This unit of study allows students and teachers to step back from the confusing media reports of the day-to-day turmoil in the former Soviet Union (FSU) and to examine it from a more thoughtful vantage point. The unit focuses on the most important instrument of U.S. policy toward the FSU--economic assistance. At the core of the unit are four distinct options for U.S. aid policy. Each option contains a different perspective on the threats and opportunities presented by conditions in the FSU. By exploring a spectrum of alternatives, students gain a deeper understanding of the values and assumptions underlying U.S. foreign aid programs. The background readings provide students with information to assess U.S. policy. Part 1 describes the political and economic context of the Marshall Plan adopted in 1948 in the aftermath of World War II, and calls on students to compare the situation in Western Europe at that time with the current state of affairs in the FSU. Part 2 traces the historical roots of the Soviet command economy, the failure of perestroika, and the course of political and economic reform in the former Soviet states. The unit contains a five-day lesson plan and student activities. Students assess the Marshall Plan, reflect on how people in the FSU view the changes affecting their lives, and role play a simulation in which students assume the role of advocates for the four options. On the final day of the lesson plan students develop coherent policy recommendations based on their own values and beliefs. (DK)