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Global Classroom Initiative
"Connecting Classrooms and Communities for Global Awareness"
Global Issues 621A
| Global Issues Course Overview | Global Classroom Initiative Module | Essential Questions | Global Issues Themes |
Global Issues is a unique course in that it focuses on a variety of world problems that are current and timely. Some of the issues at hand are more recent (e.g. environmental) while others have existed for some time (e.g. poverty). Regardless of origin, global issues affect not just those at the epicenter of the problem, but also nations and people all over the world. It is this aspect of global issues that the Geography 621 course attempts to bring forward to students – the collaborative efforts needed to identify issues and their implications, and the creative thinking required to remedy these situations. The course is intended to be flexible in its delivery so that students may explore global issues of personal interest within the parameters of the course. An inquiry approach provides this opportunity for investigation and reflection. An integral component of Geography 621 will be the "active citizenship" aspect. Students will form an action plan as part of their research within the course and present this to the class or broader audiences.
Global Classroom Initiative Module
The Global Classroom Initiative module is designed to complement the Geography 621 course by providing a closer look at some of the very real issues that exist within an area, Kenya, that already has a close connection to Prince Edward Island through its Farmers Helping Farmers program. The module is designed around seven essential questions that are derived from course outcomes within the introductory unit.
Specific Curriculum Outcomes*:
* At the time this module went to print, Geography 621 was still in developmental stages. Therefore, specific course outcomes may experience some minor wording changes during the development phase. However, the intent of the outcomes within the introductory unit will remain unchanged.
(Based upon Specific Curriculum Outcomes)
What is a global issue?
What are the current global issues?
What does this issue look like around our globe?
Students will be able to describe the origin and causes of a major issue,
for whom this is an issue, and its current and potential future impact.
Students will also describe current efforts and/or actions being taken to
address the issue, and identify other possible actions that could be taken.
As a result of peer class presentations, students will gain further
understanding of other world issues.
Why is there a global need for collaborative efforts to identify and remedy problems that affect other parts of the world?
What impact are the Millennium Development Goals having on addressing global issues?
What action can/will I take to help address this issue?
After an introduction in which the term "global issue" is defined and the processes within the course are outlined, students will work as individuals or groups to prepare an in-depth study of a particular issue.
A list of definitions for common terminology used to discuss global issues is included for teacher information. (This list can also be found in the Geography 521 - Global Studies module).
Although, as students will discover, many global issues are interconnected, for the purposes of this unit they will be categorized into these main divisions:
| Conflict - | includes but is not limited to: war, land mines, refugees, child soldiers, internally displaced persons (IDP’s), disarmament, peacekeeping, genocide, terrorism |
| Development - | includes but is not limited to: Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s), Millennium Villages, Non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), development aid, capacity building, Canada’s role in developing countries, Human Development Index (HDI), opportunities for Canadian youth to assist in development, United Nations role in development |
| Economy/Trade - | includes but is not limited to: developing nations’ debt, impact of government corruption, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Free Trade/World trade agreement’s impact on developing countries, tariffs and subsidies, fair trade, distribution of world’s wealth, poverty, micro-credit, GNP comparisons/changes over time for various countries, globalization, sustainable development |
| Education - | includes but is not limited to: access to education, impact of education on a country’s development, cost of education, progress around the world in universal access to education, why some children do not/cannot attend school |
| Health/Food Security - | includes but is not limited to: agriculture (such as land use, land ownership, crop diversification, deforestation’s impact on agriculture, drought, soil depletion, sustainable food production), hunger, nutrition, population growth and impact, disease malaria, AIDS/HIV, tuberculosis (TB), water borne diseases, other potential health issues such as flu pandemic, bird flu, etc.), maternal health, fistulas, life expectancy comparisons and influencing factors |
| Human Rights - | includes but is not limited to: Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Universal Declaration of the Rights of a Child, right to/abuse of any human or children’s right (child labour, gender issues, sexual exploitation, female genital mutilation, media/press freedom, role of women in development |
| Urbanization - | includes but is not limited to: global impact of urban shift (housing, impact on families, loss of agricultural workers, food supply, rural development), alternatives and solutions |
| Water/Environment - | includes but is not limited to: climate change impact (particularly on developing countries), sanitation, water safety and access, bio-diversity, deforestation, encroaching deserts around the globe, water footprint, ecological footprint, genetically modified foods, Farmers Helping Farmers role/programs in providing water access |
Caution to teachers regarding web site URLs:
At the time of publication, the web sites contained within this module were
functioning and appropriate in content. However with time, there is always a
possibility that the URLs have moved, become non-functional, or corrupted.
Teachers are advised to check out each URL before distributing to students to
ensure that the integrity of the site is intact.
Caution regarding use of resources:
In each of the Global Classroom Units, references have been made to
organizations that assist others around the world, or articles and news
clippings have been included as resources. While care has been taken in their
selection, teachers are reminded to use their professional wisdom and judgement
when using the resources. Materials, as is common practice, should be pre-viewed
before use by students. Organizations and media, however noble the cause, will
represent their own agendas; thus students and teachers must critically evaluate
each source.
Global Issues Research Project
| Teacher Notes | Web Directory for Global Issues Theme Research | Non-Governmental Organizations | Definitions |