In this interactive lesson, students learn about the development of modern technologies, advancements in medicine, changes to agricultural practices, globalization, and human population trends to assess the causes and effects of environmental changes since 1900.
Covering topics like infectious diseases, environmentalism, fertilizers, and exponential population growth, the lesson includes videos, articles, discussion questions, and in-class activities.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This resource is a great way to link world history and climate change or environmental studies.
The teacher's version includes discussion questions, a quick guide for using each resource, sample answers, and evaluation questions.
The teacher portal includes access to forums, a blog, events, and professional development and planning resources for educators.
Additional Prerequisites
The teacher and students must create an account to access the course.
It is recommended that students skim the transcript of the videos and accompanying questions before watching.
Since this lesson is part of a year-long AP World History course, when students create an account, the teacher should direct them to section 9.1.
Differentiation
Although designed to fit into an AP curriculum, this resource can be used anytime during the year during lessons about globalization, innovation, technology, and the history of the environment.
Printable versions of the activity worksheets, readings, and video transcripts are available on the teacher and student portals.
You can select to pause the videos at each key idea to ensure students understand the main points.
This can be used in a flipped classroom or have students complete the video and online components as homework.
Science classes can use this lesson to connect to anatomy and physiology topics, infectious diseases and the endocrine system, population dynamics, carrying capacity, sources of greenhouse gas pollution, or numerous ecology topics.
Scientist Notes
The resource lets students understand the history of globalization and the positive and adverse impacts it has created on humans and the environment. There is a high confidence in using this resource in the classroom.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
HS-ESS3-3 Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: History
D2.His.1.9-12 Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.
D2.His.12.9-12 Use questions generated about multiple historical sources to pursue further inquiry and investigate additional sources.
Dimension 4: Taking Informed Action
D4.6.9-12 Use disciplinary and interdisciplinary lenses to understand the characteristics and causes of local, regional, and global problems; instances of such problems in multiple contexts; and challenges and opportunities faced by those trying to address these problems over time and place.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Informational Text (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
Speaking & Listening (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Writing (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
