Social Studies

The New World of International Relations

 

Course Description:                                                                                          Grade(s): 12

 

The course will provide both an historical background of the international politics and policies of various nations and contemporary examples of international relations.  Principles of international relations will be demonstrated through past and current world events.

 

Prerequisites:        None

                                    Elective selection for half of 4th year requirement                                    Credits:  2.5

 

 

Topic/Unit 1: Systems and States                                Approximate # of Days: 8

 

GOAL:  Students will demonstrate understanding of systems and states in transformation in the twentieth century.

 

Essential Question:

 

How are present events related to past events?

 

Objectives:

Each student will be able to:

 

1.      Understand the concept of systems and their sequence in the twentieth century.

2.      Understand the concepts of balance of power and bipolarity.

3.      Identify reasons for shifts in systems.

4.      Identify visual representations of global systems.

5.      Understand the concept of sovereignty.

6.      Understand the consequences of changing systems for the United States and for the world.

 

Activities:

 

  • Text Chapter 1: Reading, note taking, respond to text questions.
  • Class discussion of visual representations of systems.
  • Systems modeling.
  • Internet research of changing global systems: focus on democratization, dictatorships and impact of drug wars on governments.

 

Topic/Unit 2:  The Soviet Union Reverts

Back to Russia                                                  Approximate # of Days: 5-7

 

GOAL:  Students will identify the process by which the Soviet Union collapsed and became Russia.

 

Essential Question:

 

Whose point of view matters?

 

Objectives:

Each student will be able to:

 

1.      Identify the concepts of misconception and hegemony.

2.      Identify the events in Europe from 1953 to 1981.

3.      Identify the concepts of détente, elites and legitimacy.

4.      Understand that foreign policy can be internally and externally generated.

5.      Identify and evaluate three theories of the demise of the Soviet Union.

6.      Identify the new Soviet successor states.

7.      Identify the options facing the US in its present and future dealings with the Soviet Union.

 

Activities:

 

  • Text Chapter 6:  Read, take notes, answer text questions.
  • Class discussion of theories of collapse
  • Evaluate US response and reaction to the collapse.

 

 

Topic/Unit 3: The Arab-Israeli Conflict                                      Approximate # of Days:  7

 

GOAL:   Students will understand the Arab-Israeli conflict from 1947 to the present.

 

Essential Question:

 

  1. Why is there political and social conflict?

 

Objectives:

Each student will be able to:

 

1.      Identify the development of Jewish and Arab nationalism.

2.      Identify the impact of World War II and the “mandate.”

3.      Evaluate the 1948 War, the 1956 War, Six Day War, 1973 War, 1982 War.

4.      Identify the current crisis and proposed peace plans.

 

Activities:

 

  • Text Chapter 8:  Read, take notes, answer text questions.
  • Read Exodus selections, analyze and critique events related to the ship’s experiences.
  • Conduct internet research on current events and proposals for the region.
  • Create or evaluate proposed solutions based on historical relationships.

 

Topic/Unit 4: The First Gulf War                                       Approximate # of Days: 10

 

GOAL:      Students will understand the causes, actions and political and economic consequences of the first Persian Gulf War and its relationship to the second Persian Gulf War.

 

Essential Questions:

 

  1. Is geography destiny?
  2. How does human migration affect a region?

 

Objectives:

Each student will be able to:

 

1.      Identify the geography of the region.

2.      Differentiate between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims.

3.      Identify the lessons of the war regarding strategy, international participation and US policy and objectives.

4.      Identify factors that contributed to the success of Desert Storm and Iraqi freedom.

 

Activities:

 

  • Text Chapter 9:  Read, take notes, answer related questions.
  • Complete maps of the region.
  • Conduct internet research related to the 2003 War.
  • Research government proposals for post-war era.

 

 

Topic/Unit 5: Terrorism in the 21st Century   Approximate # of Days: 10

 

GOAL:   Students will identify the forms of global terrorism and its impact on the US.

 

Essential Question:

 

Why is there political and social conflict?

 

Objectives:

Each student will be able to:

 

  1. Identify the forms of terrorism.
  2. Identify the goals and methods of terrorism.
  3. Identify examples of terrorism.
  4. Identify how nations respond to terrorism.
  5. Identify the impact of terrorism on citizen’s lives both short term and long term.
  6. Identify the impact of terrorism on civil liberties.

 

Activities:

 

  • Class notes from The World Today text and Chapter 15 Text.
  • Internet research on current terror status: terror alert levels, Homeland Security, CIA and FBI coordination and local response measures.
  • Research and evaluate Patriot’s Act, its extensions and related Supreme Court cases.
  • Research current US status in Afghanistan.
  • Assess impact of terrorism on civilian life in US, New Jersey and Glen Ridge.

 

 

Topic/Unit 6: Central America and the Caribbean          Approximate # of Days: 7

 

GOAL:      Students will show understanding of the transformation on Central America and the Caribbean from European and United States spheres of influence to insecure independent nations.

 

Essential Questions:

 

  1. How have technology and changing demographics impacted twenty-first century societies?
  2. What is the formal and informal relationship of the United States to other nations?
  3. Are there general lessons to be learned from history?

 

Objectives:

Each student will be able to:

 

  1. Identify the concept of sphere of influence.
  2. Identify the role of the United States in the region from 1823 to World War II.
  3. Identify the Monroe Doctrine and the Roosevelt Corollary.
  4. Identify American involvement in Cuba, 1959 to the present.
  5. Identify the concept of dependency.
  6. Identify the US role in Panama and El Salvador.
  7. Identify the provisions and implications of the NAFTA treaty.

 

Activities:

 

  • Text Chapter 10:  Read, take notes, answer related questions.
  • Complete maps of the region.
  • Read and analyze the Monroe Doctrine and the Roosevelt Corollary.
  • Conduct research related to NAFTA and the transfer of the Panama Canal.

 

 

Topic/Unit 7: South Africa                                               Approximate # of Days: 7

 

GOAL:   Students will understand the changes in South Africa in the twentieth century.

 

Essential Questions:

 

  1. Is geography destiny?
  2. What social, political and economic opportunities and problems arise when cultures interact?

 

Objectives:

Each student will be able to:

 

  1. Identify the relationship between the changes in the Soviet Union and the changes in South Africa.
  2. Identify the concepts of colonialism and the third world.
  3. Identify the process of decolonization in India, Algeria and Kenya.

    4.
  4. Identify the process of divestiture.
  5. Trace the developments in South Africa to Amy 1994.

 

Activities:

 

  • Text Chapter 7:  Read, take notes, answer related questions.
  • Complete timelines for changes.
  • Conduct internet research on the role of American college students in protests related to apartheid and college endowment funds.
  • Discuss and assess the results of new governments in South Africa.

 

 

Topic/Unit 8: Nuclear Politics                                Approximate # of Days: 7-10

 

GOAL:      Students will understand the issues and practices related to nuclear politics.

 

Essential Question:

 

How has technology impacted twenty-first century societies?

 

Objectives:

Each student will be able to:

 

  1. Identify the difference between nuclear and thermonuclear weapons.
  2. Identify the concept of alliances among nuclear power.
  3. Identify the concept of prestige associates with possession of nuclear weapons.
  4. Identify the concept of arms control and the use of treaties in arms control.
  5. Identify the concept of invasion insurance.
  6. List the consequences of use of nuclear weapons.
  7. Explain the concept of decapitation in nuclear terms.
  8. Identify the current concerns regarding nations possessing nuclear weapons or nuclear weapons programs.

 

Activities:

 

  • Text Chapter 14:  Read, take notes, answer related questions.
  • Read supplemental materials related to nuclear weapons and nuclear fusion and fission.
  • Research current issues regarding Korea, Pakistan, India, and Iraq.
  • Assess impact of nuclear reduction treaties on global affairs.
  • Research the relationship between terrorism and nuclear weapons in current circumstances.

 

 

Topic/Unit 9:  Pacific Tremors                                    Approximate # of Days: 5

 

GOAL:      Students will identify the role of economic blocs in the Pacific Rim.

 

Essential Questions:

 

  1. How free should international trade be?
  2. What social, political and economic opportunities and problems arise when cultures interact?

 

Objectives:

Each student will be able to:

 

  1. Identify the factors that led to Japan’s postwar success.
  2. Identify the characteristics of the four Tigers and their role in the Pacific Rim economy:  South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore.
  3. Identify the role of Australia in the Pacific Rim economy.
  4. Identify the role of protectionism and apply it to the development of Fuji Film.
  5. Identify the relationship between protectionism and war.

 

Activities:

 

  • Complete a map of the region.
  • Text Chapter 17:  Read, take notes, answer related questions.
  • Research a Pacific Rim Company.  Identify its successful practices and policies.
  • Compare Pacific Rim workers with American workers in terms or productivity and rewards.

 

 

Topic/Unit 10:  International Organizations           Approximate # of Days: 10

 

Essential Question:

 

How have individuals and groups worked to combat prejudice, cruelty, and discrimination?

 

Objectives:

Each student will be able to:

 

  1. Compare the United Nations Human Rights Declaration with the US Bill of Rights.
  2. Identify the purposes and functions of the United Nations.
  3. Evaluate the role of the UN in the modern era.
  4. Identify the functionalist theory of the United Nations.
  5. Evaluate the future of the United Nations and its relationship to the United States.
  6. Assess the role of the Secretary General of the United Nations, using Kofi Anan as the model.  (video presentation)

 

Activities:

 

  • Read the United Nations Human Rights Declaration.
  • Text Chapter 21:  Read, take notes, answer related questions.
  • Watch Kofi Anan: a Biography.  Take notes; write an assessment of his role.
  • Conduct internet research on the role of the United Nations in Iraq and United States’ response to UN timetables.

 

 

Topic/Unit 11:  Student Presentations

 

GOAL:   The student will collaboratively produce a research-based presentation of an assigned country.

 

Objectives:

Students will:

 

  1. Select a partner and choose a country for the assigned list.
  2. Identify the country’s location, resources, historical relationship with the United States since WWII, current US relationship, anticipated future relationship with the US.
  3. Review the country’s current economic status, military standing, international affiliations, human right’s positions and international role.
  4. Develop three to five visuals, an outline of requirements, and an assessment device.
  5. Submit a folder containing newspaper, magazine and internet articles.
  6. Make a twenty minute presentations to the class.

 

 

Student Resources (i.e., textbooks, related books):

 

  • IR:  The New World of International Relations, 7th Edition, Roskin and Berry, Pearson, Prentice Hall Publishers.  2008.

 

 

Teacher Resources (i.e., textbooks, related books):

 

  • IR:  The New World of International Relations, 7th Edition, Roskin and Berry, Pearson, Prentice Hall Publishers.  2008.

 

 

Software/Online/Media Resources:

 

  • Microsoft Office
  • Internet Explorer
  • Glen Ridge High School Media Center internet references

 

 

Major Forms of Assessment:

 

  • Chapter tests, research reports
  • Product assessment (maps, timelines)
  • Performance assessments (collaborative research-based presentation)

 

 

 

CCCS – Social Studies:

 

6.1 A.1-8 Social Studies Skills – used in all units

6.1.12 A. Social Studies Skills

1. Analyze how historical events shape the modern world.

2. Formulate questions and hypotheses from multiple perspectives, using multiple sources.

3. Gather, analyze, and reconcile information from primary and secondary sources to support or reject hypotheses.

4. Examine source data within the historical, social, political, geographic, or economic context in which it was created, testing credibility and evaluating bias.

5. Evaluate current issues, events, or themes and trace their evolution through historical periods.

6. Apply problem-solving skills to national, state, or local issues and propose reasoned solutions.

7. Analyze social, political, and cultural change and evaluate the impact of each on local, state, national, and international issues and events.

8. Evaluate historical and contemporary communications to identify factual accuracy, soundness of

evidence, and absence of bias and discuss strategies used by the government, political candidates, and the media to communicate with the public.

 

6.2 1,2,3,5,6,8,,9,12,13,14,15 – Civics, as indicated

6.2.12 E. International Education: Global Challenges, Cultures, and Connections

1. Compare and contrast key past and present United States foreign policy actions (e.g., diplomacy,

economic aid, humanitarian aid, military aid) and positions (e.g., treaties, sanctions, interventions) and evaluate their consequences.

2. Analyze and evaluate United States foreign policy actions and positions, including the Monroe Doctrine, the Mexican Cession, the Truman Doctrine, the Cold War, the world-wide struggle against terrorism, and the Iraq War.

3. Describe how the world is organized politically into nation-states and alliances and how these interact with one another through organizations such as the European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United Nations, the World Court, and the Group of Seven Industrialized Nations (G7).

4. Analyze and evaluate the interconnections of local, regional, and national issues with global challenges and issues, and recommend possible solutions.

5. Discuss how global interconnections can have both positive and negative consequences (e.g.,

international companies, transfer of jobs to foreign plants, international security and access to

transportation).

6. Investigate a global challenge (e.g., hunger, AIDS, nuclear defense, global warming) in depth and over time, predict the impact if the current situation does not change, and offer possible solutions.

7. Participate in events to acquire understanding of complex global problems (e.g., Model United Nations, international simulations, field trips to government sites).

8. Justify an opinion or idea about a global issue while showing respect for divergent viewpoints.

9. Discuss the impact of technology, migration, the economy, politics, and urbanization on culture.

10. Compare and contrast common social and behavioral practices in various cultures (e.g., birth, marriage, death, gender issues, family structure, health issues).

11. Participate in activities that foster understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures (e.g., world language instruction, student exchange, clubs, international forums, community service, speaker programs, arts, sports).

12. Analyze the impact of communication networks, technology, transportation, and international business on global issues.

13. Analyze how the media presents cultural stereotypes and images and discuss how this impacts beliefs and behaviors.

14. Connect the concept of universal human rights to world events and issues.

15. Compare and contrast current and past genocidal acts and other acts of hatred and violence for the purposes of subjugation and exploitation (e.g., Holocaust, Native Americans, Irish famine, Armenia, Ukrainian collectivization, Cambodia, Rwanda) and discuss present and future actions by individuals and governments to prevent the reoccurrence of such events.

Career Education & Life Skills:

 

Standard 9.2.A.1 Apply communications and data analysis to the problem-solving and decision making processes in a variety of life situations.

Standard 9.2.A.2 Describe and apply constructive responses to criticism.

Standard 9.2.A.3 Apply the use of symbols, pictures, graphs, objects, and other visual information to a selected project in academic and/or occupational settings.

Standard 9.2.A.4 Recognize bias, vested interest, stereotyping and the manipulation and misuse of information while formulating solutions to problems that interfere with forming clear opinions and making open-minded decisions.

Standard 9.2.B.1 Revise and update the personal growth plan to address multiple life roles.

Standard 9.2.B.2 Apply project planning and management skills in academic and/or occupational settings.

Standard 9.2.B.3 Compare and contrast methods for maximizing personal productivity.

Standard 9.2.C.1 Model interpersonal and effective conflict resolution skills with peers and teachers, who will also model the behavior of effective and intelligent argument through debate.

Standard 9.2.C.2 Communicate effectively in a variety of settings with a diverse group of people.

Standard 9.2.D.1 Analyze how character influences work performance.

Standard 9.2.D.2 Identify and research privileges and duties of citizens in a democratic society.

Standard 9.2.D.3 Discuss consequences and sanctions when on-the-job rules and laws are not followed.

Standard 9.2.D.4 Compare and contrast a professional code of ethics or code of conduct from various work fields and discuss similarities and differences.

Standard 9.2.D.5 Apply a professional code of ethics to a workplace problem or issue.

 

Technological Literacy:

 

Standard 8.1.B.1 Describe the potential and implications of contemporary and emerging computer applications for personal, social, lifelong learning, and workplace needs.

Standard 8.1.B.2 Exhibit legal and ethical behaviors when using information and technology, and discuss consequences of misuse.

Standard 8.1.B.7 Evaluate information sources for accuracy, relevance, and appropriateness.

Standard 8.1.B.11 Identify a problem in a content area and formulate a strategy to solve the problem using brainstorming, flowcharting, and appropriate resources. 

Standard 8.2.A.3 Provide various examples of how technological developments have shaped American history.

 

 

Joan Boland

July 25, 2008

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