War on War

Globally, are there more wars now than there were 50 years ago?

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McLean's

1. How accurate was your prediction?

2. What most surprised you about this chart?

3. Identify two trends you see in the chart?

4. Why do you think this is?

5. What is one consequence of this change?

6. What is the take home story from this chart?

7. Is this good news or bad news?

8. Draw out what you predict this graph will look like over the next 50 years.

9. How many of these wars do you think the U.S. was involved in?

10. In his 2011 book, The Better Angels of Our Nature, scientist and author Steven Pinker detailed how war has been on the wane for half a millennium. Do you think we will ever reach a point when we no longer have war?

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Learning Extension

Read the entire McLean's article about the war on war.

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Action Extension

Did you know that no two democracies have ever directly gone to war against each other? It's true. Why do you think that is? Should we outlaw war? Would we be better off without war? Are we at the end of war? Discuss these questions with a friend at lunch then share your thoughts with the Secretary General of the United Nations.