what they have learned in history, social studies, English, and science classes in this unit.

Transition and Transformation in China from 1911 to 1949

Unit in Development (available for fieldtesting in early Summer 2008)
This unit focuses on the tumultuous time period between the fall of the last Chinese dynasty in 1911 and the beginning of the Communist era in 1949. During these four decades, China underwent massive political and social transformation as it transitioned from the dynastic system, to republicanism, warlordism, and finally to communism. In the first lesson, students learn about the intellectual revolution that took place in the early 20th century and the domestic and international circumstances that led to the formation of new and powerful political groups such as the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party. They study the protracted struggle for dominance between the KMT and CCP as each group sought to destroy the other and unify the country under its own authority and governance. In the second lesson, students study the domestic economy and how some Chinese entrepreneurs responded to the challenge of running businesses during the Japanese occupation. In the third and final lesson, students study modern vernacular Chinese literature from the May Fourth era and explore the authors' ideas regarding social and political change and China's need for a new culture. Appropriate for Secondary to Community College