The+Justification+of+War

Many people believe in the concept of a just war, as defined by several fundamental principles. Others on the other hand, do not believe war can be justified - regardless of the cause. Over the course of the next few days, we will look at both points of view and analyze several modern wars with the intention of (a) defining war, and (b) developing a position as to whether or not "war" can be justified.

Day 1
 * What is war?
 * Definitions: "War" and "Terrorism"
 * Venn Diagram
 * President Truman's atomic bomb speech
 * Homework: Pick two Conflicts around the World (one after 1990)

Day 2
 * Complete the Justification of War Research Idea
 * In your interactive notebook, jot down the seven Principles of a Just War
 * Create an opening, core, and closing question for a Socratic seminar

Day 3
 * What is the most important principle? Why?
 * Howard Zinn's "What America doesn't want to hear about terrorism"
 * Get used to the typewith.me and begin research

Day 4
 * Continue research
 * Homework: Research your two wars and come prepared on Monday with the completed document

Day 5
 * Present Research to class
 * Introduce essay as prompt for the Socratic seminar

Day 6
 * Socratic Seminar: Is there any hope for Global Sustainability and World Peace?

//This lesson was adapted using teaching materials from the USIP's 2002-2003 National Peace Essay Contest.//