"If the world were 100 people"--Great Tools for Geography Classes!

Imagine a site which reduces the world's population of 7,000,000,000 to 100!  With a much more manageable number, students can truly develop a deeper understanding of the problems the planet faces on a more personal level.  When they can attach a face to a problem, they often times feel a need to help those less fortunate than themselves.

In 100 people,  teachers will find a video in the bottom left corner of the homepage which offers an overview of the 100 people project.  Here a breakdown is given on how many people have electricity, clean drinking water, an education, etc.  It is also current unlike many of the other videos and websites on the same topic.

However, the site offers much more than just a video on the world's problems.   The map on the homepage offers students the opportunity to click on any red dot (spread throughout the planet) and see an interview with a person from that country.  Attaching a face to a county can have an emotionally moving effect on anyone.  This is especially true with young people.  If teachers can channel that concern into students taking positive actions, at any level, to make the world a better place for all, they will become better persons for it as well as responsible caretakers of the planet:)

What are some of the issues facing the planet today with its residents?  Click on GLOBAL ISSUES.  Each one comes with a video as well as complete lesson plans.   If schools would like to take part in a project, the teacher needs to enroll the school.  Simply follow the directions of the link.

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS
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Teaching Tolerance and Respect for Other Cultures

Building a respect for other cultures is a must in today's global society.  Nothing is more urgent since diversity in America's classrooms is continuing to grow with leaps and bounds.  If American students are to thrive in the future workforce, they must learn how to respectfully interact with those different from them in cultures, traditions, religions, ethnicities, languages, etc.

How can this be accomplished?  Teachers weave it into every lesson and every content area.  The more exposure students have early on in their education, the more likely they will not see anything out of the ordinary when chance interactions with those who are different from them occur.  To survive in a multinational workforce, they will need to fit in and that involves respect for diversity.

In this video, TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO MAKE A GLOBAL IMPACT, students study festivals of light around the world.  The teacher has them research countries where such festivals exist.  They then discuss why such knowledge is necessary for them to know.  The teacher does not lecture, but instead, wants them to discuss why such knowledge is important to have.  For such young students, they offer quite valid even mature responses.  To be this tolerant at such a young age, they will be model world citizens when they enter the work force:)

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS

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