SPICE is a program of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
In this unit the geographic distribution of China's ethnic groups will be introduced, as well as the cultural and linguistic features of China's major ethnic groups. Focusing on the Hui, Tibetans, Mongols, and the Miao, topics such as ethnogenesis, sovereignty, assimilation, and stereotypes and representation are addressed.
Using annotated lectures of a Stanford University course and various activities, students explore five important environmental topics: the environment and security, population, the idea of "sustainable development," free trade and the environment, and climate change.
Japan’s current constitution was written in 1946 and adopted in 1947, while Japan was under Allied occupation following World War II. On the occasion of its adoption, one Japanese politician called the document an “ill-fitting suit of clothes,” totally inappropriate as a governmental blueprint for Japan. Observers predicted that the constitution would be replaced as soon as the Occupation ended. Debate over the workability of Japan’s constitution has been a political constant; yet, the document has not been amended since its inception. Much of the ongoing controversy stems from the context in which the document was brought into being.
Following a brief exploration of the history of Japan’s 1947 Constitution, this digest introduces recent scholarship and offers examples of how that scholarship deepens the story of Japan’s postwar constitutional process. In its final section, the digest provides ways in which study of the postwar constitution can enrich social studies instruction.
This unit provides students with geographic and historical context to analyze major issues facing contemporary Indonesia, as well as in-depth examination of its regional and global importance.
This unit provides students with an introduction to human rights, minority (both ethnic and religious) rights, civil and political rights, and women's rights.
Beginning with an examination of the importance of history textbooks in Japan and the United States, this digest then provides background information on Japan's textbook controversies from Ienaga Saburo's first lawsuit in 1965 to the present. Finally, the digest offers some ideas as to how students and teachers can critically examine their own history textbooks.
This curriculum unit offers students the opportunity to consider civil rights issues in the context of the Japanese-American experience during World War II. Lessons focus on the immigration years, the role of the media, diverse perspectives on the internment years, Japanese Americans and the military during World War II, and legacies of internment.