Unit plan for 7th grade Global Studies surrounding the topic of inequalities.
Compelling questions:
Why do inequalities exist around the world?
How do we impact change?

This inquiry examines the 20th century history of migration from Mexico to the United States and recent efforts to limit the movement of people across the southern U.S. border. The inquiry takes its inspiration from a 2018 podcast episode by Malcom Gladwell titled, “General Chapman’s Last Stand.” The podcast is part of Gladwell’s Revisionist History series (http://revisionisthistory.com). In the podcast, Gladwell tells the story of General Leonard F. Chapman Jr., Commandant of the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, who went on to serve as the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) from 1972 to 1975. Chapman is credited with reforming the INS into a more efficient and effective agency, but Gladwell argues that Chapman’s efforts also led to an unintentional increase in unauthorized immigrants. In 1970, 760,000 Mexican immigrants, or 1.4% of Mexico’s population, lived in the U.S. By 2008, there were 12.7 million Mexican immigrants in the U.S. which amounted to 11% of all people born in Mexico; an increase of almost 800% in less than 30 years. The question of how and why this happened is the central focus of this inquiry.

This website was founded at Iowa State University to educate and engage citizens on the political process. The center brings national and international scholars, women leaders and political activists onto campus for programs, seminars and lectures.

Information and photos of atlases and maps used in Iowa Schools and the community from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt

Information and photos of children's outdoor chores on the farm from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt

Information and photos of evolution of music in Iowa Schools from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt

Information and photos of girls' indoor chores at home on the farm from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt

Information and photos of historical school documents and Iowa books in Iowa Schools from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt

Information and photos of morning routines in Iowa Schools from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt

Information and photos of school awards in Iowa Schools from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt

Information and photos of students desks and devices in Iowa Schools from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt

Information and photos of teacher's desk and furnishings in Iowa Schools from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt

Information and photos of teaching methods and devices in Iowa Schools from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt

Information and photos of Toys and Games used by children at home and in Iowa Schools from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt

Iowa Heritage Digital Collections is a resource for students, educators, historians, genealogists, and anyone else interested in the people, places and institutions of Iowa. The site provides free access to digital collections from a variety of Iowa cultural institutions.

This website is a collection of Iowa History resources for educators, teachers, historians, and anyone interested in Iowa and its people, culture and places. It provides free access to digital collections from Iowa cultural institutions

This lesson will have students analyze connections among historical events and developments in the contemporary global issue of trade, specifically, trade between the United States and China.   Students will answer the compelling question; Do tariffs improve the lives of workers in a country and in an industry?Students will research the history of trade, specifically, the silk road.  How did this trade route affect the lives of ordinary people? How does the relationship over time between the United States and China affect trade? Students will create a similar learning experience building a lesson that connects the historical events and developments to a contemporary issue around globalization. Copy of the Lesson in a Google Doc.  Licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution License. 

What is a goldfinch, you ask? Of course it is a beautiful bird, but it is was also an Iowa history magazine for young people. Published quarterly by the State Historical Society of Iowa from 1975 to 2000, each issue had a theme (such as immigrants) and included articles, games, and fiction. The University of Iowa Libraries has digitized all of these back issues and visitors can scroll through all of them from this site. Visitors might do well to start by looking at the issues titled "Health in Iowa" and "Traveling Entertainment." Educators might consider these works as a model for teaching young people about history as each issues is well-curated and contains a mix of visual materials and thoughtful text.

For Iowa History- Unit 1 PowerPoint video Learn about the Formation of Iowa's Soils and Why the Prairie land is Unique. • Video narrative written by Sandra Kessler Host...

For Iowa History- Learn about the Formation of Iowa's Soils and Why the Prairieland is Unique. • Video narrative written by Sandra Kessler Host researcher, ...