Syria Foreign Policy Presentation

Your final assignment for civics will be to understand a perspective on the Syrian Conflict and participate in a hearing of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations to consider a recommendation for the US policy.

Additional resources to use a starting place for gathering more information:

  • BBC NEWS Overview:
  • PBS News Overview:
  • Al Jazeera News - Overview of different positions of countries:
  • Al Jazeera News - Overview of conflict:

Policy Advisors to the Council:

  1. Individually: Carefully review your policy option handout and fill out your portion of the graphic organizer. Conduct additional research online. Use the resources listed above as a starting place.
  1. Individually: Create a written, detailed list of talking points to present your policy to the committee members (approx. 2 minutes presentation). Your job is to convince the committee to follow your recommendation.

As a starting place, your talking points presentation should consider:

  • What are the top US concerns regarding Syria?
  • What is the goal of your option?
  • What is the expected effect of military action against Syria?
  • Should the US seek international cooperation to resolve this issue?
  • What are the lessons from history?
  1. Group: get together with the other members of your option group. Compare your information and divide your information so that during the presentation each person will speak to the committee. Be prepared for questions from the committee about your policy.
  1. Documents to turn in after the presentation:
  2. Detailed list of talking points
  3. Graphic organizer (completed during the presentation)

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations:

  1. Individually: Carefully review each of the policy options that will be presented to you. Use the graphic organizer (provided to you) to help you compare options.
  1. Individually: Use additional resources (listed above) to create2 in-depth questions for each policy option. Write these questions down AND why you want to ask these questions.
  1. Group: get together with your other Senate committee members and discuss which questions you will want to ask each group (limit yourself to about 3 total questions for each group). Divide up the questions so that everyone gets a chance to speak during the presenations.
  1. Documents to turn in after the presentation:
  2. List of questions
  3. Graphic organizer

Foreign Representatives

  1. Individually: Carefully review each of the policy options that will be presented to the committee. Use the graphic organizer to help you compare the options.
  1. Individually: Decide, using research based on the additional resources (listed above), which policy you will be the best and which policy would be the worst for your country. Write a detailed list of reasons for each of these decisions
  1. Group: Get together and compare your research and decisions. Choose one person to speak in support of the best policy (presenting your list of reasons) and one person to present against the worst policy.
  1. Documents to turn in after the presentation:
  2. Detailed list of reasons for and against policies
  3. Graphic organizer

Grading: 40 Cumulative Points

____/15Research Based Document completed with depth and detail

(talking points, list of questions, reasons for/against)

____/10Graphic Organizer (completed in detail)

____/10Presentation style (voice, passion, and depth of knowledge)

____/5Visible effort and communication with group

____/2 Optional Extra Credit: Dress to impress! Business attire – you are going to work in Washington D.C.! DO NOT spend any money – just use what you have or borrow from your friend’s/parent’s closets!

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

Chairperson: Ms. Petersen

Ranking Member: Jordan

Majority Leader: Riley

Minority Leader: Bryant

Policy Advisors to the Council

Option 1: Kaitlin O, Elliot, Steve

Option 2: Lucy, Reece, Ryan

Option 3: Annika, Adam, Ben

Option 4: Sam, Gabe, Julia

Foreign Representatives

Great Britain – Kyle, Sarah

Iran – Katelyn, Amir

Russia – Ethan, Gabi

Saudi Arabia – Olivia, Jack

Turkey –Maddy, Jing