Unit 4
Unit Title:The Post War Period (1945-Present) / Timeframe: 9 weeks
Grading Period: 4th 9 weeks
Dates of Completion:
Suggested Understandings:
- Cold War
- Competition between the American and Soviet economic and political system
- Causes for the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe
- Nuclear weaponry impact on conflict and cooperation since 1945
- Conflicts and revolutionary movements in eastern Asia
- China & Vietnam
- Leaders Mao Tse-tung (Zedong), Chaing Kai-shek, and Ho Chi Minh
- Vietnam War
- Contributions of selected world leaders
- Indira Gandhi
- Margaret Thatcher
- Mikhail Gorbachev
- Deng Xiaoping
- Struggles for self-rule
- Gandhi’s nonviolent movement and leadership leading to home rule of India.
- Jomo Kenyatta’s leadership of Kenya
- Nelson Mandela’s role in South Africa (Apartheid)
- End of the mandate system and the creation of states in the Middle East (roles of Golda Meir and Gamal Abdel Nasser)
- Contemporary issues
- Migration of refugees
- Civil War and Ethnic/religious conflicts
- Chemical and biological technologies
- Global population growth on the environment: Deforestation, Desertification, Conservation & Recycling.
- World Hunger & Lack of Water
- Human Rights
- Impact of disease
- AIDS, Malaria, and Avian Flu
- Economic development and interdependence
- Link between economic and political freedom
- Rise of multinational corporations
- Global Economy
- Developed & Undeveloped Nations
- International Trade Agreements and World Organizations:
• OPEC
• NAFTA
• G20
• WTO
• EU
• WHO
• NATO
- Impact of Technology
- Internet
- Communication
- Social media
- Other inventions.
- Natural disasters
- Floods
- Tsunamis
- Earthquakes
- Monsoons
- Impact of terrorism
- Greenhouse Effect of Global Warming
Curriculum Goals/Objectives:
- 7.H.1.1-3:Use historical thinking to analyze various modern societies.
- 7.H.2.1-4: Understand the implications of global interactions.
- 7.G.1.1-3: Understand how geography, demographic trends, and environmental conditions shape modern societies and regions.
- 7.G.2.1-2: Apply the tools of a geographer to understand modern societies and regions.
- 7.E.1.1-4: Understand the economic activities of modern societies and regions.
- 7.C&G.1.3-4:Understand the development of government in modern societies and regions.
- 7.C.1.1: Explain how culture unties and divides modern societies and regions.
- What events led to the Cold War?
- Describe the economic and political competition between America and the Soviet Union.
- What events led to the collapse of communism in Soviet Union & Eastern Europe.
- What was the impact of nuclear weapons?
- Examine the roles of Sun Yat-Sen, Chiang Kai-Shek, and Mao Zedong in China.
- What were the outcomes of the Indian independence movement?
- Describe the role and impact of the following world leaders: Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Deng Xiaoping.
- Identify Mohandas Gandhi and describe his role in India gaining independence.
- Describe Gandhi’s belief of nonviolence.
- World leaders influenced by Mahatma Gandhi.
- Why did independence movements in Africa gain success after World War II?
- What was Nelson Mandela’s leadership role in South Africa?
- Explain the laws of apartheid in South Africa.
- What was the role of the ANC?
- Who was Jomo Kenyatta and what impact did he make in Kenya?
- What was the role of Golda Meir and Gamal Abdul Nasser in the creation of the states in the Middle East?
- What new technologies have created opportunities and challenges?
- How does the developing world compare with the developed world in terms of economic, social, and population characteristics?
- How is economic interdependence changing the world?
- Describe characteristics of developed and undeveloped nations.
- How have diseases impacted regions of the world?
- What is the purpose of the WHO?
- What is the purpose of OPEC and list the member nations.
- Describe the role of the major international trade organizations.
- What is the role of the United Nations?
- Describe the impact of natural disasters on societies and the environment.
- What are some examples of international terrorism in our world today that have impacted developed and developing nations?
- Identify some causes and effects of global warming?
Suggested Essential Vocabulary: / Suggested Assessment Tasks:
- Jig Saw on events of the Cold War. Assign events (Marshall Plan, Truman Doctrine, Berlin Blockade1948, Churchill’s Iron Curtin Speech, and Berlin Airlift “Operation Vittles”) , roles within the groups, Students should describe the event or document, explain the reason(s) why the event occurred or the document was created, describe the effect(s) of the event or document. Students then present their findings to their classmates
- Instruct students to write a newspaper article about an African nation and its independence movement, selecting one of the following nations, including information on the accompanying aspects:
• Algeria: War of Independence from France
• Kenya (Britain): Violent struggle under leadership of Jomo Kenyatta
• South Africa: Black South Africans‘ struggle against apartheid led by Nelson Mandela, who became the first black president of the Republic of South Africa.
Tell students that the articles must be concise and to the point and demonstrate correct mechanics, i.e., grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Selected students will present their articles at the next class.
- Choose one of the world leaders from this era an essay nominating them for Time Magazine’s Person of the Year.
Cold War
communism
apartheid
ANC
mandate system
Palestine
Israel
civil war
ethnic conflict
chemical weapons
biological weapons
WMD’s
population
deforestation
desertification
conservation
recycling
AIDS / malaria
Avian Flu
Refugee
Greenhouse effect
Global warming
pollution
loss of habitat
ozone depletion poverty
famine
migration
Tsunami
Earthquake
monsoon
terrorism
economy
corporation
interdependence / trade
Social media
UN
OPEC
G20
WTO
EU
WHO
NATO
Global economy
economic interdependence
multinational corporation
developing nation
free market economy
standard of living
political freedom
multinational corporation
international
Notes: