The main aim of this WebQuest is to use the most recent war with Iraq as a means to help students develop their critical thinking abilities. The controversial nature of the topic, its relevancy to people's lives throughout the world, and divergent perspectives and policies at individual and institutional levels about the issue make it an invaluable and  profitable moment to teach the concept war to students. Students need to deal with real world tasks in and out of the class in order to be prepared for taking over the office of citizenship as informed, reasoned and active decision makers. The more students are engaged in the critical analysis of current events, the more likely they are to see the tasks as meaningful, relevant, useful and worth spending time and energy. Given that we are living in an global world characterized by interdependency and that the young generation know little about what is going on in other parts of the world, teachers can use this popular event in order to help students pay attention to political, social, and economic events and developments in the world, whereby broaden their understanding of the complex world in which they live.

     Keep in mind that this task cannot be completed by students in a few lessons. The suggested time period for involving students in this WebQuest is two to three weeks. Given the purposes of social studies curriculum and instruction (i.e., producing informed, reasoned, active, and responsible citizens who can identify and then make effective and ethical decisions on the problems confronting society), this time period is worthy of spending in that while engaging in this task, students need to manipulate their critical, reflective and higher-order thinking skills that are fundamental to realizing the goals of the subject. You are suggested not be concerned with a superficial treatment of a number of topics and issues in the subject. Recent cognitive and learning theories suggest that depth over breath in social studies curriculum development and implementation is the key and best approach to teaching subject to students if students are to attain what learning outcomes are expected of them in the subject. As for the target student population, this task is especially designed for 12 grade social studies students. However, the nature of the task permits teachers to conduct this lesson in almost every social studies classrooms as of 8 grade by making some changes in the structure of task. What kinds of changes you need to make depend on the cognitive and developmental age and needs of your students. Elementary students at 5 grade level will probably be interested in how individuals are affected by the war. Middle school students are more likely to engage in abstract reasoning beyond personal issues such as the reasons for war than elementary students. High school students are in the best position to critically evaluate different aspects of the war. Irrespective of students grade levels, encourage your students to put across their perspectives about the issue freely while conducting this WebQuest. Involve them in taking on different perspectives by studying different sets of resources. Approximate time period for students to be done with this WebQuest is between 3 to 4 weeks.

     The following social studies standards apply to this WebQuest.

Grades 8
Historical Understanding Standard 2- Understands the historical perspective.
Benchmarks: Understands that specific individuals and the values those individuals held had an impact on history; Analyzes the influence specific ideas and beliefs had on a period of history; Analyzes the effects specific decisions had on history

American History Standard 30 - Understands developments in foreign policy and domestic politics between the Nixon and Bush presidencies.
Benchmark: Understands major foreign policy events and how they influenced public opinion of the administrations from Nixon to Bush

Civics Standard 22- Understands how the world is organized politically into nation-states, how nation-states interact with one another, and issues surrounding U.S. foreign policy.
Benchmarks: Knows various means used to attain the ends of United States foreign policy (e.g., diplomacy; economic, military, and humanitarian aid; treaties; trade agreements; incentives; sanctions; military intervention; covert action); Knows examples of important current foreign policy issues and the means the United States is using to deal with them; Knows the purposes and functions of major governmental international organizations and non-governmental international organizations

World History Standard 44- Understands the search for community, stability, and peace in an interdependent world.
Benchmark: Understands instances of political conflict and terrorism in modern society

Grades 9-12
Historical Understanding Standard 2- Understands the historical perspective.
Benchmarks: Analyzes the values held by specific people who influenced history and the role their values played in influencing history; Analyzes the influences specific ideas and beliefs had on a period of history and specifies how events might have been different in the absence of those ideas and beliefs; Analyzes the effects specific decisions had on history and studies how things might have been different in the absence of those decisions; Understands that the consequences of human intentions are influenced by the means of carrying them out

American History Standard 30 - Understands developments in foreign policy and domestic politics between the Nixon and Bush presidencies.
Benchmark: Understands the influence of U.S. foreign policy on international events from Nixon to Bush.

Civics Standard 22- Understands how the world is organized politically into nation-states, how nation-states interact with one another, and issues surrounding U.S. foreign policy.
Benchmarks: Understands the significance of principal foreign policies and events in the United States' relations with the world; Understands how and why the United States assumed the role of world leader after World War II and what its current leadership role is in the world; Understands the major foreign policy positions that have characterized the United States' relations with the world; Knows how the powers over foreign affairs that the Constitution gives to the president, Congress, and the federal judiciary have been used over time; and understands the tension between constitutional provisions and the requirements of foreign policy; Understands the process by which United States foreign policy is made, including the roles of federal agencies, domestic interest groups, the media, and the public, and knows the ways in which Americans can influence foreign policy; Understands the idea of the national interest and how it is used as a criterion for shaping American foreign policy; Understands the current role of the United States in peacemaking and peacekeeping; Understands the role of the United States in establishing and maintaining principal international organizations

World History Standard 44- Understands the search for community, stability, and peace in an interdependent world.
Benchmarks: Understands the role of political ideology, religion, and ethnicity in shaping modern governments; Understands the role of ethnicity, cultural identity, and religious beliefs in shaping economic and political conflicts across the globe; Understands the effectiveness of United Nations programs; Understands common arguments of opposition groups in various countries around the world, common solutions they offer, and the position of these ideas with regard to Western economic and strategic interests

Geography Standard 13- Understands the forces of cooperation and conflict that shape the divisions of Earth's surface.
Benchmarks: Understands how cooperation and/or conflict can lead to the allocation of control of Earth's surface; Knows the causes of boundary conflicts and internal disputes between culture groups; Understands the changes that occur in the extent and organization of social, political, and economic entities on Earth's surface

National Council for the Social Studies Global Connections IX:
Benchmarks: Explain conditions and motivations that contribute to conflict, cooperation and interdependence among groups, societies and nations; Analyze the relationships and tensions between national sovereignty and global interests, in matters such as territory, economic development, nuclear and other weapons, use of natural resources, and human rights concerns; Analyze or formulate policy statements demonstrating an understanding of concerns, standards, issues and conflicts related to universal human rights; Describe and evaluate the role of international and multinational organizations in the global arena