STANDARDS-BASED GLOBAL EDUCATION
SCIENCE STANDARDS
http://www.dcd.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/sciencestnd.pdf
http://www.nextgenscience.org
http://www.collegeboard.org
The science standards listed above represent standards for many science courses taught in the United States. Each covers both content-specific standards (for example, balancing chemical equations) as well as general standards covering topics such as research and technology. Developing assessments that demonstrate not only content-specific knowledge but also global connectedness requires a teacher to look at individual lessons from a global perspective and ask students to demonstrate their understanding of a concept from that same global perspective. The easiest way to do this is to prepare examples, problems, and assignments that use people, places, and number values from outside the U.S. For example, in preparing a lesson on world population growth, ask students to evaluate the population growth of 5 countries and then compare those numbers to the population growth in the United States. In one assignment, students would be satisfying numerous standards:
1. Developing research skills
2. Learning geography
3. Practicing algebra (calculating growth percentages and comparing ratios)
4. Demonstrating the ability to create a bar graph from calculated data
5. Summarizing growth patterns from 6 countries around the world
6. Begin to analyze possible cause/effect for differences around the world
With that idea in mind, of globalizing a single lesson or a complete unit, below are some examples of how some specific standards from the above list can lend themselves to standards-based global education.
1. Biogeochemical systems vary in the ability to recover from disturbances. Research examples of natural and manmade disasters, identify the biogeochemical system most impacted, and summarize whether the system will/has recover/recovered.
This lesson, part of the AP Environmental Science curriculum, focuses students on several topics than lend themselves to global learning.
a. Identifying global areas of natural and manmade disasters
b. Research how those disasters impacted the area including people
c. Evaluating whether there are any long term effects from those disasters
d. Applying knowledge of biogeochemical systems to areas throughout the world and identifying those that are similar to where they live
2. Select two different ecosystems and compare the differences on the basis of climate, human activity, introduction of nonnative species and changes in animal population sizes.
Students can expand their knowledge of world ecosystems and explore commonalities as well as differences with what they know about their immediate ecosystem.
a. Identifying similar ecosystems around the world
b. Explore native and nonnative species in other parts of the world
c. Examine climate from a global perspective and its effect on living organism
3. Using Population Reference Bureau data, work with a partner to analyze the demographics of populations in two countries other than the U.S.. Focus on the economic, education, and environmental implications of the demographic differences. Prepare a position paper outlining your opinion as to the reason such differences from the U.S. exist.
This lesson, also from the AP Environmental Science curriculum, encourages students to analyze data from a reliable source and use it to form an opinion on the causes of population changes throughout the world.
a. Improve geography through the use of maps and data presented
b. Prepare data tables comparing economic, education, and environmental factors
c. Understand how to correlate factors to demographic differences
d. Develop an opinion of global analysis using at least three factors affecting populatio
4. Identify five countries with the highest Gross National Product and compare them with the five counties with the lowest Gross National Product (data from http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/inforpays/rank/PNB2.html)
This lesson focuses students on numbers and in doing so, promotes global thinking on a larger mathematical scale.
a. Increase understand of geography through data presented
b. Use math skills to calculate GNP and to rank from largest to smalles
c. Analyze WHY there are differences between high and low GNP worldwide
5. Prepare a visual presentation of how humans have altered natural systems and the consequences (good or bad) of those alterations.
This assignment was originally designed for AP Environmental Science but can easily be adapted to any grade level and any subject and is particularly suited for students who prefer creative ways to present their understanding of the lesson. In the context of AP Environmental Science, students have multiple opportunities to demonstrate a global perspective on the issue of human effects on natural systems.
a. Students demonstrate understanding of topic in a visual way (poster, art, video, book, music, PowerPoint)
b. Identify natural systems throughout the world
c. Evaluate cause/effect of human behaviors on natural systems worldwide
d. Identify global population acts, use of a map, impact of specific human behaviors and where those behaviors are most noted (which area of the world)
SCIENCE STANDARDS
http://www.dcd.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/sciencestnd.pdf
http://www.nextgenscience.org
http://www.collegeboard.org
The science standards listed above represent standards for many science courses taught in the United States. Each covers both content-specific standards (for example, balancing chemical equations) as well as general standards covering topics such as research and technology. Developing assessments that demonstrate not only content-specific knowledge but also global connectedness requires a teacher to look at individual lessons from a global perspective and ask students to demonstrate their understanding of a concept from that same global perspective. The easiest way to do this is to prepare examples, problems, and assignments that use people, places, and number values from outside the U.S. For example, in preparing a lesson on world population growth, ask students to evaluate the population growth of 5 countries and then compare those numbers to the population growth in the United States. In one assignment, students would be satisfying numerous standards:
1. Developing research skills
2. Learning geography
3. Practicing algebra (calculating growth percentages and comparing ratios)
4. Demonstrating the ability to create a bar graph from calculated data
5. Summarizing growth patterns from 6 countries around the world
6. Begin to analyze possible cause/effect for differences around the world
With that idea in mind, of globalizing a single lesson or a complete unit, below are some examples of how some specific standards from the above list can lend themselves to standards-based global education.
1. Biogeochemical systems vary in the ability to recover from disturbances. Research examples of natural and manmade disasters, identify the biogeochemical system most impacted, and summarize whether the system will/has recover/recovered.
This lesson, part of the AP Environmental Science curriculum, focuses students on several topics than lend themselves to global learning.
a. Identifying global areas of natural and manmade disasters
b. Research how those disasters impacted the area including people
c. Evaluating whether there are any long term effects from those disasters
d. Applying knowledge of biogeochemical systems to areas throughout the world and identifying those that are similar to where they live
2. Select two different ecosystems and compare the differences on the basis of climate, human activity, introduction of nonnative species and changes in animal population sizes.
Students can expand their knowledge of world ecosystems and explore commonalities as well as differences with what they know about their immediate ecosystem.
a. Identifying similar ecosystems around the world
b. Explore native and nonnative species in other parts of the world
c. Examine climate from a global perspective and its effect on living organism
3. Using Population Reference Bureau data, work with a partner to analyze the demographics of populations in two countries other than the U.S.. Focus on the economic, education, and environmental implications of the demographic differences. Prepare a position paper outlining your opinion as to the reason such differences from the U.S. exist.
This lesson, also from the AP Environmental Science curriculum, encourages students to analyze data from a reliable source and use it to form an opinion on the causes of population changes throughout the world.
a. Improve geography through the use of maps and data presented
b. Prepare data tables comparing economic, education, and environmental factors
c. Understand how to correlate factors to demographic differences
d. Develop an opinion of global analysis using at least three factors affecting populatio
4. Identify five countries with the highest Gross National Product and compare them with the five counties with the lowest Gross National Product (data from http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/inforpays/rank/PNB2.html)
This lesson focuses students on numbers and in doing so, promotes global thinking on a larger mathematical scale.
a. Increase understand of geography through data presented
b. Use math skills to calculate GNP and to rank from largest to smalles
c. Analyze WHY there are differences between high and low GNP worldwide
5. Prepare a visual presentation of how humans have altered natural systems and the consequences (good or bad) of those alterations.
This assignment was originally designed for AP Environmental Science but can easily be adapted to any grade level and any subject and is particularly suited for students who prefer creative ways to present their understanding of the lesson. In the context of AP Environmental Science, students have multiple opportunities to demonstrate a global perspective on the issue of human effects on natural systems.
a. Students demonstrate understanding of topic in a visual way (poster, art, video, book, music, PowerPoint)
b. Identify natural systems throughout the world
c. Evaluate cause/effect of human behaviors on natural systems worldwide
d. Identify global population acts, use of a map, impact of specific human behaviors and where those behaviors are most noted (which area of the world)