SWITZERLAND: Scaling the Heights...
Teacher Page

DEAR EDUCATOR,
"Love of liberty and [of] democratic structures is deeply engrained in both our countries' constitution[s]," observed Switzerland's Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey in a recent address in New York City. The Minister's meaning was clear to those in her audience who were familiar with the idea that Switzerland and the USA are "Sister Republics." But what about young Americans who have not yet had occasion to explore Switzerland's democratic heritage?

American teens are familiar with their own country's role in promoting democracy. What they may not realize is the extent to which small, landlocked Switzerland protects and promotes it, too. "The creation of a multicultural state and the political integration of different religions and languages ... is probably the most precious legacy of Switzerland's democracy," writes political scientist Wolf Linder in his excellent Swiss Democracy (1998).

Linder's got it right. And students can begin to discover why, as they read this unit's Student Text Pages and consult its Map Page and Data Page…. [NOTE: If you're looking for ways to help your class sharpen their Social Studies Reading Skills, see LE's new reading skills segment at the end of this Teacher Page!]

CURRICULUM STANDARDS
Each of the three student pages in this unit is self-contained, and the pages can be duplicated and distributed in any sequence, though the numbered "I-2-3" order makes good sense. As a whole, the unit should be an excellent supplement to courses in European History, World Regions, Government, and Contemporary Issues (9-12).

Among current learning standards supported by the unit are these four, cited from Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (National Council for the Social Studies). Thus, students in high school should be able to:

• "demonstrate the value of cultural diversity, as well as cohesion, within and across groups." — "Culture"

• "identify significant historical periods and patterns of change within and across cultures, such as the rise of ... [nations], and social, economic, and political revolutions." — "Time, Continuity, and Change"

• "explain the purpose of government and analyze how [over time] its powers are acquired, used, and justified." — "Power, Authority, and Governance"

• "describe and evaluate the role of international and multinational organizations in the global arena." — "Global Connections"

CRITICAL TERMS
Historically, Switzerland's cantons have been the 23 small regions, or "states," which, over time, formed a loose federation. Student researchers may discover that three of those states were later divided, yielding the current total of 26 cantons.... In many sources, the term confederation is used when referring to the early Swiss alliance. In this unit, however, Confederation is reserved for the federal republic that was formed in 1848, with its new level of federal powers.... Finally, you might want to point out the difference between casual meanings sometimes assigned to the term neutrality in the USA ("We chose to remain neutral and stay out of that matter") and the term's meaning in Swiss policy, where it has nothing to do with an occasional decision to withdraw and everything to do with traditional Swiss geopolitics.

Other terms in the unit that you may want to preview: astrophysics, entrepreneur, federal republic, Habsburg, pharmaceutical, precision machinery, sovereignty, technical standards (in world trade).

WIDENING CIRCLES...
LE’s unit on Switzerland has been developed around a "widening-circles" approach to the study of modern-day societies. Among the student duplicatible pages, Switzerland is explored first as a nation (see Student Text Page No. 1), next as a member of its geographic and political region (Student Text Page No. 2), and finally as an active participant in global affairs (Student Text Page No. 3). The Switzerland Data Page and, especially, the Switzerland Map Page contain valuable supplementary information for topics addressed on the Student Text Pages.

Running through the entire unit are underlying questions: What role does Switzerland play in today's world community? What does its experience teach us about preserving and protecting diversity within one's nation, while maintaining a single "policy" voice in the world at large? You may want to use those questions — as well as the "Key Questions" at the end of each unit page — to evaluate students' knowledge and understanding of the overall topic.

BACKGROUND ON STUDENT PAGES
As you introduce this unit to students, ask them to speculate on the meaning of the unit title. In what sense might Switzerland (or any nation) be said to "scale the heights"? Urge them to look for appropriate examples (achievements in research, trade, democratic institutions, global relations, etc.), as they examine each of the three Student Text Pages. Here's additional background and some commentary on those pages:

1.   Student Text Page No. 1: "As a Nation." The page begins with an account of record-setting hot-air balloonists, one of them a Swiss hero. Students researching the event can find reports of interviews and other accounts in which the trials that defined "courage" on the balloonists' venture are described. Piccard and Jones told of the fears that had dogged their voyage: Ice formations threatened to weigh down the Breitling, their flight over the Pacific Ocean for six straight days was daunting, their fuel ran too low too soon...

Beyond the Breitling story, other topics on this page that are likely to interest teenage readers include the origin, characteristics, and heritage of Switzerland's multicultural population. For example, you may want them to research the country's four "national languages." The fact-packed Swissworld Web Site indicates the following distribution of the four languages among Switzerland's population: German, 63.7 percent; French, 20.4 percent; Italian 6.5 percent; and Romansch (a very old regional language) 0.5 percent. The remaining 8.9 percent of the population speak other languages. In fact, 20 percent of Switzerland's 7.3 million inhabitants are natives of other countries. The reason? Switzerland does not have enough workers to fill all the jobs that its thriving economy creates…. Which suggests another research topic: Switzerland's export trade, the motor driving that economy. Most teenagers know about traditional Swiss exports — watches, cheese, and chocolates. But, as the "Nation" Page points out, Swiss chemicals, machines, electronics, and pharmaceuticals are in big demand around the world. And a perusal of the current "Swiss Foreign Trade: Facts and Figures (2003-2004)" reveals an even greater variety of exports — one ranging from jewelry, to motor vehicles, to textiles. It's no wonder that Switzerland, which ranked 94th in population size in 2002, was among the top 20 nations in trade volume. (Editor's Note: For current trade statistics, GDP, and other economic data, see also the World Factbook profile of Switzerland, a source that goes through many revisions throughout the year.)

2.   Student Text Page No. 2: "Within Its Region." Democracy and its evolution among the Swiss is a key theme on this page, which looks only at the canton and federal levels of government. But Switzerland has 3,000 communes, too. And that's where many democratic choices first occur. A few places even have open-air, show-of-hands voting! There's quite a contrast here, in power symbolism, to the federal government, where executive power is vested in a seven-member Federal Council chosen by Switzerland's bicameral legislature. Indeed, Switzerland's focus on the power of its citizenry is manifest in many ways — for example, through the referendum described on the "Region" page. You might want to tell students that, with only 100,000 signatures, Swiss citizens can also initiate a complete or partial revision of their constitution! Then, when the discussion really kicks off, add the fact that Swiss women did not gain the right to vote at the federal level until 1971! That might be a good point at which to have students draft an editorial on "The Meaning of Democracy: Examples From Home and Abroad."

3.   Student Text Page No. 3: "In Today's World." Swiss participation in global organizations is an important theme on the "World" Page. It's a participation with a long history. In 1864, Swiss humanitarians in Geneva persuaded 16 nations to pledge that they would let medics tend to all wounded soldiers on the battlefield, regardless of what flag a soldier might be defending. The work begun by those nations soon evolved into the International Red Cross — just one of the many institutions through which the Swiss still work to improve human conditions. They're also active members of such diverse groups as the European Space Agency (ESA), the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and the World Health Organization (WHO). For students who love (?) detail work, you might recommend that they consult the "Appendix" of the current CIA World Factbook (in print or on-line), to check the memberships of each of the many international organizations and environmental treaties that this source lists.Switzerland's name pops up everywhere.

SOCIAL STUDIES READING SKILLS
Realizing that the recent U.S. Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) will exert a mounting pressure on social studies teachers to emphasize reading skills with secondary school students, LE offers the following tip for use with this unit (see also LE's Page on Reading Skills in the Social Studies):

* Analyzing Cause-Effect Explanations. Cause-effect analysis is an important tool for understanding human history. But it's not the same as "cause-effect" in a science lab. And it's not easy to internalize — or communicate. First, one needs ability to recognize the "Why-Because" structure of a cause-effect relationship — even when the elements of that relationship involve converging forces and take a long period of time to unfold. Then there's need for skill in detecting false premises, sensing when key information may be missing, recognizing simple coincidence, and (above all) avoiding a deterministic mind-set. That being said: Here are a few questions that may help students strengthen their skills in cause-effect analysis as they read this unit's Student Text Page No. 2: "Within Its Region":

1. Why, according to historians, did Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden form an alliance in 1291? Possible answer: Concerned that nearby conflicts over the expansion of the Habsburg Empire might spill over into their region, the leaders of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden formed a mutual-defense pact that year.
2. Why, in 1515, did the Swiss declare a policy of neutrality? Possible answer: By 1515, the loose federation of Swiss regions and city-states included a diverse population whose members were variously linked (by cultural roots) to French, Italian, German, and other neighboring societies. Anticipating that any future war against those neighbors might lead to a conflict of loyalties within the alliance, the federation opted for neutrality.
3. What steps led to the formation of the Swiss Confederation in 1848? Possible elements: (1) France's invasion of Switzerland in 1798 set of a chain of events that led up to the formation of the present-day Swiss Confederation. At first, (2) France replaced Switzerland's old federation with a strong central government. (3) The Swiss protested this interference vehemently, whereupon (4) the Council of Vienna (1815) restored the federation, which then included 22 cantons. (5) After that, two schools of political thought within Switzerland — "centrists" and "Federalists" — argued respectively for, and against, a new, strong central government. (6) In 1848, the two sides resolved their differences by forming a federal government in which the cantons retain much power.

MORE SOURCES
The Swiss Embassy in Washington, DC maintains an excellent Web Site, with links to general background data, economic and cultural info, and official press releases.