As the twenty-first century begins, the world is becoming a smaller place.  From the European Union to NAFTA, political and economic organizations are creating intricate and global connections between nations and governments.  Conventional definitions of world regions as separate and enclosed systems have become increasingly blurred as these new global units redefine the map as we have known it.

The middle school curriculum in Global Studies introduces students to this quickly changing world environment.  In Global Studies I & II, the curriculum focuses on developing geographic literacy so that students not only become capable of identifying nations and capitals, but also gain an understanding of the role geography plays in the formation and growth of societies.  Students will also learn about key historical, cultural, and political events which have shaped various nations and their relationships with the United States.  In Global Studies III, students utilize their geographic literacy to study how America has defined national security and foreign policy since World War II.  The course will provide students with an overview of the context and creation of American foreign policy with an emphasis on the contradiction between the rhetoric of foreign policy and its actual practice.  By reviewing America’s history of  international and military conflicts in the twentieth century, students develop a richer understanding of the changes to national security that have occurred in the post-September 11 world.

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