Is Globalization Good or Bad?
Driving Question: What are the benefits and challenges of globalization?
Our world is more connected than ever, but not everyone experiences those connections the same way. Dive into real-world examples that show how globalization creates both opportunity and inequality.
Learning Objectives
- Use evidence to compare the relative benefits and drawbacks of globalization for different groups of people.
- Create arguments using historical evidence to support claims and communicate conclusions through informal writing.
Vocab Terms:
- consumption
- exploitation
- globalization
- gross domestic product (GDP)
- multinational
- regulation
- unsustainable
Did you know: The first thing ever sold on the internet was a Sting CD, which Dan Kohn purchased on August 11, 1994. It cost $12.48 plus shipping. In 2026, global e-commerce sales are projected to reach around $7 trillion.
Understanding globalization requires us to revisit some familiar terms while learning some fresh ones at the same time. This matching activity will help you connect the old with the new.
Curious to see images of what this activity looks like in the classroom? Read the Community Forum thread “Our Interconnected World—Small Class Size?” for some visual ideas on how to weave this activity into the classroom.
Is globalization helping or hurting the world? In this part of the lesson, you’ll explore both sides by watching a video on its benefits, and then reading about the challenges it creates for people, places, and economies.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you watch
Preview the questions below, and then review the transcript.
While you watch
Look for answers to these questions:
- What is globalization?
- Why has global trade increased in recent decades?
- What are some benefits of globalization?
- How does your T-shirt show the impact of globalization?
- What major changes has globalization brought to the world?
After you watch
Respond to these questions: Do you think the benefits of globalization are worth the cost? How might your answer change depending on where or how you live?
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- Who were the Zapatistas?
- What was their main complaint about NAFTA?
- What is direct action?
- What is austerity?
- What did protesters in Seattle do to oppose globalization?
After you read
Respond to this question: What would it take for you to engage in “direct action” and protest injustice in the streets?
Solving a mystery: 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.
What’s the rationale? 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.
In this closer, you’ll weigh the evidence, consider different perspectives, and begin forming your own informed opinion: Is globalization good, bad, or something in between?
Globalization isn’t just about trade deals and big ideas—it’s about people. This article takes you inside Colombia’s flower industry to show how globalization can create opportunities, but also hardships, depending on where you stand.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- How did Colombia’s economic history shape its role in the global flower trade?
- How does Valentine’s Day in the US affect Colombia’s economy?
- How has Colombia’s flower export boom affected US flower growers?
- What is “the ugly” side of Colombia’s flower industry?
- Who are the winners and losers in the global flower trade?
After you read
Respond to this question: What factors matter most in deciding whether Colombia’s flower trade network is truly beneficial?
