Plus three new teaching resources!
Council on Foreign Relations

July 19, 2026

Dear Educator, 

 

You spoke, and we listened. The CFR Education website has been updated to make it even easier to bring global affairs resources into the classroom. 

 

As you are starting your back-to-school planning, take some time to explore the new site and see what's new! 

Homepage of new CFR Education website

One of my personal favorite additions is this course alignments page, where you can find curated alignments for popular AP and IB courses as well as U.S history, World History, and U.S. Government and Civics. 
Hand touching a lit up globe

AP Human Geography

Soldier holding a UN flag

IB Global Politics

Illustration of crowd in front of US Capitol building

U.S. History

We have so much to look forward to this year: from webinars and conferences to professional development sessions and everything in between. However we connect, we're glad you're here. As always, the CFR Education team is just a message away. We're proud of this new website, but we're not done yet. You inspire everything we build, so please share what's on your mind.

 

Have a great summer,

 

Caroline Netchvolodoff 
Vice President, Education 
Council on Foreign Relations

 

Upcoming Webinar

New Look, Same Mission: Navigating the Redesigned CFR Education Website

Tuesday, July 21

4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT

 

Join CFR Education for a live walkthrough of the updated website, built with educators in mind. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a longtime user with questions about the new layout, this session will help you move through the site with confidence.

  • learn how to navigate the redesigned website;
  • discover new features; and
  • ask questions.
Register
 

New Teaching Resources

Enlightenment Lesson Plan

The Enlightenment radically changed society in ways that are still evident today, from the concept of separation of powers to free-market capitalism. Help your students make these connections using the card-sorting activity in this lesson plan. Explore the lesson plan.

Schiller and Goethe in Weimar reading and discussing in the park stock illustration

Identifying Government Types Activity

From differentiating between democracy and authoritarianism to identifying real-world examples, this Jeopardy-style game will introduce your students to the complexities of governance and political ideologies around the world. Try the activity.

Austrian Member of the European Parliament Hubert Pirker addresses the European Parliament.

Understanding Globalization Lesson Plan

Almost everything in students' lives is impacted by globalization, from the iced matcha they drink to the supplies in their backpacks. Use this lesson plan to help your students investigate the basics of globalization, trade, and trade-offs as they explore the people and processes that keep the flow of goods moving. Explore the lesson plan.

Women sit and talk on a waterfront bench facing large container ships
 

Photos:

A hand reaching for an illuminated globe. (Shutterstock)

An Indonesian UNIFIL peacekeeper waves a UN flag on the border between Lebanon and Israel in the southern Lebanese village of Adaisseh on November 30, 2009. (Getty Images)

Illustration of crowd in front of US Capitol building. (Culture Club/Getty)

Schiller and Goethe in Weimar reading and discussing in the park stock illustration. (iStock)

Austrian Member of the European Parliament Hubert Pirker addresses the European Parliament. (REUTERS/Vincent Kessler)

Women sit and talk on a waterfront bench facing large container ships docked at Yantian International Container Terminals. (Cheng Xin/Getty Images)
 

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