Margie R - Global Schools Project



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Patel Center for Global Solutions

University of South Florida

Global Schools Project

Lesson Title:

Nations in the News: Nations’ Current Problems/Issues/Events in the News

Intended Grade Level

This lesson was originally designed to be used with seventh grade students, but modifications have been implemented to interest and challenge ninth grade students. The average news article is written at about the sixth grade level. Students are permitted to select news stories that are of interest to them. This accommodation allows for flexibility concerning the matter of appropriate grade levels for this lesson.

Infusion/Subject Areas

Using this lesson with World Cultural Geography is ideal, but it could also be used in reading and communications classes, World or Global Studies courses, Civics lessons, and other regional geography or history classes.

National Curriculum Standards

This lesson could potentially address all ten strands of the NCSS Curriculum Standards for Social Studies: II. Thematic Strands, but it specifically addresses strands one, three and nine.

Strand I Culture

Understand multiple perspectives that derive from different cultural vantage points to relate to people in our nation and throughout the world.

Strand III People, Places, and Environments

Study people, places and human-environment interactions enable learners to create their spatial views and geographic perspective of the world, which allows them to make informed and critical decisions about the relationship between human beings and their environment.

Strand IX Global Connections

Analyze the tensions between national interests and global priorities that contribute to the development of possible solutions to persistent and emerging global issues in many fields: health care, economic development, environmental quality, universal rights and others. Analyzing patterns and relationships within and among world cultures such as economic competition and interdependence, age-old ethnic enmities, political and military alliances and others, helps learners carefully examine policy alternatives that have both national and global implications.

Instructional Objective

The Students will research and examine current events for the country they are studying by researching news related articles to identify issues and problems that affect not only the citizens of that country, but may also impact other nations.

The students will evaluate if and how others may be affected, analyze what is currently being done to rectify the issue, and further determine what could or should be done to resolve the problem or issue.

Concept/Main Idea of Lesson

This lesson will help the students to understand the types of issues the UN addresses as they strive to maintain world peace and improve quality of life for world citizens. Students tend to be self-centered and often do not understand the repercussions of events experienced by people who are different from them. This lesson is a training in international and sensitivity.

Learning Activities Sequence

To start this lesson the students will lead in a discussion of loved ones in the armed forces and sending letters and care packages to encourage them which will lead to highlighting how the UN supervises the international mail delivery system. Next they will be asked to share/review other UN activities that have benefited the world. Finally the group will be asked if only one nation is affected by the things the UN has accomplished. This set induction will end referring to the interconnectedness of various nations of the world. The students will be given copies of the assignment description page, research links, and the column notes graphic organizers and given directions before going to library to conduct research.

1) The students read the news article

2) Write a summary of the article that is at least one paragraph, being aware that they must be prepared to share the summary with the class

3) They must include an explanation of “Why you chose this article instead of others you came across in your research

4) Also, they must explain why the topic of this news article would possibly concern the UN and identify which UN organ would be responsible for addressing this issue; and 5) Finally, they must tell why non-nationals, people not citizens of this nation, should be concerned with this problem /issue/ event.

The students will be graded on the presentation: voice, posture, quality of the information presented to the group, and their written report and actively listening to the report of classmates.

The class must respond to the presentation by actively listening and completing a rubric on 10 of the news articles shared by classmates.

The listeners must

1) write the title of the article

2) write the name of the nation discussed

3) tell what new information they learned about the nation

4) tell what has been, could be, or should be done to rectify the problem that nations’ citizens are facing

5) think about how this issue relates to them or could possibly impact the larger world community by telling why they care/do not care about this issue.

After each presentation, students will be guided in a discussion of how the topic addressed in the news article presented impacts the world. Finally, the students will be asked to give feedback on the effectiveness of this project.

Evaluation

The students will be evaluated using a project grade RUBRIC based on the quality of their written summary and response to the news article they selected; their oral presentation including the quality and clarity of information they present to the class, their voice tone and posture; and finally, the students will be evaluated on their active participation in discussion and/or active listening as demonstrated in the rate of completion of the “Active Listening Chart.” (SEE RUBRIC)

Materials and Resources

• “Major Achievements of the United Nations” text

• Form for listing major UN topics

• “Nations in the News: Current Problems/Issues/Events in the News” assignment description page

• “World and U.S. Newspapers on the Internet” list

• “Research Links” pages

• “Column Notes” graphic organizer

• Active Listening Notes page

References

Arreola, Daniel D. etal, ed. World Geography. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2005.

Granberg, Lena and Tesalona, Glenda, ed. Global Classrooms: Peacekeeping Unit Teacher’s Guide. New York, NY: United Nations Association of the United States of America, 2001.

Liccione, Jean, ed. Global Studies. New Jersey: Globe Fearon Educational Publisher 1997.

“Socratic Questioning Strategies.” Retrieved April 11, 2006, from

“Teaching with the News” Retrived May 31, 2006, from

Nations in the News: Current Problems/Issues/Events

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Recalling the types of issues that have been addressed by various organs of the United Nations in the past, research current news stories for the country you are studying to find a current event, issue, or problem of a similar topic that interests you. (Refer to “World and U.S. Newspapers on the Internet” web resource page.)

1. Read the news article.

1. Write at least a one paragraph summary of the article. Be sure to tell which of the major achievements of the United Nations the issue or problem identified in the news article is similar to.

1. Write a second paragraph that explains why this issue would possibly concern the United Nations; tell which United Nations organ would be responsible for addressing this issue, event or problem.

1. Also, why should people not citizens of this nation be concerned with this issue, event, or problem?

1. Finally, explain why you selected this article and not others you came across in your research.

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Format for Presentation

Be prepared to share your summary and your response to the article you selected with the class in an oral presentation. The voice percentage of the grade includes clear and concise message that is projected at level easily heard by all; and the posture percentage includes appropriate stance and gestures that speak confidence and connect you with the audience.

Format for Active Listening

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Select at least 10 of the news stories shared that interest you the most. Write a clear response to complete each section of the “Active Listening” form.

|PRESENTER |NATION |ARTICLE TITLE |WHAT DID YOU LEARN? |WHAT COULD BE DONE TO |WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? |

| | | | |RESOLVE THIS ISSUE? | |

| | | | | | |

Grade Rubric

Written Summary & Response 40% _____

Quality of Information Presented 20% _____

Voice 10% _____

Posture 10% _____

Active Listening _____20%__ _____

TOTAL 100% _____

|PRESENTER |NATION |ARTICLE TITLE |WHAT DID YOU LEARN? |WHAT COULD BE DONE TO RESOLVE|WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? |

| | | | |THIS ISSUE? | |

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|Major Achievements of the UN |Affects USA Positive |Affects USA Negative |Nations Impacted |Nations Impacted |

|#s 1-50 Topic |(+) |(-) |Positive (+) |Negative (-) |

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World and U.S. Newspapers on the Internet





Provides up-to-date information and news on the countries of the world.

News



Links to English-language newspapers and magazines throughout the world ( organized by region, continent, and country.

Online



Links to thousands of newspapers throughout the world ( in English as well as native languages.





Includes college and university newspapers as well as U.S. and world.

World Newspapers



Directory of world newspapers, magazines, and news sites in English.

Awesome Library



Selection of U.S. and world news, organized by subject and country.

U.S. Newspaper Links



Links to newspapers and TV stations throughout the United States.

Newspaper-News



Current events information organized by country and region.

Nettizen



Online newspaper directory, organized by region and featuring headlines from around the world.

Christian Science Monitor



Daily on-line newspaper that strives for a global perspective.

Nations in the News Discussion Guide

Assumptions:

1. We live in a global society.

2. Events that occur in one nation impacts not only the citizens of that nation, but those events can also have an effect on people not citizens of that nation.

3. We are our neighbors’ keeper.

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