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Background and Context
These online education resources for students will help them develop a thorough understanding and make connections between historical events, current conversations, and current public policy proposals surrounding the issue. This section includes all of the context and content previously included in Close Up’s public policy chapters.
Current Issue Debates
Current Issue Debates are framed by a central question and followed by historical context, an overview of both sides of the topic, and discussion questions to facilitate deliberation in the classroom.
Available for Middle & High School
Available for Middle & High School
Available for Middle & High School
Available for Middle & High School
Available for Middle & High School
Videos from Policymakers
Brought to you by ASP HOMEROOM, through a collaboration between Close Up Foundation and A Starting Point, these supplemental videos are an introduction to policy areas that provide an opportunity for students to hear different perspectives directly from lawmakers.
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona April 14, 2021
Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) December 2, 2020
Former Governor and Congressman John Kasich (R-OH) November 12, 2020
These ready-to-use lesson plans can be utilized in conjunction with any of our education and public policy resources for students to enhance the quality of discourse in the classroom. Our supplemental Civic Readiness Guide provides a recommended lesson plan sequence for using our Current Issues resources.
Historical Perspective (ELA Unit) | August 19, 2021
After the War of 1812, Americans gained confidence and pride in their nation as a spirit of unity and nationalism strengthened the union.
Historical Perspective (ELA Unit) | August 19, 2021
From the 1830s to the 1860s, the economic, political, and cultural chasms between the North and South deepened.
Historical Perspective (ELA Unit) | August 19, 2021
By the middle of the 19th century, the nation had developed two distinct economies and identities.
Historical Perspective (ELA Unit) | August 19, 2021
Just before the Civil War, writers all across the United States began telling stories about people and places they knew well.
Historical Perspective (ELA Unit) | August 19, 2021
Many American historians view the late 19th century in terms of technology and science, identifying the dynamism that helped drive the massive social changes of the period.
Historical Perspective (ELA Unit) | August 19, 2021
American history is full of individuals agitating for change. However, between the end of the Civil War and World War I, writers and lecturers poured forth ideas for improving society from a particularly deep well.
Historical Perspective (ELA Unit) | August 19, 2021
In 1880, the sultan of Turkey closed the Turkish diplomatic mission to the United States, believing it to be a waste of money on a second-rate nation.
Historical Perspective (ELA Unit) | August 19, 2021
The 1920s were a golden era. The postwar economy grew and optimism reigned. F. Scott Fitzgerald—a great novelist of the period—captured the mood in his 1937 essay, “Early Success.”