Teaching International Relations Program

Attention TIRP Volunteers

  • Before the team meets to design the Team Activity Plan (TAP) , you must visit the Activities Database to select a set of materials to bring to the team planning meeting.
  • Use the search tag for your TIRP topic to find the overview guide and review items on the list to pick your recommendations for the 4-week lesson plan.
  • You have 4 class sessions to accomplish your teaching objectives. The goal is to combine one or more analytical tools with cases and activities.

Remember!

  • Not every database item is “an activity”
    → Some items are analytical frames that outline basic terms and relationships. These frames are not usually meant to be student handouts. They are “instructor notes” to guide the main ideas of your lesson planning.
  • Not every activity is meant for one class session
    → Some activities are only for 20-30 minutes. An NPR case is not meant to take a whole class period. Cases should be matched with activities. Some cases include a built-in activity.

Start with the search tag!

  • A special tag link for each topic will begin with an overview for TIRP volunteers and include a limited “core set” of materials to get you started.
  • Read the overview carefully. It has condensed notes for you to consider different directions you can take in teaching your four class sessions.
    For example, the topic “political economy” is wide open. The tagged set of database items will give different analytical frames that each go in different directions with different cases.
  • The guide for most materials will refer you to cases and activities that are either intended or recommended to use together.

Reminder!

  • Your Advisement Meeting must happen at least one week before your first teaching session.
  • When the team has its Advisement Meeting, the group is required to bring these items:□ Team Activity Plan (TAP form) — one fully completed form for the team

    □ Teaching Copies — all the guide files of everything listed on your TAP that are each marked up with your teaching notes about what you will emphasize, how long different sections will take, what you will leave out if you run out of time, who will do each section, IR connections, etc.  You will use each teaching copy to show the staff advisor your notes on how the team will coordinate teaching each session with the activities listed on your TAP.

Warning!

  • At your advisement meeting, a completed TAP form & teaching copies are required. If either is missing, the meeting must be rescheduled.
    Note: If it is too late to reschedule an “on-time” meeting, the team loses points for an on-time advisement.