National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)

THEME IX:

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS

The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: Who Should Control Israel?

Description: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of global connections and interdependence. The realities of global interdependence require understanding the increasingly important issues surrounding global connections among societies and the frequent tension between national interests and global priorities. Students will need to be able to address such international issues as health care, the environment, human rights, economic competition and interdependence, age-old ethnic enmities, and political and military alliances.

Reflection:

Global connections and interdependence “helps learners to explain conditions and motivations that contribute to conflict, cooperation, and interdependence among nations.”

I used this theme during my World War I unit. I thoughtfully planned to incorporate this theme since it helped students to understand the why the United States finally got involved into World War I. The Allied and Central Powers concentrated all their resources into the war resulting in total war. Germany conducted unrestricted submarine warfare against nonmilitary vessels and also tried to involve Mexico in the war, which resulted in the United States entry into the war. Russia had to leave the war due to domestic problems. Therefore, the purpose of this lesson is to identify the causes that led to the United States to enter and Russia’s exit from the war. Zimmerman Note. The Germans were getting desperate and wanted the United States to stay out of the war. They sent a telegram to Mexico stating that if they enter the war on their side they will reward them by giving them territories that were lost to them such as Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The telegram never makes its destination because the British intercept it and send it to the U.S. I asked students what if the note had reached its intended destination. I got mixed responses, but the desired outcome from this theme that I wanted students to realize was that even though the United States may be thousands of miles away from Europe and Asia, we’re still all interconnected in some way either socially, politically, and more importantly, economically.

This world with all its differences is truly connected interpedently in some way shape or form and this is how I’ll continue to implement this theme into my future teaching.