Socratic Seminar on NATO’s Expansion

In this lesson, students will analyze primary and secondary sources to participate in a Socratic Seminar on whether NATO should persist in its expansion or reconsider its strategy.

Download Lesson Plan

What started as a WWII alliance between the democratic Western Powers and the communist Soviet Union quickly turned to rivalry following WWII. Rebuilding Europe created competition as an anxious West watched Soviet influence grow in Eastern Europe. The atmosphere of fear was heightened by the threat of nuclear weapons. In response to building tensions and anxieties, the United States, along with 11 countries, signed the North Atlantic Treaty. The treaty formed the legal basis of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.

After the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, NATO evolved to focus not only on collective security, but also on peace-keeping and democratization. NATO’s new mission also meant more countries could enter into the alliance. Today, NATO includes 32 countries, raising questions about its continued expansion.

In this lesson, students will analyze primary and secondary sources to participate in a Socratic Seminar on whether NATO should persist in its expansion or reconsider its strategy. Through close reading and analysis of primary and secondary sources, students will deepen their understanding of the complexities of NATO in the 21st century.

Materials & Links

Google Slides
Readings
- Primary Source: North Atlantic Treaty
- How Secretary Albright Advocated to Expand NATO
- Foreign Policy Magazine Article: Liberal Illusions Caused the Ukraine Crisis
- New York Times Opinion Piece: NATO Expansion, Compliments of Mr. Putin
- Time Magazine: Why NATO is Essential for World Peace, According to Its Former Commander
- The Economist: When will Ukraine join NATO?
Student Packet
Supplemental information for students

Standards Alignment

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.8: Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source.
VUS.15.b: Explaining the long-term impact of the Marshall Plan, the formation of NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and the efforts of the United States to protect Western Europe.
WH2.86: Analyze the impact of the collapse of the Soviet Union on global power dynamics, including the role of NATO in the post-Cold War era and the emergence of new democracies in Eastern Europe.