Ten years after the end of the Cold War, nuclear missile policy is still making front-page headlines. In this Special Online Issue, you and your students will learn why the longstanding antiballistic missile treaty between the U.S. and Russia has been abandoned; why the U.S. has returned to its plans to create an elaborate defensive missile shield; and why both nations still retain sizeable nuclear arsenals. Use the teaching tips and activities below to help students digest these complex—and sometimes scary—contemporary issues.

ACTIVITIES
A Matter of Fact: When discussing and reading about controversy-packed issues such as nuclear weapons, it's important for students to recognize the difference between facts and opinions. A fact, of course, is a statement that can be proven true. An opinion is a statement showing how a person thinks or feels about an issue. It cannot be proven true or false.

As you read the articles in this online edition, encourage students to be on alert for clues that a statement is either a fact or an opinion. Have students ask themselves, "Could I prove this statement by checking in an encyclopedia or other resource?" If the answer is yes, the statement is most likely a fact. If the statement includes qualitative words such as "better than," "should have," or "most important," (to name a few) it is most likely an opinion.

Download and distribute the reproducible, then invite students to circle F for fact or O for opinion for each sentence on the page. Afterward, have students discuss the clues they used to judge each statement. Have them use those same techniques to find examples of facts and opinions in this online issue and in other print and electronic media. [Answers to reproducible: 1. O 2. F 3. F 4. O 5. O 6. O 7. O 8. F 9. F 10. F]

Treaty Time: Read the Scholastic News article about the ABM Treaty and the Grolier Online segment on the history of treaties. Then, have students brainstorm a list of qualities they think are necessary in an effective treaty. For example, students may say a treaty should be "fair to both sides" or "require both sides to compromise." Follow up by dividing students into small groups and inviting them to draft a treaty of their own on the nuclear arms controversy. Extend the activity by creating "treaties" for issues that are close to home; for example, if the girls' and boys' basketball teams argue over court time, students can create an agreement that would make both sides content.

Cold War Memories: Personalize your exploration of Cold War history by having students interview parents, grandparents, and other relatives about their feelings and experiences during the Cold War. Relatives who were in school during the 1960s may remember and describe "duck-and-cover" drills. Even interviewees in their 30s will remember the tense tail end of the arms race.

Use this opportunity to teach the difference between open- and closed-ended questions. Point out that closed-ended questions, which require one-word, often yes/no answers, can be an effective way to collect data. Open-ended questions are usually much more interesting and keep the interview going. For example: Were you scared during the Cold War? (closed-ended) What special activities or drills did your school do during the Cold War? (open-ended) Have students generate lists of questions and review them together before students conduct their interviews.

Exploring Political Cartoons: Political cartoons (also called editorial cartoons) are rich in symbolism and a fun way to explore hot issues. In this activity, students use print or online resources to locate a political cartoon related to the nuclear arms issue, then use a series of questions to interpret their cartoon.

Begin by explaining that political cartoons are different from comic strips because they have a serious message. While most cartoons are meant to make people laugh, editorial cartoons are meant to make people think. They convey the artist's opinion on an issue.

Have students find a cartoon about the ABM Treaty, missile shield, or other aspects of the nuclear arms issue in a local newspaper, news magazine, or online at a political cartoon clearinghouse: http://cagle.slate.msn.com/politicalcartoons. (This clearinghouse includes hundreds of cartoons, including many on the nuclear arms issue.) If using this or other online resources, students will need to type in a keyword such as "ABM" or "missile defense" to find relevant cartoons.

After students have finished the activity, invite them to present their cartoons and interpretations to the class. Then, have them draw their own editorial cartoons on the subject.