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Our Interconnected World
Teacher Resources
Driving Question: How are our lives today similar and different, and how can history help explain these variations and commonalities?
In the last 250 years, the rapid pace of change and increasingly global interconnections have produced an era of intensive globalization. Humanity produces more stuff, more cheaply and distributes it all more broadly than ever. Yet, these trends haven’t benefited everyone everywhere, and distribution remains unequal. We are more connected by networks than ever before, but many people feel more isolated and lonelier than ever. How is this era of intensive globalization a product of our long human history, and where will we go in the future?
- Understand how historians create narratives to explain the convergence and divergence of human communities and experiences during this era.
- Use close-reading skills to evaluate and analyze the historical narrative of one human history and many human histories.
- Work on informal writing skills to evaluate the Unit Problem statements.
Globalization (1900 to the Future): Unit 9 Overview
Key Ideas
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Guiding Questions
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Before you watch
Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch!
While you watch
- What are social generations?
- Why were millennials the first “global” generation?
- What is globalization?
- What are some benefits of globalization?
- What are some drawbacks or challenges of globalization?
After you watch
- Do you agree with the video that millennials were the first global generation? Are there any earlier generations or historical periods you think would qualify? Why or why not?
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- What is the World Wide Web, and how has it changed our lives?
- How does globalization produce inequality?
- How did the world wars produce a new type of globalization?
- How has globalization affected the environment?
Evaluate
After reading this article, how has your opinion of globalization changed? Do you think the process of globalization has been positive or negative for humanity.
Frames in Unit 9
Key Ideas
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Guiding Questions
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Before you watch
Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch!
While you watch
- In what ways are we all connected as part of a global network?
- How can we view globalization through the lens of the production and distribution frame?
- In what ways are we members of global communities?
- What are some problems with globalization raised by this video?
After you watch
- You have been asked to evaluate the impact of globalization. What does each frame contribute to your evaluation? Why is it useful to use more than one frame? Is there a fourth frame, that you can think of, that might be useful as well?
- How has globalization been important in shaping your present?
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- What late twentieth-century trends led people to create the term "globalization"?
- What are some historical trends that accelerated globalization before the late twentieth century?
- What are some impacts of globalization in terms of migration and economics?
- What are some positive impacts of globalization?
- What are some negative impacts of globalization?
Evaluate
- What does globalization look like from your perspective? How does it affect your family and community? Do you think it has been a good thing for you? Why or why not?
