Global education is woven into every aspect of Social Studies these days. Even when we study American history, we are practicing skills to prepare students to be successful in a society that is globally connected.
Students have been learning about the U.S. government recently. We analyzed our system of checks and balances and wondered together — would we have been willing to fight for our rights like our ancestors did in the American Revolution? What would it be like to live in a society without all the freedoms we have in the United States? In places like Iran, freedom of speech is still not a given, as we saw when we learned about the young people who made this video below. They were arrested because their clothes and actions were viewed as obscene in their culture:
Global education doesn’t always mean learning about other countries. Learning to approach a problem from a variety of perspectives will also help prepare students for a globally interconnected society. For example, in order to study for our upcoming test on Thursday, students brainstormed many different ways to study. Instead of just looking over their notes, they learned that they could try any of these…
Making flashcards- Make a practice quiz for a friend (or get quizzed)
- Use origami cups to practice federal, state, local
- Make a poster
- Make up a game
- Make up a story using the info
- Make up a song / rap
- Play a memory game (matching cards)
- Watch a video (such as School House Rock)
- Listen to the rap songs about the three branches
- Play an online game
- Fill out your study guide
- Read a book on the topic
- Or any other idea they could create!
If you had walked into the room while they were trying out some of these methods, you would have been impressed!
If students use methods like these to prepare for their test on Thursday, there’s no doubt that they will do well! With a little room for innovation, young people can come up with some unique ideas. And that’s the kind of thinking our planet needs.
Categories: Global Citizenship, Innovation Academy, USA
Innovation on Earth 
i think that is is quite unfair that other countries don’t have the same rights as us. we
have been learning about our government, and i find it interesting. if you plan to use one of these ideas, i suggest School House Rock. the songs are catchy!:)