The New York Times Upfront teacher's edition.

• Author: Zack, Ian

Our cover image depicts the Middle East as a ticking bomb, an apt metaphor. In Syria, the most violent Arab Spring uprising yet has the potential to scramble the balance of power in the region, possibly robbing Iran of a key ally at a time when it's locked in a tense standoff with Israel, the U.S., and the United Nations over its suspected nuclear weapons program. We examine the year-old Syrian conflict and what it means for the U.S. and the region. In Times Past, we revisit the Six-Day War, which pitted Israel against its Arab neighbors 45 years ago and set the stage for the modem-day Arab-Israeli conflict that helps make the Mideast so volatile today.

In much of the world, global warming is seen as a pressing problem, with a growing number of nations enacting laws to curb greenhouse-gas emissions. But American attitudes have cooled on the issue, with only a quarter of Americans now citing climate change as a top...