The Kyoto Protocol Failure and How U.S. Presidents Make Treaties
Provided by: Council on Foreign Relations|Published on: September 14, 2023|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Science, Economics, Civics, History
Authors: CFR Education
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Synopsis
- This video discusses the Kyoto Protocol, why it was created, the political pressure from special interest groups that kept the United States out of the treaty, and how American presidents can avoid this pressure to join international agreements without congressional approval.
- Below the video, teachers will find a linked discussion guide for higher education classes, a linked lesson plan for grades 9-12, and a short description that explains key terms and adds context.
- This is the sixth section of the U.S. Foreign Policy module.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This video does an excellent job of exposing students to political lobbying.
- This video has a transcript that can be downloaded as a PDF.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students need to know what the U.S. constitution is and the branches of U.S. government.
- Students should know what the United Nations is and why it's important.
- The lesson plan and discussion questions are for multiple sections of the module.
Differentiation
- Students can use this video for a research project on presidential attempts to deal with climate change.
- This video can be used to create free-response questions about corporate influence on American politics, departments within the government, and regulations on specific industries.
- This video can augment a civics lesson on the separation of powers and how this concept impacts American politics.
- This video can support a classroom discussion on the American government's effectiveness at dealing with climate change.
This resource introduces students to how treaties are made, specifically how climate policies could fail due to disagreement between countries' priorities, external policies and change in government. It discusses how treaties are made and the basic principles of U.S. foreign policy, the role of the President, Congress, and the National Security Council in shaping U.S. foreign policy. This resource is properly cited and is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
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