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.

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Baltic States

Unit in Development
The unit will consist of four lessons. The introductory lesson will provide teachers and students with a broad overview of the region and short handouts on history and culture for each of the Baltic states. In addition to the handouts, this lesson will include images, maps, as well as a variety of class, group, and individual activities. The subsequent three lessons will each focus on a more specific topic pertaining to each Baltic state. For instance, Lesson Two will focus on Estonia and how the country went from having a decrepit Soviet civilian communication system to success in high-tech communications in less than a decade. Lesson Three will focus on Latvia and the role of women in its history. Lesson Four will focus on Lithuania and the relationship between basketball and its national identity. Lesson Four will also include concluding activities designed to help teachers and students debrief what they have learned throughout the unit.
Appropriate for high school students
 

First Japanese Embassy to the United States

Unit in Development
Currently in production is a graphic novel of the journey of the 1860 Japanese Embassy to the United States. The graphic novel tells the story of the first Japanese ambassadors to leave Japan after its over 200-year period of isolation under the Tokugawa Shogunate. Chronicling encounters with foreign leaders, cross-cultural mishaps, and unlikely friendships that develop despite barriers of language and politics, the graphic novel follows the history of the Embassy and the voyage from Japan to Washington D.C. Providing a glimpse into Japan's entrance into the international stage, the explorations of cultural confusion and connections provide a platform for discussing Japanese-American relations from their origins in the 19th century and for considering how those relations resonate and change, throughout the history of these two nations. Appropriate for high school students.
 

Indigo

Unit in Development
This unit will explore the topic of indigo, the oldest natural dye that is still used today. The lessons, thematically organized and developed, will provide teachers and students with a brief overview of the history of indigo and examine the impact of indigo by focusing on a variety of historical, cultural, economic, artistic, musical, and literary themes. Each lesson incorporates the use of the multimedia, web, and other useful resources that accompany the unit as well as a variety of class, group, and individual activities.
Appropriate for middle school students.

Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health

Unit in Development
In the context of today's global, interdependent world, well known pathogens and new, emerging infectious diseases pose a continuing threat to millions of people around the world. It is thus increasingly important to demystify the science and policies behind such issues. In Lesson One, students will learn biological concepts such as the agents that cause infectious disease, the human immune response, the principles of vaccine science, and the treatment of infections. Lesson Two will focus on how diseases can spread and affect whole populations. Students will learn about the characteristics of an epidemic, the modes of disease transmission, factors that make humans more susceptible to infection, as well as factors that enable diseases to persist despite our best control efforts. In Lesson Three, students will learn about the public health response to infectious diseases. They will distinguish between public health and clinical medicine, learn about disease investigation, discuss various control methods, and debate controversies in public health. Throughout the unit, case studies, interactive discussions, and multimedia activities will allow students to gain an appreciation for the challenges and triumphs of public health in the face of deadly global health threats. Appropriate for high school students.

World Trade Center Kamishibai Project

Unit in Development 
SPICE is collaborating with the Tribute World Trade Center (WTC) Visitor Center to develop curriculum materials for elementary schools. Details forthcoming