Australian Curriculum links
Learning areas
English
Year 9
Analyse how the construction and interpretation of texts, including media texts, can be influenced by cultural perspectives and other texts (ACELY1739)
Interpret, analyse and evaluate how different perspectives of issue, event, situation, individuals or groups are constructed to serve specific purposes in texts (ACELY1742)
Year 10
Identify and analyse implicit or explicit values, beliefs and assumptions in texts and how these are influenced by purposes and likely audiences (ACELY1752)
Geography
Year 9
The ways that places and people are interconnected with other places through trade in goods and services, at all scales (ACHGK067)
Year 10
Reflect on and evaluate the findings of the inquiry to propose individual and collective action in response to a contemporary geographical challenge, taking account of environmental, economic and social considerations; and explain the predicted outcomes and consequences of their proposal (ACHGS080)
General capabilities
- Literacy
- Critical and creative thinking
- Ethical behaviour
Students develop an understanding that globalisation and its impact may be positive or negative. They begin to develop their own ideas about defining the term and its impact.
Discuss, in pairs, what you think the word ‘globalisation’ means. Write your ideas in the second column of the 3–2–1 Bridge in your own version of the table shown below.
3–2–1 Bridge
| | Your initial responses to ‘globalisation’ | Your new responses to ‘globalisation’ |
|---|
| 3 thoughts/ideas | | |
| 2 questions | | |
| 1 analogy | | |
Source: Harvard Visible Thinking Routines 3-2-1 Bridge
View the following images in pairs and discuss them using the following prompts:
- What is it about (eg trade, jobs, cultural identity, social justice, technology, multinational companies etc)?
- What feeling does it create?
- Categorise it as mainly positive, mainly negative, not sure.
Globalisation
Globalization uber alles
Outsourcing homework
Problems of globalization illustrated
Mcdonaldization
Globalization meal
Globalization digital art
Globalization: world is a small crowded village
View the following videos:
Biofuel and globalisation
Globalization: You're living IT (YouTube video)
Causes – Globalization animation (YouTube video) Please note that this video is provided for teacher reference. It is not suitable for classroom viewing.
Discuss the videos using the following prompts:
- What is the video about (eg trade, jobs, cultural identity, social justice, technology, multinational companies etc)?
- Who is benefiting from the globalising process? Who is disadvantaged?
Add comments or questions to the third column of your 3–2–1 Bridge.
Students develop their understanding of the diverse perspectives generated by globalisation. Students further develop their own ideas about defining the term and its impact.
Read the following statements about globalisation and discuss the key concepts in each. What do you think the writer thinks about globalisation?
- It doesn't matter how far apart we might be geographically, economically or culturally, we're all held tightly together as members of the human race in an all-embracing web.
- Jobs are leaving many of the developed nations and moving to developing nations. The money earned helps those developing nations move forward – more jobs, cheaper goods, more profits for research and development. Everybody wins.
- I interact with other people who live in different countries when I’m playing computer games.
- Countries which are open to external investment are able to develop their economies to generate incomes from exports and raise their standards of living.
- Of the world's 7 billion people, 214 million are migrants, a phenomenon that has 'internationalised' many cities.
- Young people around the world have adopted international brands and styles without discrimination. Their clothes are influenced by their favourite bands, they sing along to songs they don't understand and support values that don't belong to them. Culture is under siege!
- Recently we have seen the collapse of undemocratic regimes, improvements in workers' rights, an increase in environmental awareness and responsibility, and an increased awareness of fair trade as a result of advocacy campaigns using social media.
- Sixty-eight million people are served every day in McDonald’s – 33,000 restaurants in 119 countries worldwide.
- Globalisation has caused important changes in who makes decisions that affect our lives as multinational companies have more power than national governments.
- Differences in local conditions require local solutions rather than an externally imposed and globally uniform ‘one size fits all’ solution.
Adapted from: Globalise me! A student’s guide to globalisation
Add comments or questions to your 3–2–1 Bridge in pairs.
Students explore issues of globalisation related to underwear and how campaigners tried to change lives in India as well as attitudes in countries such as Australia and England.
Write a list of factors that you take into account when you buy underwear (eg price, style, availability, brand, fit, etc)
Discuss with a partner:
- Do you ever think about where your underwear comes from and what it is made from? Why/Why not?
Survey a couple of friends or family members about which factors are important to them when they buy underwear. Follow up this question by asking whether they consider the source of and materials used to produce the underwear.
Diamond rank the factors according to how important they are to you.
Compare your ranking with others and discuss the similarities and differences.
Read the information on the About page of the Pants to Poverty website and view the Pants to poverty YouTube video.
Create a headline that captures the most important aspect of the materials you have explored.
Compare your headline with those written by other students. What aspects of the Pants for Poverty campaign have been highlighted?
Review your diamond ranking of factors that influence the purchase of underwear. How might you change the ranking based on this new information?
Explore the campaigns that Pants to Poverty has used to raise awareness among consumers in Britain and in Australia:
Discuss: Which of these campaigns is the most effective at raising awareness?
Respond to this criticism of the Pants to Poverty campaign:
Despite its social goal, Pants to Poverty … haven’t strayed far from the more ‘traditional’ ways to market underwear. Their website is plastered with half-naked, thin, and beautiful young people.
Source: Trendhunter www.trendhunter.com/trends/pants-to-poverty
Think, pair, share your ideas about this criticism. Do believe it is acceptable to use these sorts of techniques to publicise a cause to improve the lives of others?
Students will examine differing views about globalisation and establish their own response.
Brainstorm your ideas about globalisation. Group the issues to decide on the key themes (such as economic growth, poverty reduction, environmental impact, impact of technology, or cultural imperialism).
Create a Plus, Minus, Interesting chart for each theme.
Discuss: Are you in favour or against globalisation?
Read the Introduction to the Global issue Globalisation.
Discuss: Does this alter your opinions about globalisation?
Select one of the numbered boxes from the Introduction that outlines the benefits and problems of globalisation. In pairs:
- Discuss: How do the two statements interact with each other?
- Decide which of you will research the benefit and which the problem of this aspect of globalisation, and conduct your research.
- Compare your findings with your partner and discuss your response.
Report your findings to the whole of the class.
Discuss the reports and decide whether you are more in favour or less in favour of globalisation than initially and why.
Students reflect on their learning about the conflicting perceptions about globalisation and consider their personal response.
Reflect on your learning about globalisation by completing these sentence stems:
I used to think ...
But now I think …
Select one of the following ways of implementing your learning:
Review ways in which the following websites respond to globalisation and the kinds of activities that they use for advocacy. In what ways do these sites have a connection with choices made within your family and school environment? How could you make a difference through individual action?
- SumOfUs is a movement of consumers, workers and shareholders attempting to counterbalance the growing power of large corporations.
- Fairtrade advocates for better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.
OR
Develop your own idea for action in responding to globalisation.
