Globalization
Teacher Resources
Driving Question: What are the positive and negative impacts of globalization?
The word globalization is only about a century old, but it describes something that may have existed since the Columbian Exchange began over 500 years ago. We now live in a world where interconnection happens in a split second. Is this a good or bad thing?
Learning Objectives:
- Evaluate the positive and negative impacts of globalization.
- Use claim-testing skills to evaluate globalization.
Vocab Terms:
- climate
- environment
- globalization
- population
- technology
The Earth has always been a globe, but it didn’t become “globalized” until people living in every part of it started to become more connected by trade and technology. Let’s think about the effect this has had on people.
While globalization in the late twentieth century may have provided a great wealth boost overall, it didn’t address the deepening inequality across and within societies. Have students brainstorm why inequality may have worsened.
- Students can suggest their own ideas.
- They can prompt AI for additional thoughts.
- Together, they determine what evidence would support or refute each argument.
- Finally, groups research each claim and report findings, and then the class debriefs.
This inquiry-based approach casts students as investigators. AI becomes a brainstorming partner rather than the final word, helping students probe complex questions using evidence and critical thinking.
As our human world has become more complex, it’s also become more complicated. This slideshow and activity will help you see the good and bad of globalization.
What Is Globalization?
This activity aligns with Standard 4 (physical and human characteristics of places change) and Standard 10 (characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth’s cultural mosaics) of the National Geography Standards (NGS). For more information about how Big History materials align with NGS standards, check out this standards alignment and placement resource.
OER Project teacher testimonial! “The map work is hands-on and the connection to globalization content is explicit. It also generates good discussions about environmental impact and efficiency—questions that resurface in Unit 7. If your students are newer to geographic analysis, this is one of the stronger activities for building spatial thinking skills in a concrete way.”
You can’t understand globalization by only looking at the big picture. Try following just one tiny product as it bounces around the whole world to reach its final destination—you!
Help students formulate supporting and refuting statements by providing sentence starters. Some examples are:
- In this article…
- For instance…
- In contrast to…
- As a result of…
Did you know that there’s an easy way to give students feedback on their claim-testing skills? The Claim Testing: Feedback Form breaks down the elements so that you can assess how well they did crafting a claim and a counterclaim, and if their response is historically accurate. You can adapt the feedback form to focus only on the skills that are assessed by crossing out sections of the form that don’t apply to a particular activity.
Now it’s your turn to tell your teacher what you think about globalization. Get ready for some claim testing!
