ProQuest Platinum
Suicide Prevention & Iraq-Afghanistan Vets
Suicide Prevention Week is September 6-12, 2009. This annual campaign raises national awareness of how depression and other mental health problems can lead to suicide.

Students: What are the major symptoms that usually accompany military veterans from our pair of wars who commit suicide? How can the Veteran's Administration provide helpful mental health support for vets?

Welcome back! Click a product icon above to find out what's new in each ProQuest solution for the new school year. (Don't miss our in-depth product email newsletters.)

SIRS Spotlights + Challenge Quests
On September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed by 39 delegates from 12 states.

Our new SIRS Spotlight of the Month explores the history, principles, and impact of the U.S. Constitution and the responsibilities of citizenship.

Each year, the American Library Association (ALA) releases a list of challenged library books.

SIRS asks: How does the ALA define a "challenge" to a book? Search query: challenge AND book (by date)

Top 3 Websites  
Each month, our SIRS team scours the Internet for top-quality websites for schools and students. Dive into this month's selections: Right to Die, Swine Flu (All)

CultureGrams
End of World War II
August marked the 64th anniversary of the event that effectively ended World War II—the announcement of the acceptance of the surrender terms by Japan on August 15, 1945—V-J Day. However, the formal surrender occurred on September 2, 1945.

To help students gain a greater appreciation for the modern cultures of the war's combatants, divide students into groups of three to four, and assign each group to read a CultureGrams World Edition report for a different country: Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the U.S., or Britain.

After reading our report, assign students to prepare presentations as if they were representatives from their country's travel bureau or embassy. Focus on two areas: How have the country's culture and people influenced others? Why would others wish to visit their country?

World Conflicts Today
The End of the Iraq War?
President Obama declared publicly that he plans to withdraw most U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of August 2010. That's less than a year from now. The plan includes a force of between 35,000 to 50,000 troops that will remain in Iraq. They would be withdrawn gradually until all U.S. forces are out of Iraq by December 31, 2011—the deadline set under an agreement the Bush administration signed with the Iraqi government last year.

During this period, additional American troops will be killed or injured but without the glory of "Mission Accomplished." Read "Costs of occupation" in the Global Implications section of the Iraq report.

Then answer this essential question for critical thinking: Why might grief caused by the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq be felt more widely than the grief that has been felt in previous wars? (Full activity.)

Explore additional history-related themes inside Retroview and History Happenings, our hands-on social studies newsletters.

ProQuest Historical Newspapers
Healthcare & Big Government: A History
The origin of the government's involvement in healthcare began when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare and Medicaid law on July 30, 1965 as part of his "Great Society" program.

It's interesting to see that the arguments for and against Medicare are very similar to the arguments being used today to help defeat what's referred to as "Obamacare." Candidate Obama promised healthcare reform and that was a major reason that he was elected.

Students: What strategies did President Johnson use to repel the dissenter in Congress? What similarities and differences are there in President Obama's campaign for healthcare reform and Johnson's campaign for Medicare?