Teaching the Nuclear Age

A History Institute for Teachers

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March 28–29, 2009

Hosted by

Atomic Testing Museum
Las Vegas, Nevada

Sponsored by

The Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Wachman Center
Atomic Testing Museum
American Academy of Diplomacy

Atomic Testing Museum American Academy of Diplomacy

Over 60 years ago, the nuclear age began with weapons that could destroy a city in a single strike. Although nuclear weapons have not been used since their first and only use in 1945, the prospect that nuclear weapons will find their way into the hands of terrorists or rogue regimes is arguably the greatest threat to the world today. This weekend-long program will enable teachers to understand— and teach— the nuclear age with historical perspective.

Topics and Speakers:

Saturday, March 28

9:00 a.m. What Every American Needs to Know about Nuclear Weapons
Jeremy Bernstein, Professor Emeritus, Stevens Institute of Technology , and author of “Nuclear Weapons: What You Need to Knowâ€
10:20 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m. The Role of Nuclear Weapons in International Politics
Andrew L. Ross, Director, Center for Science, Security, and Policy, and Professor of Political Science, University of New Mexico
12:00 noon Lunch
1:30 p.m. Harry Truman and the Decision to Drop the Bomb: The Debate Among Historians
Richard B. Frank, author of “Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empireâ€
2:45 Break
3:00 p.m. The Nevada Test Site in History and Today
Troy E. Wade II, Chairman of the Board, Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation
4:00 p.m. Tour of the Atomic Testing Museum
5:00 p.m. Break and Return to Hotel
6:00 Reception and Dinner
7:30 p.m. The Nuclear Age in the Classroom
Paul Dickler, Senior Fellow, FPRI’s Wachman Center
Linda Miller, Trustee, Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation

Sunday, March 29

8:30 a.m The Question of Arms Control in the Nuclear Era: A Panel Discussion
Hon. Avis Bohlen, former Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control
Jim Goodby, Hoover Institution
Moderator: Adam Garfinkle, Editor, The American Interest
9:45 Break
10:00 a.m.. Does Nuclear Deterrence Apply in the Age of Terrorism
Adam Garfinkle, Editor, The American Interest
11:15 a.m. Break
11:30 a.m. Reflections on Nuclear Weapons and the Cold War
Hans Mark, Professor and John J. McKetta Centennial Energy Chair in Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
12:45 Lunch and Adjournment

The conference begins 9:00 am PT on Saturday, March 28 and concludes at 1:00 pm PT on Sunday, March 29, 2009.

What Participants Receive

Social studies and history teachers, curriculum supervisors, and junior college faculty are invited to apply for participation in the History Institute. Forty participants will be selected to receive:

To apply

Please email to lux@fpri.org a resume and a short statement describing your current teaching or professional assignments, your reasons for wanting to attend, and how your students or school district will benefit from your participation. NOTE: At the time of application, you are asked to make a commitment either to prepare a curriculum unit based on the weekend or to do in-service activities based on the weekend.

Schools with a school membership in FPRI’s Wachman Center are guaranteed one place at one History Institute weekend per year. For information about school membership, contact lux@fpri.org.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 10, 2009

Videos of the entire conference will be posted subsequently on our website.

For more information, contact:

Alan H. Luxenberg
Director, Wachman Center
Foreign Policy Research Institute
1528 Walnut Street, Suite 610
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Tel. 215-732-3774
Email: lux@fpri.org

Sponsors

Core funding for these programs has been contributed by The Annenberg Foundation. For specific weekends, additional funding has been contributed by the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Mr. H.F. Lenfest, and the Stuart Family Foundation.

American Academy of Diplomacy

The AAD’s objectives are to foster high standards of qualification for, and performance in, the conduct of diplomacy and the foreign affairs of the United States; to increase public understanding and appreciation of the contributions of diplomacy to the national interests of the United States; to study and disseminate findings and recommendations with regard to the conduct and content of American foreign policy, and to strengthen and improve American diplomatic representation abroad.

Atomic Testing Museum

The Atomic Testing Museum portrays world history through varied representations of the story of the Nevada Test Site and its programs. The museum features many not seen before, first-person narratives, large iconic artifacts, environmental re-creations, theatrical devices, and interactive elements for personal exploration. It also presents multiple viewpoints expressed in multimedia presentations and stunning graphics. The museum's parent organization, Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation, was founded to document and interpret the unique history associated with 50+ years of nuclear weapons research and testing conducted at the Test Site.

Foreign Policy Research Institute

Founded in 1955, FPRI is devoted to bringing the insights of scholarship to bear on the development of policies that advance U.S. national interests abroad. We add perspective to events by fitting them into the larger historical and cultural context of international politics. A font of ideas for policymakers, a trusted resource for journalists, a center for scholars, a prolific publisher online and in print, FPRI aspires like Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin to embrace the nation and the world.

Wachman Center

Begun in 1990, FPRI’s Wachman Center is dedicated to improving civic and international literacy in the community and in the classroom. The Center is named for FPRI’s former president Marvin Wachman (1917-2007).