R ead a paragraph or a section of the material you are working on.

Proliferation is best understood as the rapid increase in the number and destructive capability of armaments. Evidence of the impact of proliferation on world affairs can be seen in the arms race between Germany and Great Britain that helped to spark World War I; the nuclear arms race between the superpowers, the U.S. and the Soviet Union, that brought us to the brink of a World War III; and the clandestine arms buildup in Iraq that helped it fight the Gulf War.
An open book, with paragraphs waiting to be read.

 

A sk yourself what the main ideas are.

A man wondering, "What are the main ideas and details?"

P ut the main ideas in your own words.

"Proliferation is the increase in armaments. There are three pieces of evidence that show how proliferation has affected world affairs. The first is the arms build-up by England and Germany that led to World War I. The second is the nuclear race between the US and Russia that almost led to World War III. The last is the concealed weapons that Iraq had that led to the Gulf War."

A well constructed outline of the main ideas.

Q uestions about the reading.

  • Write on the front of the note card: What are three events that show how world affairs have been affected by proliferation of weapons?

  • Write on the back of the note card:

    World War I - Germany and Great Britain.

    The possibility of World War III - U.S. and Soviet Union.

    Iraq's concealed weapons used to fight the Gulf War.

A note card with questions about the reading written on it.