The Kyoto Protocol Failure and How U.S. Presidents Make Treaties

Provided by: Council on Foreign Relations |Published on: September 14, 2023

Lesson Plans

9101112AP

Scientist Reviewed ↗

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.

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Subjects: Science, Economics, Civics, History

Authors: CFR Education

Region: Asia, North America, United States

Languages: English

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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.

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About the Partner Provider

CFR Education from the Council on Foreign Relations

CFR Education provides accurate, accessible, authoritative resources that build the knowledge, skills, and perspective high school and higher education students need to understand and engage with today’s most pressing global issues.

Scientist Reviewed

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The Kyoto Protocol Failure and How U.S. Presidents Make Treaties

Synopsis

Teaching Materials

About the Partner Provider

Scientist Reviewed

Related Teaching Resources