Download Model United Nations and Advanced Geography (UNAG) Course Syllabus CTY 2014

Model United Nations and Advanced Geography (UNAG)
Course Syllabus
CTY 2014
Week One Objective – Students will take the first steps towards developing greater
global awareness through the research and exploration of the regions of the globe.
Students will spend the first two weeks working on activities focused on the
different region: the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Focusing on
the physical geography and major global issues that face each of these regions,
students will draw connections between regional issues and global issues, and
highlight how physical geographic barriers (mountains, oceans, etc…) affect these
relationships. By starting with the Americas, students will expand upon their
strongest reference point the United States and North America to journey south
include Latin America, from there students will travel the globe, adding regions to
their mental map.
Day 1
Day 2
WHAT (skills & knowledge
goals, concepts, readings)
• Introduction to the course
• Class Expectations, Honor
Code
• Pre-Assessment
• Study of Geographic Themes
• Discussion of World Issues“If the World Were a Village”
• Mapping Activity for
location: relative and
absolute (Lat/Long)
• Warm Up
• Review of course material
from the day before
• Reading the NY Times
• Map Projections and images
of the earth
HOW (activities)
• Icebreakers, Name Games, Overview of class
schedule
• Brainstorming class expectations on the
board, supplemented by Instructor/TA
guidance
• Presentation of 5 geography themes, pairs
exercise using National Geographic
magazines to identify examples of the
themes
• Review of longitude and latitude with
mapping, and location finding activitystudents are given cards with locations and
then find them on the map worksheets they
have
• Flag identification mapping activityidentifying the flag, then finding the name
and coordinates of that country, placing it
then on a blank grid
• Start the Day: Worksheets that reinforce
regions of the globe and lat./long. map
reading skills
• Introduction to guided reading of the New
York Times
• Grapefruit activity to understand map
distortion
WHAT (skills & knowledge
goals, concepts, readings)
• Introduction to argument
and debate (which map
projection is best)
• Types of Maps
• Choropleth Maps Activity
• Gap Minder Graph Analysis
• Journal reflections
Day 3
(Intro to
Global
Resource
Inequality
and
Development)
• Warm Up
• Review of course material
from the day before
• Reading the NY Times
• World Economic Systems
Simulation
• Follow up on choropleth
mapping and GDP
correlations
• State and Sovereignty
Exercise, Types of
Governance
Day 4
(Latin
America/
Africa)
• Warm Up
• Review of course material
from the day before
• Reading the NY Times
• Social Justice and Trade
Reading (time permitting)
• World System’s theory note
taking
• Practice research skills in
computer lab while
reinforcing GDP correlations
with Africa research project
• Building the Americas Map
presentation preparation
HOW (activities)
• Guided note taking on different types of
maps, their uses and purposes
• Working off own reading, notes and images
in atlas, develop an argument. Then working
with peers, formulate a
speech/presentation to defend your
perspective.
• Create their own Choropleth maps with GDP
tables to map global trends, explore the
connections and relationships between GDP
and other factors
• Introduction to journal writing and
expectations, make journals
• Review worksheets on GDP, Choropleth
maps
• How do articles in the New York Times
illustrate important foreign policy (introduce
terms: foreign vs. domestic, containment,
deterrence, arms race etc… as necessary)
• Students will be split up into 3 tiers, roughly
representing aspects of World Systems
Theory. The simulation will highlight the
difficulties that countries have developing.
• Using an atlas to collect data and make
correlations—maximizing statistics as a
form of research on a country
• Mental mapping of democracy, oligarchy
and autocracy, with web worksheet.
Brainstorm current examples.
• Discussion and class reading of the article,
complete analysis worksheet
• Discussion of terms brought up in readings:
trade barriers, tariffs, imports, exports, WTO,
OPEC, free trade advantages and
disadvantages
• Lecture and discussion on World Systems
Theory and its implications on NAFTA etc…
• Time in computer lab- students will each
research important information about a
different country in Africa and compare to
document trends
• Asses base knowledge with a fill in the blank
map, then using atlases and craft supplies,
WHAT (skills & knowledge
goals, concepts, readings)
Day 5
(Middle
East cont.)
• Warm Up
• Reading the NY Times
• State, Sovereignty,
Nationalism term definitions
and mental mapping
• Review of debate format and
skills: argument hierarchy,
parts of debate
• Opening Statement
structure
• Introduction to South Asia
Water Issue (pending
change of topic due to
current events)
• Review debate situation, and
prepare arguments
• Debate
HOW (activities)
each student will create and label a country
from the region, and present their research
on this country to the class
• Reflective journaling
• Discussion and class reading of the article,
complete analysis worksheet
• Review of debate format, taking opposing
sides, short role plays as necessary
• Introduce hamburger of opening statements
• Individually reading of Jordan River packets,
discussion of main issues as a class
• Students will have some time to strategize,
prepare etc… in groups
• Role play debate over water rights in South
Asia (Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Pakistan,
India)
Week Two Objective – Students will finish their tour of the world with the study of
Asia and Europe and then shift focus from the regions themselves to how countries
interact with each other internationally. In preparation for the Model UN
simulations, students will use Week Two to develop more detailed understandings
of the UN structure and their assigned countries. During this week students will be
introduced to Parliamentary Procedure, draft position papers on the most
important topics for each of their countries, and then discuss these broad issues in a
series of mock General Assembly meetings. Students will synthesize what they have
learned about the structure of the UN, by recommending certain topics to other
committees, UN organizations, and bodies. Students will practice their public
speaking, persuasive writing and speaking skills; this will also prepare them for
Week Three’s mock Security Council simulation.
Day 1
Day 2
WHAT (skills & knowledge goals,
concepts, readings)
• Warm Up
• NY Times article review
• Finish South America
Presentations
• Antarctica-digital mapping
innovations
• Introduction to the UN, its major
organs
• Individual research to build
country profiles
HOW (activities)
• Warm Up
• Review of material from previous
day: UN Organs
• NY Times article review
• Subsidiary Bodies Introduction
• Understanding development aid
through the World Food
Programme case study
• Introduction to UN style debate
• Introduction to rules of procedure
• Introduction to resolution writing
• Discussion and class reading of the
article, complete analysis worksheet
• Lecture and note taking on the role
of subsidiary bodies—paralleled
with information in their books
• Use of WFP Food Force Game in
Computer Lab with guided note
taking to engage in the steps
necessary for humanitarian aid
• Overview of Rules of Procedure and
caucusing using the examples from
Food Force
• Review of Preambulatory versus
Operative Clauses in resolution
writing: Draft resolutions for Food
Force example
• Discussion and class reading of the
article, complete analysis worksheet
• Guided note taking of UN ReadingsUnited Nations at a Glance Chapter 1
• Activate learned knowledge through
the Organs Puzzle and fly swatter
game
• Assign Countries for next two weeks,
Students will begin their research for
their assigned countries in the
computer lab (UN scavenger hunt,
getting to know your country sheet)
WHAT (skills & knowledge goals,
concepts, readings)
Day 3
• NY Times article review
(First GA
• Review of Rules
Simulation,
• Position Paper Writing
Development • Simulation of GA committee on the
Issues)
issue of Famine in the Sahel
(including Moderated Caucus time,
and resolution writing)
• Journaling
Day 4
• NY Times article review
• Asian geography
• Study of the Major Agencies and
Subsidiary bodies of the United
Nations
Day 5
• NY Times article review
• Pirate negotiations, Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and
the Geneva Conventions
• Pirate Simulation (General
Assembly)
HOW (activities)
• Discussion and class reading of the
article, complete analysis worksheet
• Worksheet on Rules for review
• Review “hamburger” graphic
organizer for opening statements
• Using the data collected in the
computer lab, students will draft
position papers for use during the
simulation, students will also be
given access to classroom resources
and computers
• Simulation will reactivate learned
knowledge about their countries’
perspectives, the Rules of Procedure,
and the extent of the UN’s powers
• Discussion and class reading of the
article, complete analysis worksheet
• Working in teams to complete a
multi-stepped scavenger hunt
students acquire knowledge about
Asian while also improving their
research and data collection skills
using available books etc… in the
classroom
• Working individually, students will
become experts on different UN
subsidiary bodies/agencies and then
present to their classmates
• Discussion and class reading of the
article, complete analysis worksheet
• Students will negotiate for items in
return for their RAs, learn about
International Humanitarian Laws
that protect us all in the process
• Building off the preparation from the
previous day, students will replicate
a General Assembly meeting and
discuss their recommendations for
solutions to the Somali Piracy in the
world—utilize information about
subsidiary bodies in their resolution
writing
Week Three Objective – Students will continue to build on their knowledge of the UN
and their simulation experiences with the General Assembly by branching out through
small simulations and activities that examine global issues (health, poverty, human rights,
economics). Students will also prepare for the culmination of the course with their final
simulation of the Security Council.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
WHAT (skills & knowledge goals,
concepts, readings)
• NY Times article review
• Amending Resolutions
• Furthering your knowledge of your
country
• Introduction to the EU
• Review what we know about Europe,
through individual exercises about
different parts of the continent, and
then sharing with the class
• Review of UN organs
• Review of Human Rights, the
Universal Declaration of Human
Rights
• If time allows: expand on capitalism
world trade simulation with
socialist/communist progression in
the activity
• NY Times article review
• Review of UN Procedure
• Climate Change Simulation
• Journaling
• NY Times article review
• Reflecting on the efficacy of the
resolutions written about climate
HOW (activities)
• Discussion and class reading of the
article, complete analysis worksheet
• Discussion of friendly versus
unfriendly amendments—practice
amending using piracy resolutions
• Additional time in the Computer Lab,
more open ended questions as
researching points, ability to use a
variety of sources (what is
legitimate?)
• Read about the EU and create a map
illustrating the member countries
• Emphasis on who in the UN is
responsible for what, and where its
limitations lie prompt discussion
of limitations of major organs,
successes of smaller bodies
• Discussion and class reading of the
article, complete analysis worksheet
• Review of voting procedures, and
further explanation of Rules of
Procedure (General Assembly versus
Security Council)
• Prepare for the debate, speech
writing with peer review
• Simulation SC discussing the issue of
environmental refuges and Climate
Change
• Interruption of the simulation with
press conference/protest (with BACO
and WRIT)
• Climate change resolution writing
• Discussion and class reading of the
article, complete analysis worksheet
• Students will read through and
reflect on their previous afternoon’s
WHAT (skills & knowledge goals,
concepts, readings)
change limitations of the UN
system
• Overview of Refugee situations in
the world, current UN bodies
working on the situation, definition
of refugees
• Peacekeeping and Conflict
Resolution- the UN’s role
• Preparation work for simulation on
Nuclear Weapons in Iran and North
Korea
• If there is time: Trivia Challenge
Bowl
Day 4
• NY Times article review
• Nuclear Crisis Security Council
simulation
• Post Assessment test & SPEs
Day 5
• Completion of Security Council
simulation
• Reading of the NY Times
• Closing Activities
HOW (activities)
work, consider what they
accomplished and what is left undone
• Note taking and worksheet on
UNHCR and refugee vocab and
definitions real life examples,
limitations of the system
• Reading and Guided Note Taking of
Chapter 4 in United Nations at a
Glance what’s the most shocking
thing you learned?
• Read through prepared research,
students will reflect in preparation
for simulation and draft position
papers on the topic
• Discussion and class reading of the
article, complete analysis worksheet
• Simulation of Security Council
meeting on nuclear weapons:
moderated and unmoderated caucus,
resolution writing and voting, power
of the veto, frustrations of the veto
system in action