Unit 6: Modern World History
Lesson C: Research - Challenges of the Modern World
Activity 1: Research and Interpretation - Applying Historical Thinking to Today
Historical thinking includes skills that can be applied to draw conclusions about evidence today. Using these skills helps you to carefully analyze the evidence and form your own plausible interpretation. In this activity, you will conduct research to answer a big question about the present and recent past, examine the evidence, and draw a conclusion. The question you research will have international connections related to globalization. The evidence you examine will include factual information, historical interpretations, and the perspectives of other people who have a stake in or opinion about the importance of events related to the big question.
Follow your teachers directions to conduct your research. There are seven research issues, each framed by a big question. Each also has several possible subtopics that can be researched to help you answer that question. Your teacher may group you to answer one big question about your issue. In that case, each group member should choose and research one or more subtopics, share information, and identify trends to write a historical interpretation that answers the big question about your group's issue.
Like any historian, you will need to find relevant primary and secondary sources as part of your research. In addition, you must find at least two perspective pieces (for example editorials or policy statements) in which someone has shared their own point of view on your issue and/or the subtopics your group is researching. You will need these later when you complete your historical interpretation in the next activity.
Before you begin your research, review what you will need when you write your own historical interpretation about the issue in the next activity.
Download the Student Resource: Writing the Historical Interpretation - Globalization
Your teacher will also provide direction on how you will share your knowledge and interpretations with the class.
