CRAFTING THE GLOBAL CITIZEN IN MODERN WORLD HISTORY
What is the global citizen?Geographically literateHas a base knowledge of major historic trends and eventsIs aware of the basic structures of the major world religionsIs sensitive to socio-economic inequity throughout our worldIs sensitive to gender inequity across our globeUnderstands the interdependence of our global economy and
securityUnderstands how the management of world resources
impacts the global economy, security and living standards of everyone
Stays current on events and developments across the globeCares about all citizens enjoying full human rights
Is the history class the place?
ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!!
• Good guys (and gals)• Bad guys (and gals)• Important Decisions• Resource Allocation• Technological Development• Ethical Dilemmas• Oppression and Revolution• Problems and Solutions• Assessing and re-assessing
Essentials:• Pitch the text!• Read, read, read (Magazine articles, chapters from theoretical
works, primary sources)• Discuss, discuss, discuss (Historical issues and similar current
problems)• Listen, listen, listen (NPR, BBC, PRI—and to one another)• Watch, watch, watch (Good documentaries and reports)• Research, research, research (going deep is good)• Teach, teach, teach
Geographic Literacy
Main Goals:• Learning the history of cartography• Understanding the concept of mental maps• Realizing the political uses of maps• Building geographic facility/knowledge over time (cumulative)
Methods:• Reading geographic determinant theories (Landes/Diamond)• Mental map exercise• Examining the development of map-making over time and
how maps appear culturally• Using gaming sites to learn your countries and capitals!
Studying the World RegionallyThe Middle East/Southeast Asia • Focus on religion, rule and modernity• Case studies: The Ottoman Empire/Modern Turkey; the Safavid
Dynasty/Modern Iran; The Mughal Empire/Modern India & PakistanEast Asia• Focus on tradition and the rejection of tradition• Case Study: Imperial China from the Yuan Dynasty to the Qing
Dynasty; Modern ChinaEurope• Focus on intellectual paradigm shifts• Case studies: Renaissance Ideals, the Protestant Reformation,
Elizabethan England, the Scientific Revolution, The French RevolutionAmericas/Africa• Focus on imperialism, sustainability and independence• Case studies: Bermuda, South Africa, Kenya
Studying Gender Issues • The Middle East: Women Rights/Roles in Modern Turkey
(Kemal’s changes) and Iran (Jane Kokan’s video “Forbidden Iran” and Reading Lolita in Tehran)
• Asia: Footbinding and Modern Body Modification, (Article on the nature of engineering social change—comparing case studies of anti-footbinding and anti-genital mutilation; NPR story on women left over from the footbinding era and Lisa See’s “Peony in Love”)
• Europe: The Iconography of Power—how Elizabeth I negotiated gender expectations, a study of the portraiture of her rule.
• Comprehensive: Modern Female Leadership projects and presentations—looking at the issues female leaders face
Arts Education
Literature:• Poetry Project: Comparing and contrasting the poetry of WWI
to the blogs/poems of today’s soldiers in Iraq and AfghanistanArt:• Renaissance Art History Project: Students put together a
virtual exhibit focusing on both the Italian Peninsula and Northern Europe
Music:• Students will study the expression of world music and issues
of appropriation. The 20-Year Anniversary of Paul Simon’s Graceland Tour will be the focal point.
Character Education
Using historical figures as an opportunity for self-reflection and to study values.
• Gandhi—the art of ahimsa and forgiveness
• Aung San Suu Kyi—the power of perseverance (in progress)
• Stephen Hawking—the ability to escape boundaries (in progress)
• Wangari Maathai—the creation of community
Service Projects
The Free Rice Challenge• In preparation for our cumulative geography assessment of
the world, classes compete by amassing grains of rice. The winning class gets a breakfast party.
The Jabalpur School, Central Rural India (in progress)• As a future project, I would like to set up a tutoring/Skype
exchange with this school that serves Indian children of farming communities.
Major Research Project• Teaching long-term commitment by starting in September,
finishing in May with final paper and presentation• Focused on the 20th century/international (no U.S. topics).
Allows for topics to be tied together and add culminating information/ideas to what has been studied throughout the year.
• Teaches process and organization.• Teaches shaping/forming an opinion and supporting it.• Teaches them how to teach.