Critical Issues Forum, 2012-2013

For a PDF of this document, click here.

Student Research and Projects

Mini-Projects & Student Conference Presentation

This Year’s Topic: Toward a World without Nuclear Weapons: Progress, Prospects, and Challenges

The student work for this year’s CIF program is an accumulative (step-by-step) process of research followed by a student project demonstrating understanding of the research phase. The work is divided into three steps. Step 1 helps students understand the concrete, fundamental facts underlying nuclear weapons and basic theoretical concepts. Step 2 builds on the knowledge gained in Step 1 by guiding students through the progress toward nuclear disarmament and remaining political and technical challenges. Step 3 asks students to visualize their own solutions or scenarios for a world without nuclear weapons. The work for Step 3 will become the final student presentation for the Spring Student Conference. Careful strategic planning can allow student groups to choose an overall project theme for all three steps, leading to the final conference presentation.

In the research phase, participants will examine this topic in CIF’s four content domains: scientific/environmental, social/cultural, economic, and political /geopolitical.

Fact finding, state motivations and deterrence

Students will take stock of the current status of nuclear weapons worldwide, including the number of nuclear weapons (both deployed and non-deployed) in both NPT nuclear weapon states and non-NPT nuclear weapon states. They will study factual information such as the scientific aspects of nuclear weapons, including basic weapon types and design, and the effects of nuclear weapon use. Students will also examine the role of nuclear weapons during and after the Cold War and investigate why countries attempt to acquire nuclear weapons, the concept of deterrence, and various current and past efforts to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons, including multilateral, bilateral and unilateral initiatives.

Objectives of the Research Phase

In the research phase, participants will examine this topic in CIF’s four content domains: scientific/environmental, social/cultural, economic, and political /geopolitical. Students should be able to demonstrate a synthesis of knowledge gained in meeting the following objectives:

1. To know the number of nuclear weapons in the world, who owns them, and what their status is—e.g., stockpiled or deployed, etc.
2. To understand how nuclear weapons are designed, how they work, and what the effects are of their use. Effects include explosive effects as well as consequences of their use on people and the environment.
3. To learn the role of nuclear weapons during the Cold War and the dynamics of deterrence.
4. To analyze why some states pursue nuclear weapons and others do not, including those that give up nuclear weapons and/or the capability to develop them.

Suggested Areas for Research

These areas are provided to help students search for relevant information. Students and teachers are welcome to look beyond this list for information to support the learning objectives and/or the mini-project.

• The countries that have, are developing, and are suspected of developing nuclear weapons
• The scientific and technical hurdles to the development of nuclear weapons
• The motivations for nuclear proliferation
• Early efforts to control nuclear nonproliferation
• The Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
• Membership and growth
• Objectives and key provisions
• Verification and enforcement (IAEA safeguards and the UN Security Council Resolutions)
• Reasons that some countries are not part of the NPT
• Major Review Conferences
• Which conferences succeeded and why.
• Which did not succeed and why.
• Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT): current status, prospects
• Fissile Material (Cut-Off) Treaty (FM(C)T) negotiation: current status, prospects
• Conference on Disarmament: roles, history, membership, current challenges
• Nuclear Weapon Free Zones
• US-Russia Bilateral arms control (SALT, INF, START, New START)

Mini-Project 1

The purpose of the first Mini-Project is to apply student learning of the research objectives for Step 1. While student groups should meet all four (4) objectives in the research phase of Step 1, the mini-project presentation should demonstrate understanding of at least two (2) objectives, combining concrete information with abstract concepts. For example, Objectives 1&2 address more concrete, quantitative information, while Objectives 3&4 address more abstract concepts.

Presentation

Mini-Projects should be carefully developed, with attention to presentation. Whether it is a research paper or a 3D model of a weapon design, each mini-project should include a narrative (in writing and/or voice) comprising:

• The purposeof the project. Make a point! Think of this as the thesis of your story. Every good story has an introduction, plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion. What story do you want to tell?
• A clear point of view. Where do you stand on the issue of disarmament and weapons reduction or elimination? This should be clear.
• Clear and concise language. Language should be carefully chosen and terminology appropriately used.
• Organization! Have a clear introduction that sets the tone for the narrative, a clear purpose, concrete support, and a logical conclusion.

The following are suggested forms that the Mini-Project could take. Student groups are welcome to propose their own ideas for the project. However, the project format must be able to be posted on the website.

• Research paper
• PowerPoint with voiceover or written narrative
• Prezi with audio or written narrative
• Illustrated poster with narrative
• Video
• Digital storytelling
• Voicethread
• Website or blog
• 3-D Model with narration
• Multimedia
• Any combination of the above

The Mini-Project must meet the following criteria:

• Be original student work
• Should be a product of teamwork by all participating students
• Demonstrate in-depth understanding of the chosen area of the topic
• Be displayable on the CIF website
• Include clear and accurate citations for any work borrowed from other sources
• Be accompanied by a bibliography of works cited (if not a paper).

Identifying progress toward nuclear disarmament, as well as the remaining political and technical challenges

Students will investigate progress toward nuclear disarmament before and after the Cold War. Progress includes the reduction in the number of nuclear weapons from the height of the Cold War through the US-Russian bilateral arms control treaties, unilateral initiatives by some other nuclear weapon states, and disarmament initiatives by other countries as well as civil society. While the prospect of nuclear disarmament was bright when Obama made his Prague speech promising a world free of nuclear weapons, numerous challenges to progress on nuclear disarmament remain. The divisions between nuclear haves and have-nots with regard to treaty obligations are on full display. New proliferation threats have emerged, including enrichment and weapons development activities in Iran and North Korea, respectively; the possible acquisition of nuclear material or weapons by terrorist groups; and the potential modernization of arsenals in official nuclear weapons states.

Objectives of the Research Phase

In the research phase, participants will examine this topic in CIF’s four content domains: scientific/environmental, social/cultural, economic, and political /geopolitical. Students should be able to demonstrate a synthesis of knowledge gained in meeting the following objectives:

1. To understand nuclear disarmament and progress made to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world, from the Cold War to the present.
2. To understand various unilateral, bilateral and multilateral measures to control the numbers, use and proliferation of nuclear weapons.
3. To analyze how US-Russian bilateral arms control treaties, unilateral initiatives by some other nuclear weapon states and disarmament initiatives by other countries work toward disarmament.
4. To understand and evaluate the role of civil society in the work toward disarmament.
5. To evaluate the challenges to nuclear disarmament, including how the dynamics between nuclear weapon states (NWS) and non-nuclear weapon states (NNWS) (the “haves” and “have-nots”), new proliferation threats, non-state actors, and weapons modernization affect progress on disarmament.

Suggested Areas for Research

These areas are provided to help students search for relevant information. Students and teachers are welcome to look beyond this list for information to support the learning objectives and/or the mini-project.

• Obama administration nonproliferation policies
• Obama Prague Speech
• UN Security Council Resolution 1887
• The “Reboot” of US-Russian relations
• Initiatives for nuclear disarmament in other countries, civil society
• Iran’s enrichment and missile programs
• North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs
• Regional conflict and tension involving nuclear states
• South Asia
• Middle East
• Northeast Asia
• Terrorist groups and past nuclear- and radiological-related activities and intentions

Mini-Project 2

The purpose of Mini-Project 2 is to apply student learning of the research objectives for Step 2, building on students’ understanding of Step 1. Student groups should meet all five (5) objectives in the research phase of Step 2. In the Mini-Project, students should demonstrate synthesis of knowledge gained by interrelating chosen objectives in Steps 1&2, using concrete detail to support abstract concepts. For example, the project could demonstrate understanding of efforts made to control and/or reduce nuclear weapons (Objectives 1&2 of Step 2), supported by quantitative information about the numbers of nuclear weapons, who has them, and what their status is (Objective 1 of Step 1). Another example is to analyze the role of nuclear weapons today and motivations for states to acquire them (knowledge gained through Objectives 1-5 of Step 2) based on historical understanding of deterrence and the role of nuclear weapons in the Cold War (Objectives 3&4 of Step 1).

Presentation

Mini-Projects should be carefully developed, with attention to presentation. Whether it is a research paper or a 3D model of a weapon design, each mini-project should include a narrative (in writing and/or voice) comprising:

• The purposeof the project. Make a point! Think of this as the thesis of your story. Every good story has an introduction, plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion. What story do you want to tell?
• A clear point of view. Where do you stand on the issue of disarmament and weapons reduction or elimination? This should be clear.
• Clear and concise language. Language should be carefully chosen and terminology appropriately used.
• Organization! Have a clear introduction that sets the tone for the narrative, a clear purpose, concrete support, and a logical conclusion.

The following are suggested forms that the Mini-Project could take. Student groups are welcome to propose their own ideas for the project. However, the project format must be able to be posted on the website.

• Research paper
• PowerPoint with voiceover or written narrative
• Prezi with audio or written narrative
• Illustrated poster with narrative
• Video
• Digital storytelling
• Voicethread
• Website or blog
• 3-D Model with narration
• Multimedia
• Any combination of the above

The Mini-Project must meet the following criteria:

• Be original student work
• Should be a product of teamwork by all participating students
• Demonstrate in-depth understanding of the chosen area of the topic
• Be displayable on the CIF website
• Include clear and accurate citations for any work borrowed from other sources
• Be accompanied by a bibliography of works cited (if not a paper).

STUDENT CONFERENCE PROJECT

Future Prospects: What should be done to free the world of nuclear weapons?

Students will explore the security benefits and possible risks of reducing or eliminating nuclear arsenals. What are the political and technical obstacles to achieving the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons?  Despite numerous challenges on the path toward a world free of nuclear weapons, many national governments and members of civil society have cooperated in initiatives to promote progress toward this goal.  CIF high school students, the next generation of leaders of nuclear disarmament, need to develop their own vision for a safer future world.

Objectives of the Research Phase

In the research phase, participants will examine this topic in CIF’s four content domains: scientific/environmental, social/cultural, economic, and political /geopolitical. Students should be able to demonstrate a synthesis of knowledge gained in meeting the following objectives:

1. To analyze both the security benefits and risks of reducing or eliminating nuclear arsenals.
2. To evaluate the political and technical obstacles to complete global disarmament.
3. To investigate the factors involved in cooperative efforts by national governments and civil society to promote disarmament.
4. To develop a vision for, pathway to, or solution for achieving a world without nuclear weapons.

FINAL CONFERENCE PRESENTATION: Your own roadmap to a world without nuclear weapons

Student groups who are participating in the 2013 CIF Spring Student Conference are required to make an oral presentation. The format and topic for this presentation are open, but must be approximately 20 minutes long plus 10 minutes for Q&A, include live speaking roles for students, and be relevant to the year’s topic theme. If students choose to extend their mini-projects for this conference presentation, the presentation should go beyond the scope and depth of the mini-project. Overall, the conference presentation should exceed scope and depth of the mini-projects.

The purpose of the Final Student Conference presentation is to apply student learning of the research objectives for Steps 1-3 to develop a vision, pathway, solution, or scenario for a world without nuclear weapons. While student groups do not need to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of all the objectives in Steps 1-3, the conference presentation should reflect a synthesis of the knowledge gained in the research phase of all three steps.

To develop this project, students should expand their investigations to include (but not be limited to) the possibility of:

• Going beyond the current Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty regime
• Moving disarmament forward from the current US-Russia bilateral arms control to a global level
• Delegitimizing nuclear weapons.

Conference Presentations should be carefully developed, with attention to appearance, staging, and production. Whether the student group performs a skit or makes a formal presentation, the same elements that applied to the Mini-Projects should be included in the Conference Presentation:

• The purposeof the project. Make a point! Think of this as the thesis of your story. Every good story has an introduction, plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion. What story are you wanting to tell?
• A clear point of view. Where do you stand on the issue of disarmament and weapons reduction or elimination? This should be clear.
• Clear and concise language. Language should be carefully chosen and terminology appropriately used.
• Organization! Have a clear introduction that sets the tone for the narrative, a clear purpose, concrete support, and a logical conclusion.

The following are suggested forms that the Student Conference Presentation could take. Student groups are welcome to propose their own ideas for the presentation to their teachers. All presentation forms should include live student speaking roles at the conference (i.e., Don’t rely only on video or only on a game or interactive activity with the audience. Follow guidelines above for the conference presentation.)

• PowerPoint, Prezi or other Visual Presentation
• Skit or play
• Mini-simulation (role play)
• Projects that can be projected (but should also include live student roles)
  • Video
  • Digital storytelling
  • Voicethread
  • Website or blog
  • 3-D Model with narration
  • Multimedia
• Interactive activity with audience
• Competition
• Any combination of the above

The Student Conference Presentation must meet the following criteria:

• Be original student work
• Should be a product of teamwork by all participating students, including students who cannot come to the Spring Conference
• Demonstrate in-depth understanding of the chosen area of the topic
• Include clear and accurate citations for any work borrowed from other sources (as appropriate to the medium)
• Be accompanied by a bibliography of works cited if no citations are included elsewhere
• Meet professional standards of oral presentation (more instruction will be provided).