Twentieth Century Currents: 'Race,' 'Nation,' Economy, and Environment

Twentieth Century Currents: "Race," "Nation," Economy, and the Environment
(How have our national identities changed over the course of the twentieth century and how do you think they will change further in the new century?)

QCC objectives for the 5th and 9th grades

Ideas
What do you think?
ideas@worldclass.net

(5.20) Develops skills for historical, geographical, and cultural analysis to make generalizations about events and life in the United States after 1860

- identifies, interprets and analyzes primary sources and contemporary media
- recognizes and explains how different points of view have been influenced by nationalism,
race, religion and ethnicity
- uses physical maps to draw conclusions about the impact of the physical environment on the settlement patterns and the movement of people, and
- uses a variety of tools in context to understand historical and current events. (20)

Students' final reflection on the influence of nationalism, race, religion,and ethnicity is an important conclusion to the course of study for the year. Students could exchange, or post on a data base, their final reflections and maps and compare them with what kids in other countries have made.

Upper Secondary classes have the same objectives as the fifth grade listed above (9-12.30) as well as the following:

--identify and analyze the problems of the interdependent World(1945 to present), (e.g., population, food supply, nuclear weapons, terrorism, etc.) (9-12.26).

--identify the major revolutions of the 20th century: agricultural, technological, medical, social and culural (9-12.27).

--discuss the crises of the late 20th century (9-12.28).
A. Conflicting nationalisms: Middle East (Arab-Israeli conflicts);
South Asia (partition of India); Africa
B.Revolutions and rising expectations: China; Eastern Europe; Latin America

For an overview on the significance of race and nation in the twentieth century, see the paper, "Twentieth Century Currents: 'Race' and 'Nation,' Across the World Wars" at www.worldclass.net/worldwar/scsl/race.htm.