Stage 1 – Desired Results

Overarching Understandings:

• I am part of a global community and I influence my surroundings and my surroundings influence me.

Essential Questions:

• What does it mean to be a part of a global community?

Unit: Cultural/Political Geography

Established Goal(s)

Learning Outcomes are located in the 9th Grade World Geography Curriculum Guide.

Understanding(s)/goals

Students will understand that:

• They are part of a global community.
• Governments and economic systems impact citizens.
• Technology and ideas have shaped individual lives.

Essential Question(s):

• How do political beliefs affect global communities?
• What are the greatest contemporary world issues and how do they impact individuals?
• How do cultural traditions affect global communities?
• How do ideas influence environment, cultures, and people?
• How do governments influence environment, cultures, and people?
• How do countries and regions interact with one another as a global community?

Student objectives (outcomes):

Students will know and be able to:

• Understand the role of governments in the world and what effects they have on their region.
• Analyze and describe how historical events influenced and shaped cultural backgrounds and physical environments.
• Explore how their individual choices have an impact on contemporary world issues.

Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s):

• Write a paper about final outcomes from Sim Island (political, economic, societal, intellectual, & artistic).
• 9th Grade Online Project (Persuasive letter, PowerPoint, & Visual Aid)

Other Evidence:

• Presentation on Issues in the world.
• Create a pamphlet/brochure that describes the “perfect” community (society) and persuade why others should move there.
• Current Event Journal
• Travel Itinerary Pamphlet
• Unit Final Exam
• Create a Diary that explains simulation trip to another country.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

Learning Activities:

[This is the core of your lesson plan and includes a listing describing briefly (usually in bullet or numbered form so easy to follow) what:

• [the students will do during the class to prepare them for the outcomes you expect of them.]
• [the teacher will do to guide the learning]

The following are examples of what the teacher can use for this unit.

1. World Geography Text Book

• Students read Chapters in the book on different countries or regions that the class is studying.

2. 9th Grade Online Project

• Located on the Bellingham District Website under technology.
• Project allows students to study a continent of the world through researching and deciding what country would be the best place to live through explanation and persuasion. 

3. Research Cycle

• Located on the Bellingham District Website.
• Explains to students the process to go through when researching a topic

4. World Geography Text Book Introductory Videos

• 8-10 minute videos that introduce the sections of each chapter of the book.
• Videos are located in school library, department head classroom or teacher classroom.

5. Research Problems/Issues in the world.

• Students research a current issue in a region or country of the world.
• Create a PowerPoint, paper, visual aid, etc to demonstrate what the issue is and how they would go about solving the issue.

6.  Create Abstracts from Research

• Students create abstracts that summarize the articles that they read for their Research Problems/Issues project.