Connections to people from different backgrounds are a natural part of interacting in the adult world, and they need to be part of the student experience as well.  Students also realize that work that is shared with real people means more than work that just goes into a teacher mailbox. The desire to feel connected to others is what drives most of the day to day interactions of adolescents, so teachers can capitalize on that energy in the classroom.

• Standard: Use a map key to locate countries and major cities in Europe. (SS6 E.2 – G)
• How to Globalize: While hands-on projects work to teach most topics, some objectives are reached best when students study for quizzes and tests. In the case of geography, students do need to take time to study maps. However, if they just look at a map out of context, what will students really remember in 5, 10, or even 20 years from now? By combining the teaching of this standard with others relating to culture and religion, students learned the countries on the map in a meaningful context.
• Sample Project: Penpal Letter Rubric ~ Students were assigned a country and they needed to write at least two penpal letters to a student abroad. Students drafted the letters, handed in their work, got feedback, and got their graded rubric back all on google docs. They then emailed their letters (some through their parents or teachers if they didn’t have their own email addresses).  We used epals and other online resources to connect with teachers in other countries.
• Learn More: Digital Rubric, Organizer #1 (Culture), Organizer #2 (Religion), Organizer #3 (Global Citizenship), Video below (shows clips of students in Ukraine telling students at Innovation Academy about their country)