GS - Global Studies Module Overview

Global Studies

Introduction

Learning about the way people live is an important part of learning about the culture of societies in these regions. Culture, location, and environment play a direct role in the growth, development, and formation of a society. Societies can change over time because conflict may arise between or within another society. As societies change and advance, they become more complex. This can directly affect the government of a society, and the laws that govern the citizens. The laws of society can affect a society's production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

In this course, we will be learning about the seven themes of Geography as they are applied to the countries that make up Europe, Latin America, Canada, and Australia.

Questions to consider as we begin our studies:

• • How does conflict between or within societies lead to change?
  • What is the culture of a society composed of?
  • How does a society become more complex over time?
  • How does a society change through interaction with other societies as it becomes more complex?
  • How does a society and the environment affect one another?
  • How does location affect a society's economy, culture, and development?

 

Module Lessons Preview

In this module, we will study the following topics:

Conflict and Change: Conflict is defined as a disagreement and it can be between individuals or groups of people or countries. Over time conflicts can lead to change. In this class we will examine conflict in terms of how it changes societies and cultures. The changes can be positive or negative; and sometimes change can be both positive and negative at the same time in different ways.

Culture: What is culture and how is it determined? This lesson will discuss the various pieces that go into making up your culture as well as some terms you should know as we begin to study other cultures. 

Governance: We can study a society in one way by examining how the society’s government functions. As we travel the world studying various cultures, we will study the different types of government. Governments play an important part in a successful society. People must have rules to live together in an orderly manner. Governments do as much as they can to fulfill the need for order. They can be limited to different extents, meaning there are power restrictions placed on the leader. We will be studying societies with three different types of governments in this lesson.

Human-Environment Interaction: Everyone depends on oil, gas, and coal for electricity and fuel. Smog, acid rain, and air pollution are caused by the burning of fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal.) All three of these energy sources can be detrimental to our environment. We will explore how human actions can negatively affect the atmosphere, the environment, and our water supply.

Location: Locating places on a map is a basic geographical skill. In this lesson we'll learn about differences in maps and how to locate places geographically.

Production, Distribution and Consumption: For each region that we study, we will look at a country's production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. We will study the economy of a region by examining the resources that are produced and distributed. We will ask the three general economic questions that all economists use when they study economic systems. You will also consider international trade and the issues each nation faces in trying to maximize their natural resources, goods and services.

Time, Change and Continuity: Cultures change all the time. Because culture is a way of life, a change in one part changes other parts. Changes in the natural environment, technology, and new ideas affect culture and every aspect of our world. This lesson will discuss how things change over time and why.

 

Key Terms

Download a copy of this module's key terms by clicking here. Links to an external site. 

 

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