Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools 7th Grade Curriculum Map 2015-2016
Unit 4: The Modern World 1945-Present
Essential Standards
Unit 4
4th Quarter (9wks)
Topics
Concepts
7.H.1, 7.H.2, 7.G.1, 7.G.2, 7.E.1, 7.C&G.1, 7.C.1
7.H.1 Use historical thinking to analyze various modern societies.
7.H.2 Understand the implications of global interactions.
7.G.1 Understand how geography, demographic trends, and environmental
conditions shape modern societies and regions.
7.G.2 Apply the tools of a geographer to understand modern societies and
regions.
7.E.1 Understand the economic activities of modern societies and regions.
7.C&G.1 Understand the development of government in modern societies
and regions
7.C.1 Understand how cultural values influence relationships between
individuals, groups and political entities in modern societies and regions.
Essential Understandings
(May be used to create Essential Questions)
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International organizations strengthen ties
between nations and solve problems.
After World War II, the United States acted
to stop the spread of communism.
Global Problem Solvers included
international organizations such as UN,
WHO, International Olympic Committee,
International Red Cross, European
Community, ASEAN, World Bank.
Urbanization has changed the lives of
people in the developing world.
Since 1945, technology has improved the
standard of living for much of the world.
 Post WWII
 Cold War
 Contemporary
Times
Guiding Questions
(samples of
factual/conceptual/provocative questions)
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What were the causes and results of
the Cold War?
What happened during the Great
Liberation?
What is the difference between a
developed nation and a developing
nation?
How can geography influence
economic development?
How has technology widened the gap
between wealthy nations and poorer
ones?
What challenges did countries of Asia
Global Interaction
Conflict
Innovation
Society
Region
Governmental Authority
Power
Economics
Vocabulary/
Key Historical Figures
geography, location
place, movement,
human environment interaction
physical map, political map
capitalism, scarcity, economics,
buffer, United Nations
Cold War
Truman Doctrine
Marshall Plan
NATO
Terrorism
The Great Liberation
Developed nation
Developing nations
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Economic growth in the post WWII years
gave way to recession in the 1970s.
The Cold War increased tensions between
East and West Germany.
After WWII, Americans fought to protect
democracy, gain civil rights, and balance the
federal budget.
Soviet Union collapsed under pressure to
reform.
Japan recovered from WWII and rose to
economic power.
Communists succeeded in unifying China in
1949. They carried out reforms while
building a totalitarian state.
Needs and wants may influence the location
of trade and the types of goods that are
exchanged.
Interaction amongst cultures may influence
the growth of values and beliefs.
Leadership can strengthen or weaken
political and governmental systems.
Global concern arises over conflicts in the
Middle East because of vital shipping routes
and natural resources.
After WWII, a tide of nationalism swept
through Africa resulting in independence for
many nations.
Various NGOS (local, national and
international) and government agencies
respond to natural disasters.
Natural disasters may have positive and/or
negative consequences.
Social inequality, population growth, and
rapid urbanization all contributed to unrest in
Latin America.
During the postwar era, several Central
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face after WWII?
How was the Cold War a threat to
peace in Europe?
What job did the United States take
on after WWII?
What were the causes of economic
decline of the 1970s?
What struggles did countries of Africa
and the Middle East face in order to
gain their independence and what
political, religious, and economic
issues followed?
What effect did the fall of the Soviet
Union have on the Cold War?
How have political and economic
problems impacted Latin America?
What are the economic,
environmental, and technological
changes and challenges of the world
today?
Describe the factors that contributed
to the Cold War including the
differences in ideologies and policies
of the Soviet bloc and the West;
political, economic, and military
struggles in the 1940s and 1950s;
and development of Communism in
China.
What was the role of the United
States in the two Middle East
conflicts?
Why did many Central American
countries have civil wars?
Migration
The Green Revolution
Korean War
Red scare and McCarthy
hearings
Civil Rights movement
Vietnam
Gulf War in Kuwait and Iraq
Haiti
Segregation, boycotts,
immigrants
Free tradeperestroika
Disbanded
Mikhail Gorbachev
Glasnost
Ethnic, civilians, quotas
Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping,
Cultural Revolution
People’s Republic of China
Communes
The Great Leap Forward
North Korea, South Korea,
Truce, Asian Tigers
Partition of India
Hurricane Katrina,
Tsunami of Japan
9/11
Global terrorism, Iraq, Iran
Afghanistan,
Shah of Iran, Anwar Sadat,
Egypt, Ayatollah Khomeini
Middle East conflicts
Guerrilla warfare
Deforestation
Mixed economies
Apartheid, sanctions, South
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American countries were battered by civil
wars, while Mexico had little turmoil.
Preservation efforts may cause positive and
negative changes. negative implications
The ideas found in intellectual, scientific, and
cultural movements may have implications
for the development of future political
thought and governmental development
Not all democratic societies are the same.
Governmental systems in one society may
influence the development of governmental
systems in another society.
The source of political power in a society
does not always rest in the hands
governmental authority.
Differing cultural values and belief systems
in a society may serve as a source of
conflict.
Common values and beliefs may serve to
build relationships among various cultural
groups.
Cultural groups are more alike than they are
different.
Monuments and art treasures make a
shared past visible and thus strengthen
inter-cultural ties.
Cultural exchange contributes to mutual
understanding between societies and
peoples which can prevent prejudice and
hate.
Societies and regions may unite around
shared principles of ethics
Cultural expressions of the past may be
reflected in modern society in various ways.
Expressions of culture may bring about
political and social change by exposing
Africa, Cuba
Recession, diversify, Fidel
Castro, cease-fire
Fundamentalism, jihad
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political and social issues.
In times of need, cultural expressions such
as songs, writings and works of art can be a
beacon of hope and comfort
Conflicting ideas regarding cultural
expressions often leads to conflict and
suppression
--- the burning of books, the incarceration of
writers and artists, the destruction of cultural
heritage
Art and culture create space for imagination,
dialogue and interpretation.
---artists are giving shape to reality –
searching for alternative solutions and other
values – a free society needs cultural
innovation – art is also an aim in itself, as a
mirror and interpreter of our existence.
Monuments and art treasures make a
shared past visible and thus strengthen
inter-cultural ties.
Cultural heritage reinforces cultural and
historical self-awareness.
Cultural exchange can enrich our lives by
inspiring new forms of artistic expression
and providing new insights that broaden our
horizons.
Expressions of culture can be a means of
improving the quality of life of a nation.
Colonization, conquest, and imperialism may
alter a people’s way of life in positive and
negative ways.
Conflict may begin as ideological struggle
and end in physical violence.
There are multiple perspectives to
understand and analyze in order to
determine the effects of any type of conflict.
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The effects of conflict are multifaceted.
Economic conflict may alter the quality of life
for citizens in various nations and regions.
Political conflict may lead to the formation of
alliances.
Political and social conflict may require
military intervention.
Scarcity of resources and political power
struggles may result in global conflict
Multiple organizations are often needed to
address issues with global consequences.
Human and capital resources are needed to
address issues with global consequences.
Motivations for participating in global
consensus building efforts may impact how
groups work together.
International cooperative efforts often have
mixed results
Innovation in communication allows people
and ideas to travel from place to place with
greater ease.
Sharing of ideas and innovations allows for
more feedback and analysis, leading to a
more refined idea and more efficient
innovation.
Global interaction may be caused by conflict
Physical features of a place may influence
the settlement patterns of modern societies
and regions.
Human response to environmental
conditions may have unintended
consequences.
Middle East – Analyze the interregional
causes and consequences of conflicts in the
Middle East, including the development of
the state of Israel, Arab-Israeli disputes,
Palestine, the Suez crisis, and the nature of
the continuing conflict.
Essential Content Knowledge
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The United States and the Soviet Union emerged from
WWII as dominant new superpowers.
Independence, Decolonization, and Democratization
Movements – Compare the independence movements and
formation of new nations in the Indian Subcontinent,
Africa, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia during and
after the Cold War.
Instances where cultural groups were in complete
opposition to one another such as disputes over belief
systems and religious and other cultural practices
Cultural expressions are generally associated with
archives, works of art, places of worship and monuments,
but it also exists in less tangible forms: language, music
and dance, festivities, rituals and traditional craftsmanship.
Specific instances where cultural expressions of the past
were reflected in modern society.
Art and other expressions of culture give people selfrespect, belief in the future, and a platform for freedom of
speech and expression.
Ways in which the media transform society (e.g. keeping
people informed, but also the power to persuade people
using certain images).
Ways in which cultural expressions can improve quality of
life (e.g. attracting tourists to a place; cultural projects
creating jobs and generating income)
Ideological and military competition in THREE of the
following areas: Congo, Cuba, Mozambique, Angola,
Nicaragua, Guatemala, Bolivia, Chile, Indonesia, and
Berlin
Resources
World History For Us All
http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/
Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/ (primary vs
secondary sources)
Symbaloo of resources
www.symbaloo.com/mix/6thsocialstudies1
SAS Curriculum Pathway
https://www.sascurriculumpathways.com/portal/#/search?subjectid=4
Discovery Education
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/
The Teaching Channel
https://www.teachingchannel.org/
Interactive Maps:
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/imaps/
http://www.timemaps.com/history
Terrorism in History: This digital history site provides a quality
overview of the history of terrorism since the 19th century.
Teaching Economics
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Using post-WWI, post-WWII, height of Cold War, and
current world political maps, explain the changing
configuration of political boundaries in the world caused by
the World Wars, the Cold War, and the growth of
nationalist sovereign states (including Israel, Jordan,
Palestine).
Explain the ramifications of imperialism in Africa,
Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
Analyze the complex and changing legacy of imperialism
in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America during and
after the Cold War such as apartheid, civil war in Nigeria,
Vietnam, Cuba, Guatemala, and the changing nature of
exploitation of resources (human and natural).
Explain the changes over the past 50 years in the use,
distribution, and importance of natural resources (including
land, water, energy, food, renewable, non-renewable, and
flow resources) on human life, settlement, and interactions
by describing and evaluating growth of multinational
corporations, and governmental and non-governmental
organizations (e.g., OPEC, NAFTA, EU, NATO, World
Trade Organization, Red Cross, Red Crescent)
The impact of humans on the global environment
Define the process of globalization and evaluate the merit
of this concept to describe the contemporary world by
analyzing economic interdependence of the world’s
countries and world trade patterns
The exchanges of scientific, technological, and medical
innovations
Cultural diffusion and the different ways cultures/societies
respond to “new” cultural ideas and patterns
Comparative economic advantages and disadvantages of
regions, regarding cost of labor, natural resources,
location, and tradition
Distribution of wealth and resources and efforts to narrow
the inequitable distribution of resources
Analyze the causes and challenges of continuing and new
NC Council of Economic Education offers Free online and faceto-face workshops for teachers.
BB&T Everfi Personal Financial Literacy Program
Will provide guest speakers on Personal Finance (Alice Wagnercontact person alice@verfi.com
Vault http://www.everfi.com/
Econedlink:
http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/economic-lessonsearch.php?type=student&gid=3
PBS.org
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/socialstudies/inventory/economics68.html
Practical Money Skills
https://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/foreducators/lesson_plans/hig
hschool.php
Federal Reserve Bank
http://www.frbatlanta.org/edresources/lessons_activities_MS.cfm
Reading Like a Historian http://sheg.stanford.edu/ancient
Kahoot https://getkahoot.com/
Quizlet http://quizlet.com/
Websites:
www.educationworld.com/a_sites/sites060.shtml
www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lessonplans/investigating-holocaust-collaborative-inquiry-
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conflicts by describing
Tensions resulting from ethnic, territorial, religious, and/or
nationalist differences (e.g., Israel/Palestine, Kashmir,
Ukraine, Northern Ireland, al Qaeda, Shining Path)
• Causes of and responses to ethnic cleansing
/genocide/mass extermination (e.g., Darfur, Rwanda,
Cambodia, Bosnia)
• Local and global attempts at peacekeeping, security,
democratization, and administering international justice
and human rights
• The type of warfare used in these conflicts, including
terrorism, private militias, and new technologies
Explain and compare how economic systems (traditional,
command, and market) answer four basic questions: What
should be produced? How will it be produced? How will it
be distributed? Who will receive the benefits of
production? (e.g., market economies in Africa, Europe;
command economy in North Korea; and the transition to
market economies in Vietnam and China).
Determine the impact of trade on a region of the Eastern
Hemisphere by graphing and analyzing the Gross
Domestic Product of the region for the past decade and
comparing the data with trend data on the total value of
imports and exports over the same period.
Describe the effects that a change in the physical
environment could have on human activities and the
choices people would have to make in adjusting to the
change (e.g., drought in Africa, pollution from volcanic
eruptions in Indonesia, earthquakes in Turkey, and
flooding in Bangladesh).
Focus on the ideas that created the world students live in
today.
Reinforce earlier concepts by discussing technology and
its impact; evaluate the impact of the past three units on
the environment.
Ideas of democracy and human rights – the
416.html?tab=1#tabs
Primary Sources:
http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/whmfinding.php
Document Based Questions:
www.joannabrautigam.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/dbqfinaldr
aft.doc
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“winners” of the Cold War – and their impact. End with
terrorism as a reaction to globalization and many of the
other trends studied in the unit.
• Change in spatial distribution and use of natural
resources
• The differences in ways societies have been using and
distributing natural resources
• Social, political, economic, and environmental
consequences of the development, distribution, and use of
natural resources