With hopes of improving those statistics, Close Up Publishing proudly announces the release of its best-selling textbook, Current Issues 2000. Updated annually, Current Issues aids social studies teachers across the country in their fight against student indifference to civic involvement and education.
Current Issues 2000 examines the most up-to-date information on the top ten domestic and top ten foreign policy issues we face as we head into a new millennium. Each chapter provides basic background information, identifies key questions, and details arguments from differing points of view, intended to spark healthy classroom debate. This book informs its readers in a nonpartisan way about today’s important concerns, from the federal budget and constitutional rights to the global environment and east Asia, while leaving judgments up to the individual.
"It’s exciting to have been a part of the first Current Issues of the new millennium," said Amy Tarasovic, writer and researcher for Current Issues 2000. "It is my hope that students will read about the public policy decisions facing the nation, formulate their own opinions, and then act on those opinions by getting involved."
Close Up Publishing’s other highly acclaimed textbooks and videotapes not only inform students of the issues that surround them but also prepare them for active civic involvement. With over 40 titles available in stock, our books, role-playing games, and videos will help bring a variety of issues to life, encouraging further research and challenging students to express their own opinions.
Close Up Publishing is part of the Close Up Foundation, the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit civic education organization, which has almost three decades of experience in providing academically sound, well-organized study visits to Washington, D.C. Since 1971, Close Up has brought more than a half million students and their educators to the nation’s capital, where they experience a "close up" view of history and the people, institutions, and processes that shape our country’s most important decisions.
Featured are issues surrounding the McCarthy hearings in the early years of the Cold War as well as stories of ordinary people who were suspected of being communists. Quotes from Winston Churchill, J. Edgar Hoover, Harry S. Truman, Alger Hiss, and Edward R. Murrow help illustrate the rising political tension that would rock the foundation of our democratic form of government.
Politicians, government officials, and Hollywood directors were not the only victims of rampant skepticism and mistrust during this historic period. This video explores the personal accounts of everyday citizens, from writers and musicians to labor activists and dock workers, who were also caught in the hot spotlight of suspicion.
Narrated by William Baldwin, actor and president of the Creative Coalition, Ordinary Americans: The Red Scare is 35 minutes in length and fits easily into any classroom schedule.
Since 1971, the Close Up Foundation has welcomed more than 500,000 students, educators, and others to the nation’s capital. The Close Up message of citizen participation reaches millions annually through award winning publications, videos, and national television programming.
Winner of the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award, The Bill of Rights includes a foreword by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and explores one of the nation’s most vital documents and its resilience through time. Each amendment is featured in a separate chapter and includes historical background, relevant legal concepts and terms, and the applicable arguments brought before the Supreme Court. Also included is a look at the Fourteenth Amendment, which extended citizenship to former slaves and expanded the scope of constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Students are brought up-to-date with legal analyses of the latest cases that have interpreted and protected constitutional rights, including the latest debates on the Second Amendment and gun control. Nearly 30 additional Supreme Court cases are examined, including decisions from the 1998/99 term.
The Close Up Foundation has three decades of experience in providing academically sound, well-organized study visits to Washington, D.C. The Close Up message of citizen participation reaches millions annually through award-winning publications, videos, and national television programming.
To Keep and Bear Arms also presents the stories of two women with differing views on gun control. Teenager Natasha Campbell describes the loss she felt when her best friend was the victim of street-corner violence, which prompted her to speak out in favor of gun control. In contrast, Amy Flemming talks about the sense of security she feels by owning a gun for protection against her violent and armed ex-husband.
These compelling stories, plus clips featuring the opinions of members of Congress, will help spark discussions about the impact of the Second Amendment and gun control on society.
The Close Up Foundation has nearly three decades of experience in providing academically sound, well-organized study visits to Washington, DC. The Close Up message of citizen participation reaches millions annually through award-winning publications, videos, and televised discussions.
This publication provides important background and insight into the WTO and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), as well as information and perspectives on U.S. trade policies. Each chapter explores a different aspect of trading, from global markets and trade barriers to environmental standards and workers’ rights.
Also included are case studies that demonstrate the direct effect international trade policies have on child labor, low-income families, trade deficits, endangered species preservation efforts, and U.S. sovereignty.
The author has appeared on National Public Radio, C-SPAN, and CNN and has been cited in The Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine as an expert on the history of U.S. trade policy.
Since 1971, the Close Up Foundation has welcomed more than 500,000 students, educators, and others to the nation’s capital. The Close Up message of citizen participation reaches millions annually through award-winning publications, videos, and national television programs on C-SPAN.
The steps, which are taught using two or three learning experiences such as simulation, role- playing, discussion, and other participatory activities, are:
tracing the nominating process for candidates
distinguishing between the popular vote and the electoral vote
identifying the cultural, political, and economic factors that influence the election process
evaluating the qualifications of potential candidates
assessing the impact of the election on ordinary citizens and on local, state, and federal governments
The guide offers both straightforward and complex activities that are easily modified at the teacher’s discretion. Some emphasize basic knowledge skills, while others encourage students to apply their knowledge by analyzing data, comparing facts, or evaluating results.
The Close Up Foundation has nearly three decades of experience in providing academically sound, well-organized study visits to Washington, D.C. Close Up’s message of citizen participation reaches millions annually through award-winning publications, videos, and televised discussions. For more information, visit www. closeup.org.
The American Economy reports the latest information about our changing economy and includes coverage of the Clinton administration’s second term. Amended with revised statistics and new charts and graphs, it explores the many foreign and domestic challenges the U.S. must face during the 21st century. The text examines a variety of economic factors, including the Federal Reserve System, unemployment, inflation, the global economy, trade deficits, national debt, and the budget surplus.
The Close Up Foundation has provided academically sound, well-organized study visits to Washington, D.C. for nearly three decades to more than 500,000 participants. Close Up’s message of citizen participation reaches millions annually through award-winning publications, videos, and televised discussions. For more information, visit www.closeup.org.
Featuring multicultural perspectives, Words of Ages provides another context for understanding the events, places, and people that shaped our country’s destiny. Words of Ages includes more than 125 excerpts that show how some of the finest American writers—including Booker T. Washington, Edith Wharton, Mark Twain, and Tom Wolfe—interpreted many of the turning points in U.S. history.
The text is divided chronologically into units that cover themes ranging from "Voices of a Revolution" and "Civil War and Reconstruction" to "Social Critics and Reformers" and "The Vietnam Years." Words of Ages blends literature, history, and art into a dynamic interdisciplinary teaching tool, perfect for classrooms and libraries.
The Close Up Foundation has nearly three decades of experience in providing academically sound, well-organized study visits to Washington, D.C. Close Up’s message of citizen participation reaches millions annually through award-winning publications, videos, and televised discussions. For more information, visit www.closeup.org.
Close Up, the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan civic education organization, annually updates this best-selling publication that explores and explains multiple issues in the top ten domestic and top ten foreign policy debates that confront our nation today. Current Issues 2001 provides the vital in-depth background information needed to understand recent events in our nation and around the world. Intended to promote healthy discussion, each chapter explores the relevant topics by asking thought-provoking questions and presenting different perspectives on each subject.
In addition to updating ongoing issues, Current Issues 2001 highlights:
new details on school funding reform, campaign finance, the role of NATO in the 21st century, and debt reduction for poor nations.
the latest coverage of issues at the forefront of the U.S. political scene, including school vouchers, affirmative action, and foreign aid policy.
Also available is a teacher’s guide, which includes 21 weeks of lesson plans and reproducible handouts. It features tips on presenting key terms, using current resources, and teaching controversial issues to students.
Close Up’s message of citizen participation reaches millions annually through award-winning publications, videos, and televised discussions. For more information, visit www.closeup.org.
For decades, it was generally accepted that blacks and whites should sit at separate ends of buses, eat in separate sections of restaurants, and attend separate schools. This video features the stories of four exceptional women who took an active role in diminishing the unequal treatment of African Americans in our society.
Peggy Terry saw Martin Luther King Jr.’s release from jail in Montgomery, Alabama, and was so inspired by his non-violent stand that she joined the bus boycott picket lines. Fannie Lou Hamer, despite being imprisoned and beaten, continued her voter registration efforts. Sheyann Webb marched to protest unfair voting restrictions on what became known as "Bloody Sunday." And Sonia Sanchez, a civil rights worker, attended demonstrations in Harlem and drew strength from the words of Malcolm X.
Their compelling stories, plus quotes featuring Martin Luther King Jr., Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, J. Edgar Hoover, Malcolm X, and Unita Blackwell, highlight the tensions surrounding the struggle to bring equal treatment to all Americans.
Close Up’s message of citizen participation reaches millions annually through award-winning publications, videos, and televised discussions. For more information, visit www.closeup.org.
The videos run from 15 to 20 minutes and can be included in any curriculum to help students prepare for their own classroom discussions. Included in the series are:
The Role of Congress features former Senator Robert Dole and former Representative Lee Hamilton outlining the "unwritten employee handbook" for members of Congress.
The First Amendment in the New Millennium covers First Amendment issues and challenges in the 21st century. It features Kenneth Paulson, executive director of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University and senior vice president of The Freedom Forum.
Reporting from Hot Spots provides a firsthand view of the risks journalists face in war zones and "hot spots" around the globe. Roy Gutman, international security correspondent for Newsday, and Allan Nairn, freelance journalist, share their experiences and insights.
Close Up Conversations is produced by the Close Up Foundation, the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan civic education organization. Close Up’s message of citizen participation reaches millions annually through study programs, award-winning publications, videos, and televised discussions. For more information, visit www.closeup.org.
Words of Ages is a unique anthology of letters, journal entries, novels, short stories, and poetry that provide a new important context for understanding the events, places, and people that shaped our country’s destiny. This book blends literature, history, and art and shows how some of the finest American writers—including Booker T. Washington, Edith Wharton, Mark Twain, and Tom Wolfe—interpreted many of the turning points in U.S. history.
"An excellent collection," says History Matters!, which is published by the National Council for History Education, while The Bookwatch calls it "Ground-breaking . . . provides a most unusual, effective, and academically sound approach that will be read with enthusiasm by anyone with an interest in American history."
Ms. Amy Tarasovic, a native of Northern Virginia, graduated with honors from the University of Virginia in 1996 and earned her master’s degree in secondary school teaching at the College of William and Mary in 1999. During her time at Close Up, she has collaboratively written or edited numerous titles in addition to Words of Ages, including Current Issues, International Relations, and the forthcoming Building a Democratic Nation.
The concept for Words of Ages was originally developed by Ms. Tiffany Larbalestier, who served as the book’s primary author and editor. In almost seven years at Close Up, she authored and edited dozens of other educational books, including Current Issues, International Relations, Looking Toward the Pacific Century, and Perspectives. Ms. Larbalestier, a graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a master of arts in education candidate at the University of Virginia, currently edits publications at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
Close Up's message of citizen participation reaches millions annually through award-winning publications, videos, and televised discussions. For more information, visit www.closeup.org/pubs.htm.
With International Relations, students can analyze the debates surrounding current international issues and examine how governments interact in our changing global community. The text explains the forces that shape a nation’s foreign policies and uses historic examples to explore our country’s stake in worldwide security, political, and economic decisions.
Besides updating ongoing issues and background information, International Relations highlights:
the sweeping changes following the end of the Cold War
the expanded role of telecommunications
the globalization of economies and trade
how developing countries fit into the new global order
Up-to-date photographs, charts, and maps provide students with additional tools to help them visualize and understand recent developments and trends around the world.
The Close Up Foundation has nearly three decades of experience providing academically sound, well-organized study visits to Washington, D.C. Close Up’s message of citizen participation reaches millions annually through study programs, award-winning publications, videos, and televised discussions. For more information, visit www.closeup.org.