Introduction+to+Global+Issues

Before we get started with actually studying the issues, we need to understand **how** to best study those issues and develop a framework for doing so... toc

__Task #1 - Introduce the Course__
The illustrious and wonderful Mr. Brayko will be walking us through what this course is all about. The biggest thing to walk away with is an understanding of what a global issue is, and how that's different from a current event.

Next, you'll need to take care of a few odds and ends to help make the class run more smoothly. Follow the instructions on the sheet below to help you set up a Google Folder and your Journal for this class.



I'll be doing a more broad overview of my expectations when I return next week, however, in the meantime, if the sub asks you to do something, do it!

__Task #2 - Developing Geographic Competency__
We can't truly discuss the world around us unless we have an idea of **where** in the world things are taking place. Below, you'll find a list of countries that you should be able to locate on a map. (Don't worry if you cannot locate them today. You will, however, be taking a quiz on the location of these countries on **Wednesday, January 16th** and will need to know them by then!)



__Task #3 - You Can Make A Difference! The CNN Heroes Project__
One thing that I truly hope you get out of this class is that you can make a significant impact in the world right now! One doesn't need a Ph.D or a degree from an Ivy League university to make a difference. The world is full of ordinary people who do extraordinary things. To learn a bit more about this, I want you to research one of the CNN Heroes to learn about how people like you and I had a profound impact on the world.

For this task, you will be assigned one of the 2012 CNN Heroes. You will create your own "baseball card" which communicates the vital stats about your hero.

On an A4 sheet of paper, put your hero's picture on the top half of the page. On the bottom half, state your hero's name and then list, using bullet points, a summary of that person's project and location. Once we're done, we'll present these to the class in a brief one minute presentation.

Note: Students may NOT select Jackson Kiguri as he has spoken at our school twice and we are all familiar with his work!

__Task #1 - CNN Hero Reports__
Each student will take one minute to report on the hero that he/she researched during the previous class. Pay attention so that you learn how YOU can make a difference!

__Task #2 - The World Watch Project__
One of the areas we need to deal with is the role of the mass media in the study of global issues. In a world of seemingly endless information, it becomes critical that you learn to discern what is valid, credible information. An ongoing project for this semester will be our World Watch Project. Read the directions carefully as you examine several different sources of information in our look at major global issues. Pay close attention to the due dates!



__Task #3 - Introduction to Global Issues__
Read the following document and answer the questions. We will go through this at the beginning of class on Thursday, January 10th.



__Task #1 - Journal #1__
Go to the online news source of your choice and find an article that interests you. (Note: This must be a "news" article, not a sports or entertainment article! No pop culture!!!) Read through it and summarize the article in one paragraph in your journal. After you've done that, reflect on this article in one paragraph. What issues does this bring to your mind? What else do you want to know after reading this article? Put this in your journal for this class. Be sure to include the URL for your article.

__Task #2 - Intro Reading Discussion__
We'll go through the introductory reading and talk about the questions that you answered. You should have these completed prior to class! Have a hard copy with you to turn in.

__Task #3 - CGI Concepts__
This course will be largely driven by our CGI concepts and student interest, as well as what is currently happening in our world today. Global literacy entails being able to view the world differently and from many different perspectives.

Read through the document below to get an idea of what a CGI concept is. Also, you will want to download the "blank" page as we'll be working on this throughout the first few weeks of the course (but not today).



__Task #4 - Begin work on your first World Watch entry__
We introduced this topic during our previous class. Today, you have an opportunity to work on your first World Watch entry. Remember, these are part of your project grade for this class and they are NOT accepted late. Use your class time wisely!

__Class #4 - Monday, January 14th__
For better or worse, I'm back and can finally meet all of you! After a brief introduction to my personal expectations of you of this course, we'll dive into how to study a Global Issue, wrap up some thoughts on global literacy (which you talked about last time) and then take a brief look at our world today and what it is we'll actually be studying.

__**Prior to class,** **you** **should:**__ 1. Relax! There was no homework for this class. However, your first map test will be during our next class on Wednesday.

__**In-Class Activities:**__ 1. Overview of my expectations and Q&A 2. Work through some CGI Concepts 3. A look at "The World Today" 4. How to Study A Global Issue - For this exercise, we will look at the issue of Mexican Drug Cartels by looking at this link.

__**Res****ources for this** **class:**__

__Class #5 - Wednesday, January 16th__
Today's class will have two main purposes. First, you will take your world map quiz, which is worth 30 points. After you finish, you will be given the rest of the class to continue to analyze the issue of Mexican Drug Cartels which we began during our previous class.

1. Review for your Map Quiz.
 * __Prior to class, you should:__**

__**In-Class Activities:**__ 1. BBC World News Update 2. Map Quiz 3. Work on Mexican Drug Cartel - Issue Analysis (This will be due at the beginning of our next class!)

For those of you interested in some more recent news, here's a link to the Los Angeles Times and all of the articles that they have run on this issue since 2008.

__Class #6 - Thursday, January 17th__
During this class, we will wrap up our discussion of the Mexican Drug Cartel issue and then dive into the Regional World Profile Project.

__**Prior to class, you should:**__ 1. Complete your analysis of the Mexican Drug Cartel and share this with me as a Google Doc.

__**In-Class** **Activities:**__ 1. BBC World News Update 2. CGI Concepts Review 3. Discuss the Mexican Drug Cartel Issue 4. Introduce the World Regional Profile Project

__**Resources for this** **class:**__ Drug Violence on the Mexican Border