Unit 6: The Modern Age
Around 500 years ago, people lived in four distinct world zones. Our only sources of energy were the Sun and human and animal power. Understatement alert: A lot has changed since then!
Lesson 6.1
The Modern World
In this era, humans connected the four world zones and found new energy sources, such as fossil fuels, which revolutionized basically everything. Complexity increased, with positive and negative results for the average human being.
Lesson 6.2
Four World Zones Connect
The connection of the world zones helped establish empires unlike any the world had ever known, powered by incredible technological breakthroughs. But this interconnection came at a staggering cost.
Lesson 6.3
Industrial Revolution
Fossil fuels were the key to unlocking a huge amount of energy. Using these fuels has led to increases in population and innovation, but they’ve also caused pollution and climate change.
Lesson 6.4
Acceleration
Industrialization kicked off the Modern Revolution, and within a few hundred years many societies had advanced so much they were almost unrecognizable. We can connect and share ideas with others in real time, fly around the world, and even visit the Moon. Try to keep up with all the changes in this lesson!
Lesson 6.5
Globalization
When did globalization begin? That’s not an easy question to answer. The world became interconnected after the Columbian Exchange, but industrialization accelerated our connections to people across the world. Let’s see if we can come to our own conclusions.
Lesson 6.6
Anthropocene
Accessing new energy sources made humans the most powerful species on the planet. But interconnection, industrialization, and acceleration have created some of the greatest challenges our species has ever faced.
Teaching This Unit
Unit 6 Vocab Guide
Key Unit 6 vocabulary words and definitions.
OER Teaching Sensitive Topics in Social Studies Guide
Support for having discussions that are difficult, but meaningful.
Writing Guide
Our approach to informal and formal writing.
Blog: Voyages in Collective Learning
Explore how collective learning doesn’t move in a straight line.
Unit 6 Teaching Guide
All the lesson guides you need in one place.