Welcome to GlobalEd 2 - Expanding the Science and Literacy of Curricular Space

Utilizing educational technologies currently available in most middle schools (computers with Internet connection), GlobalEd 2 situates students in a virtual, international decision-making environment focused on critical world issues. Across the country about 12-16 social studies classrooms participate in the simulation. Each classroom is assigned a country to represent. Within each classroom or "country", students are further divided into a number of issue areas such as human rights, economic policies, environment, and health.

The students in these issue area groups then interact with their counterparts in other "countries" over a five-week period, though a web-based environment in order to negotiate some mutually agreeable resolution to a world issue like water scarcity or global climate change. The students in the different classrooms are "blinded" from one another. As such, they are known only as "the Iranian human rights council" or the "Uganda economic group". This removes any issues of gender, racial or socio-economic bias from entering into the deliberations.

Students learn a great deal about their countries, the other countries in the simulations, global policy and the art of international negotiation - all traditional standards in the social studies curricula. However, also note that the students are negotiating content that has a scientific focus, and that all of the communications are written. This fall, our simulation will be focusing on the world's water scarcity problem and global climate change. During "negotiations" among country teams, students must learn about scientific concepts like the water cycle, pollution, desalination, and climate change. So in addition to meeting the social studies standards for 7th/8th grade, GlobalEd 2 serves as an expanded curricular space for engaging kids in real life science and writing tasks - both of which are important 21st century skills.

This project is funded by a grant from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES): Award # R305A080622

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