Subject:Economics, Paticipation in Government, Global Studies
Grade Level: 10th, 11th, and 12th
Materials: Wireless computer lab with Internet access, overhead projector
About: At the end of this unit, students will understand the positive and negative impacts of globalization. They learn and understand that it is a phenomenon that changes from day to day and plays a large role in all of our lives.
The students work in groups of four for their unit project. The groups select topics from a hat and create PowerPoint presentations based on their topics relationship with globalization. The students who are watching the presentations will grade their peers.
I believe that globalization is one of the most important topics social studies teachers can teach high school students. Because of curriculum standards and time constraints, there are few, if any, opportunities to explore this subject, despite its relevance and importance. As educators, I believe it is not only our job to teach important curriculum-based topics, but it is also our duty to create well-educated, well-informed, and well-opinionated members of society. When teaching a topic like globalization, it is vital that students are able to take the lessons they have learned and apply them in their lives. Although their teacher will guide them through this unit, the students must also be held responsible for their own educational development.
I use this unit with my 12th grade economics class during the last marking period of the semester. As seniors, the students usually have a greater interest in current events and how they influence the world we live in. Typically, upperclassmen have also developed good research habits, as well as conquering previous fears of public speaking. In this unit I have only explored a few of the topics that relate directly to globalization. I feel that the topics that the lessons are based on are important enough to focus on during this short unit. As an educator you can use the theme of globalization for a whole semester, but at the high school level this would be very rare. Students should know that globalization has no set definition and has relationships with dozens of other national and global themes that affect the world today. Some of the topics students and teachers could explore include: the environment, outsourcing, technology, emigration/immigration, terrorism, human rights, history, natural resources, “insourcing”, religion, civics, the media, economic development, foreign affairs, imperialism, regional relationships/tension, trade, consumerism, foreign markets and investment, the internet and many more. Feel free to change any of the lessons to fit your student population, curriculum or personal/student interests. If you are interested in using different topics, articles, or videos, the amount of resources available to educators about globalization is monumental, especially on the Internet. If you bring any lessons in the classroom to your students with enthusiasm and gripping resources, they will learn and have fun. Good luck!
| Students will understand that globalization is an extremely complicated theme with no set definition. |
| Students will learn and understand the positive and negative aspects of globalization in their everyday lives, and in the lives of people around the world. |
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| Students will learn and understand the opposing view points on globalization. |
| Students will learn and understand the positive and negative aspects of globalization on pollution and the environment in the United States and around the world. |
| Students will learn and understand how globalization is and was shaped by historic circumstances such as the Cold War. |
| Students will learn and understand how terrorism is and has been considered a consequence of globalization and historically related events. |
| Students will learn and understand that important developments in the media and technological fields, such as the Internet, have helped some countries and individuals "flatten" the world. |
| Students will learn and understand how infrastructure, education, and governance help societies expand and flourish under the connected globalized economies of the world. |
| Global Envision: great resource with thousands of articles and links about globalization |
| http://globalenvision.org/ |
| New York: great archives and articles about globalization and related topics |
| http://nytimes.com/ |
| Yale Global Online: the best site on globalization I have found...articles, podcasts, translations, video clips, topic lists, related websites, book reviews and excerpts, everything about globalization for everyone. |
| http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/ |
| Foreign Policy: articles, economics, global news |
| http://foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3995 |
| Fall 2007 Contest Winning Essay: William Bruns argues that globalization isn't a new phenomena as many claim, but part of the natural evolution of humans. |
| http://globalenvision.org/index.php?fuseaction=library.print&printerfriendly=1&category=8&itemid=1861 |
| The Environmental Benefits of Globalization: rising global affluence is a good thing for environmental sustainability, by John A. Charles |
| http://globalenvision.org/index.php?fuseaction=library.print&printerfriendly=1&category=1&itemid=645 |
| U.S. Is Not the Only Nation Resisting a Strong Pact at the Summit Meeting on Global Warming by Rachel L. Sarns |
| http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A05E0DF133FF932A0575BC0A9649C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all |
| Thomas L. Friedman: the authority on globalzation. This link has many articles and video clips from his Discovery Times shows and interviews. I love using the video in the classroom to start class discussions. A truly brilliant man who makes it all seem so easy. |
| http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/thomaslfriedman/index.html |
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| Students use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of how the United States and other societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to allocate scarce resources, how major decision-making units function in the U.S. and other national economies, and how an economy solves the scarcity problem through market and non-market mechanisms. |
| High School |
| Economics |
| Students use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives. |
| High School |
| World History |
| Students use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live—-local, national, and global, including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth’s surface. |
| High School |
| Geography |
| Students define culture and civilization, explaining how they developed and changed over time; investigate the various components of cultures and civilizations. |
| High School |
| World History |
| Students analyze the United States involvement in foreign affairs and a willingness to engage in international politics, examining the ideas and traditions leading to these foreign policies. |
| High School |
| History of the United States and New York |
| As listeners and readers, students collect data, facts, and ideas, discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information. |
| High School |
| English Language Arts |
| Students read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students use oral and written language for self-expression and artistic creation. |
| High School |
| English Language Arts |
| Students use oral and written language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views. |
| High School |
| English Language Arts |
| Students explain how computers and automation have changed the nature of work. |
| High School |
| Technology Education |
| Students explain how technological inventions and innovations have caused global growth and interdependence, stimulated economic competitiveness, created new jobs, and made other jobs obsolete. |
| High School |
| Technology Education |
| Students discuss the role technology has played in the operation of successful U.S. businesses and under what circumstance they are competitive with other countries. |
| High School |
| Technology Education |
| Students explain that although technological effects are complex and difficult to predict accurately, humans can control the development and implementation of technology. |
| High School |
| Technology Education |
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| Day 1: Globalization- a definition |
| Students will try to create a definition of globalization. Through the course of class discussion, they should realize that it is very difficult to label globalization. |
| Students will learn and understand how geography, politics, economics, society, military force, and religion play a role in the overall theme of globalization. |
| Students will use their prior knowledge of economics, United States history, global studies, geography, and cultural exchange to further understand globalization. |
| Students will understand how globalization plays a role in our everyday lives. |
| Students will understand how globalization and global connectivity play a large role in current events around the world. |
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| Multiple dry-erase markers or multiple pieces of chalk (preferably different colors in both cases) |
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| Write Aim and Do Now on the board. Aim: How can we define globalization? Do Now: Guided Writing- What do you think the term "globalization" means? Support your opinion/answer with two facts. |
| Teacher gives students ten minutes to complete the Do Now (which is a Think, Pair, Share activity). Upon completion of the "Think" portion of the activity, the teacher will pair students up in class. Students share their answers to the Do Now with their partners. Teacher gives the students five minutes to share their answers in pairs. |
| As students are sharing ideas with their partners, hand out chalk/dry-erase marker to random or previously selected pairs of students. Tell students who are given the writing implement, that they must write their partner's name on the board and his/her definition of globalization. (I encourage students to be as creative as they would like to be while writing on the board, as long as it can be read by the students and teachers.) |
| As the board fills up with student names and definitions, it should be colorful and beautiful. The teacher should facilitate a class discussion based on the information on the board. The teacher should choose students to read the board and support/oppose their classmates definitions. Because each student should have two facts to support their definition, this will create a natural debate. in class. |
| After about fifteen minutes of class discussion, the students should realize that some of their definitions of globalization are similar, but most are different. Tell the students that globalization is the combination of many themes, topics, and subtopics, just like each person's marker/chalk color, handwriting, or designs on the board. |
| Take major ideas and themes that the students came up with and create a small brainstorming bank in the upper left corner of the board. Erase the board and encourage students to create a web chart in their notebooks. |
| Teacher and students will create a web chart with Globalization as the focal point. |
| Using points from the brainstorming bank and their own ideas, assist the students in creating a Globalization web chart. You should have many or all of the following on the chart (either through class discussion or the teachers guidance): the environment, outsourcing, technology, emigration/immigration, terrorism, human rights, history, natural resources, “insourcing”, religion, civics, the media, economic development, foreign affairs, imperialism, regional relationships/tension, trade, consumerism, foreign markets and investment, the Internet, cultural exchange, etc. |
| Teacher will pose the Aim to the students: How can we create a definition for globalization? Students discuss and debate the possible answers. |
| Students will hopefully propose that globalization has no one set definition. Encourage students to create a brief general definition that may be similar to "globalization is the relationship between countries around the world and how they interact with one another." |
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| Bring in one item from your life that tells a story about globalization. Write one page (typed) about this item. Do not forget the Who, What, Where, Why, How, and When...and explain why this item tells a story about globalization. |
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| Do Now- Guided Writing; Think, Pair, Share; class discussion; Globalization web chart, answering the Aim and creating a blanket definition of globalization |
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| Day 2: Globalization In Our Lives |
| Students will learn and understand how globalization has shaped their everyday lives. |
| Students will present their items and learn about how and why these items symbolize globalization. |
| Students will use their prior knowledge of economics, United States history, global studies, geography, and cultural exchange to further understand globalization. |
| Students will understand how globalization plays a role in our everyday lives. |
| Students will understand how globalization and global connectivity play a large role in current events around the world. |
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| Students "show and tell" items and their written reports. |
| CD player or radio |
| Photocopies for each student of essay by William Bruns, who argues that globalization isn't a new phenomena as many claim, but part of the natural evolution of humans. LINK can be found above in internet links and as word document on side menu- Important Documents. Students may also use laptop cart/computer lab- students may use the links to access the articles on the internet. |
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| Write the Aim and the Do Now on the board: How do our items reflect or symbolize globalization? Do Now: 1-Put your book bags in the front of the room; 2-Hand in your paper; 3-Take out your globalization item. |
| Collect homework and encourage students to complete the Do Now. Teacher should have the classroom set up with a circle of chairs all facing the center of the room. |
| Students should be seated in the classroom facing the center with their items. |
| Notify the students that they are going to play "Musical Economics". Explain that as the music plays, the students will slowly hand the person to their left the item that they are holding. As the music stops, the students will keep whichever items they were handed. They must analyze this item and think of why it may tell the story of globalization. NOTE: students should be respectful of other people's property; the purpose of the game is not to pass the items quickly. Before the game begins, be sure to ask the students which items are fragile (they should be taken out of the game and presented separately). |
| Play the game! As the teacher stops the music, let the students analyze the item for a brief period. Choose a student to stand up and present the item and say why they think it tells the story of globalization. After they are finished, ask whose item it is and have that student tell why it symbolized globalization for them. |
| Play several rounds of the game so that each student will be participating, either through explaining someone else's item or their own. |
| Students get their notebooks and sit back down in the circle. |
| Hand out essay by William Bruns. Time permitting, the class will read out loud together. If not, the students should complete Procedures 9 and 10 at home, as well as their homework. |
| Teacher and students will read the article out loud together. Upon completion, students take out their Globalization web from the previous class and make additions based on the William Bruns article. |
| Answer Aim. |
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| Re-read the William Bruns article and then type a one- or two-page opinion of his article. Be sure to answer the following questions: Did you agree with Bruns? Why or why not? What part of the article did you connect to the most? After reading the article, what would you like to learn more about? |
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| Homework from previous lesson, group sharing during "Musical Economics", class discussion, notes based on article, homework |
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| Day 3: Globalization and the Environment |
| Students will learn and understand the issues surrounding the debate over global warming. |
| Students will learn and understand how and why countries are resisting or supporting progressive economic and environmental changes. |
| Students will use their prior knowledge of economics, United States history, global studies, geography and cultural exchange to further understand globalization. |
| Students will understand how globalization plays a role in our everyday lives. |
| Students will understand how globalization and global connectivity play a large role in current events around the world. |
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| Class photocopies of The Environmental Benefits of Globalization: "Rising global affluence is a good thing for environmental sustainability" by John A. Charles (The link can be found above in Internet links or both of these articles are together as word document on side menu- Important Documents. Students may also use laptop cart/computer lab- students may use the links to access the articles on the Internet.) |
| Class photocopies of article by Rachel Swarns. The link can be found above in Internet links or both of these articles are together as word document on side menu: Important Documents. Students may also use laptop cart/computer lab to access the articles on the Internet. |
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| Write Aim and Do Now on the board. Aim: How do the articles we read in class show us opposing view points on environmental affects of globalization? Do Now: 1-Hand in your homework; 2-Take out your note books. |
| Distribute to one side of the class the article By Rachel L. Swarns about the resistance of the United States and other countries to support progressive enivronmental and economic reforms. |
| Distribute to the other side of the class the Global Envision article by John A. Charles that describes the benefits of globalization. |
| Students quietly read their articles. |
| After reading their articles, the teacher elects one student from each side of the class as the "Speaker of the House". They will be in charge of a discussion with their peers about the article. |
| On each side of the room the students should be answering the following questions: What was the purpose of this article? "What facts or evidence did this article site?" "Which quote from the article caught your attention as interesting or shocking?" |
| After about fifteen minutes of questions and discussion, each "Speaker of the House" selects four students to write their quotes from question three on the board. The board should be divided by the teacher so that each side has room to write. |
| As a class, each side explains what their article was about cite and the evidence the author used in their article. Each group then reads their quotes from the board out loud and explains why they were interested or shocked by them. |
| The students take out their notebooks and create a T-Chart to compare these two views on American and global support/resistance of progressive environmental and economic changes. The chart should be labeled TO CHANGE OR NOT TO CHANGE, THAT IS THE QUESTION! |
| Teacher will put a T-Chart template on the overhead and help the students fill it out. In order to understand why countries feel the need to "change or not to change," the students use quotes, facts, figures, and ideas from each article. |
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| Homework from previous class, class discussion run by "Speakers of the House", class share out with quotes on the board, class discussion: filling out T-Chart: To Change Or Not To Change. |
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| Day 4: Globalization and War, Imperialism, Natural Resources, Technology, Immigration, Emigration, and the Internet |
| Students will learn and understand how war, imperialism, natural resources, technology, immigration, emigration, and the Internet have all played a role in globalization. |
| Students will use the Internet to research their topic and how it has/is related to globalization. |
| Students will use their prior knowledge of economics, United States history, global studies, geography and cultural exchange to further understand globalization. |
| Students will understand how globalization plays a role in our everyday lives. |
| Students will understand how globalization and global connectivity play a large role in current events around the world. |
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| Laptop cart/computer lab with printers |
| Internet access |
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| Write Aim and Do Now on the board. Aim: How have war, imperialism, immigration, terrorism, natural resources, technology, emigration, and the Internet all influenced or been influenced by globalization? |
| Students are split into groups of three or four by their teacher. |
| Each group is given a specific topic from the Aim. The group must research how their topic has or is currently related to globalization. |
| Students use the Internet (some links provided above in links section) to research their specific topic. |
| The students must do the following in a one- or two-page essay based on their research: Give a brief definition of what your topic is, what it means, and a real-life example of your topic. For example: Our groups topic is imperialism. Imperialism is when one country or group of people take over or control another people or country. One real-life example of imperialism is when England ruled over India. Explain how your topic is related to globalization. -Print out two articles (newspaper, magazine, scholarly) about how your topic relates to globalization. |
| Students do research in groups to find out answers to their group questions. |
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| Students must finish their group essay by the next class. opies of the articles must also be attached when the students hand them in. |
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| Cooperative Learning Research: 2 articles relating to their topic and globaliztion Group Essay: about topic and relationship with globalization |
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| Day 5: Globalization Project |
| Students will learn and understand what the phrase "the world is flat" means. |
| Students will learn and understand how infastructure, education, and governance lead to successful and flourishing economies around the world. |
| Students will use their prior knowledge of economics, United States history, global studies, geography, and cultural exchange to further understand globalization. |
| Students will complete a final project on globalization, in which they must create a PowerPoint presentation for the class. |
| Students will understand how globalization and global connectivity play a large role in current events around the world. |
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| LCD Projector with laptop |
| Internet access |
| Photocopies of Globalization Project document |
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| Write the Aim and Do Now on the board. Aim: How can individuals and countries "flatten the world"? Do Now: Guided Writing- What does "a level playing field" mean? Give one example that you have either experienced or seen as a leveling of a playing field. |
| Students will answer the Do Now in their notebooks. |
| Facilitate classroom discussion on the meaning of "level playing field". Students will share their experiences with the class. |
| Facilitate further discussion by asking what "the world is flat" means. Where did the phrase come from? Is this phrase relevant today? Why or why not? |
| Inform students that the new meaning of "the world is flat" relates to a global level playing field that we are now experiencing because of globalization. |
| Write quote on the board or on transparency for overhead projector: "Columbus accidentally ran into America but thought he had discovered part of India. I actually found India and thought many of the people I met were Americans" --Thomas L. Friedman, The World Is Flat. Class will discuss what this quote means and how it is related to globalization. |
| Show Friedman and Joseph E. Stiglitz clip from link: http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=059db33970c4329ad6493a08d005052ef5607769 Class will discuss |
| Discuss meanings and developments of education, infrastructure, and governance. Ask why Friedman feels that infastructure, education, and governance are the three major factors in leveling the playing field. |
| Show Friedman and Joseph E. Stiglitz clip #2 from link: http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=059db33970c4329ad6493a08d005052ef5607769 |
| Discuss the last clip with students and what their opinions are on these issues. According to Friedman, why did Mexico and China switch their economic positions in relation to the United States and the rest of the world? |
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| Class discussion: the world is flat, video clip 1, and video clip 2; Globalization Group Project |
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Christopher Gill
cgill34@yahoo.com
newcomers H.s.
28-01 41st Ave
Long Island City, NY 11101
Christopher has been a member of the Social Studies Department at Newcomers High School for the past three years. He has taught United States History and Government, Participation in Government, Economics and Global Studies at Newcomers High School. As a first-generation American, Christopher is familiar with the struggles of ESL and bilingual students and has had many experiences with both populations in his professional and personal life. He strives to bring history alive for his students through various methods of assessment including role playing and other student-centered activities.
Important documents for this lesson plan.
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