The Global Context, Issue 2: The War in Ukraine
The war four years later: its causes, turning points, the world’s response, the 2026 peace talks, drones and war crimes, with an essay prompt and sources.
Current events
Lessons on the stories shaping the world
We do the research, so you can do the teaching. Each topic gives you the context, the sources and the activities, ready for your classroom. Full lessons are in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.
The war in Ukraine
Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, its roots, and the world’s response.
Ukraine: Historical Context
A secondary-source reading from Kyiv’s early history to the Maidan protests, with key vocabulary, seven questions and a timeline activity.
Ukraine: Primary Source Analysis
Five primary sources from Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden and Ursula von der Leyen, with a Tweet the Document activity and an AP-style essay.
NATO expansion
How the invasion of Ukraine led Finland and Sweden to apply to join NATO.
Finland and Sweden’s NATO Bids
Students analyze video and reporting on the two countries’ decision to apply, then answer seven questions.
Finland, Sweden and NATO: Primary Sources
Four primary sources from Sauli Niinistö, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky, with a Tweet the Document activity and an essay.
9/11 and the War on Terror
The attacks and twenty years of consequences at home and abroad.
The Global Context, Issue 1: 9/11 Twenty Years Later
The War on Terror, Afghanistan, drone warfare and Guantanamo Bay, with an essay prompt.
Migration and development
Who moves and why, and how we measure a country’s development.
The Belarus Migrant Crisis
How migrants ended up at the Belarus–EU border, the basics of how the European Union works, and a student-written EU action plan.
Social Indicators and the HDI
Measuring development with social indicators and the Human Development Index, with case studies on Afghanistan, Norway, the United States and Honduras, plus an HDI project.
Global Getaway
A travel-portfolio project in which students research one of nine countries and present what they learn.
Coming soon
We add new topics as the news develops.
- U.S. midterms
- Israel and Palestine
- Serbia’s elections
- Brazil’s elections
- Model UN simulations