Ontario CPW4U: Canadian and International Politics Current Events Lessons

9 current events lessons for Ontario CPW4U: Canadian and International Politics. Each lesson has readings at three grade levels, discussion questions and a critical thinking task.

9 lessons

  • White House Press Ban

    A differentiated lesson on what freedom of the press protects, why it matters, and what people can do when they believe it has been violated. This lesson is…

    Rights & JusticeLegitimacyPower
    North America

  • USA and Denmark Agree to Greenland Deal

    Greenland has a population of only 57,000 but has been at the centre of a major security debate for the last few years. This lesson uses the US-Denmark-Greenland…

    Peace & ConflictSecuritySovereignty
    Europe & Central Asia · North America
  • Free lesson

    Ukraine Resists Russian Invasion

    Experts expected Ukraine and its capital, Kyiv, to fall within days. It didn't. This lesson examines the different explanations for Ukraine's defense and asks how much of Ukraine's…

    Peace & ConflictInterdependenceSovereignty
    Europe & Central AsiaMini-unit: Ukraine War · Lesson 3

  • USA – Canada Trade War

    Hours before a midnight tariff deadline, Canada suspended trade negotiations with the United States and 50% tariffs took effect. Both governments blame the other. This lesson uses the…

    Economics & DevelopmentPeace & ConflictInterdependencePowerSovereignty
    North America

  • Background to the Ukraine War

    How did the largest war in Europe since 1945 begin? Students trace Ukraine's path from independence to invasion, touching on the Budapest Memorandum, NATO expansion, Euromaidan, Crimea, and…

    Peace & ConflictNationalismSovereignty
    Europe & Central AsiaMini-unit: Ukraine War · Lesson 1

  • Ukraine’s Military Shakeup

    In one week in July 2026, Ukraine replaced its defence minister, its commander-in-chief and its chief of the General Staff. Ukrainian protesters opposed one of those decisions and…

    Peace & ConflictLegitimacyPowerSecurity
    Europe & Central AsiaMini-unit: Ukraine War · Lesson 5

  • US-Saudi Nuclear Deal

    The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a nuclear cooperation agreement in July 2026. This lesson uses it to examine what a country trades away when it buys…

    Economics & DevelopmentInterdependenceSecurity
    Middle East & North Africa

  • 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey

    A tense NATO summit in Ankara puts one question in sharp focus: what holds a military alliance together when its most powerful member publicly doubts its value? Students…

    Peace & ConflictInterdependenceSecurity
    Europe & Central Asia · North America
  • Free lesson

    Rodrigo Duterte ICC Trial

    When governments abuse human rights, who stops them? This lesson uses the Duterte drug war case to examine how NGOs and international courts work together, and where each…

    Rights & JusticeInterdependencePower
    East Asia & Pacific

Lessons are matched to this course from the curriculum links in each lesson’s teacher notes, which list the specific outcomes.