Current Events Global Issues World or Human Geography Capstone Research Project

Culminate your Human Geography, Current Events, or Contemporary World Issues course with this highly scaffolded project that lets your students research and argue for the most urgent issues of the 21st century!

It's two projects in one! Students can either:

• Design a one-pager poster, creating a visual learning tool for others
• Construct an in-depth research essay, diving into the roots of the issue and thoroughly dissecting possible solutions

Everything is included, from brainstorming to final edit, with embedded scaffolded supports, like:

• Research & essay outline graphic organizers
• Step-by-step project check-off coversheets
• Annotated sample essay and project
• 10 how-to skill reference sheet
• Editable Google docs of all student material

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Greatness is deeply exploring a pressing issue to be part of its solution.

There are so many equally urgent global issues of the 21st century, from population growth (and decline!) to persistent extreme poverty and humanitarian struggles to climate change. It can feel simply too overwhelming.

Guide students in selecting one specific global issue and deep-diving into its history, severity, and possible solutions as they answer the question, "What is the global priority of the 21st century?"

You will set each of your students up for success in this 2-option, low-prep project, regardless of ability, with all the highly scaffolded graphic organizers, skill sheets, and supports included at each step.

Depending on the project you select, this can be down well in 1-3 weeks.

Included in this complete 2-option Contemporary Global Issues research project:

Teacher Materials

• 3-Page Teacher Overview, with learning outcomes and daily lesson plans
• Links to editable Google Doc files of all student materials
• Differentiation ideas to scaffold and support all your students

Student Materials

• 2 Project Check-Off sheets with step-by-step tasks for each the one-pager poster and the essay projects
• Find and Narrow Issue worksheet to browse broad categories of global issues and narrow down to one specific project topic, with links to pre-vetting, high-quality "starter" sources
• Research Plan form to provide brainstorming to keywords use and evidence to find
• Research Home Base form to organize and record research findings
• Source Analysis form to challenge students to assess sources deeply
• Essay Outline form to organize research into a cohesive and well-built argument before writing the essay
• Essay & One-Pager Poster Rubrics to research, informative (poster), and argumentative writing (essay) standards, with self-assessment & reflection questions
• Annotated Sample Essay & Poster to model skills and end-products
• How-To Skill Reference Handouts including Annotating a Text, Analyzing Sources, Finding Sources, Creating a Works Cited, Annotating a Citation, Deciding a Precise Position, Creating a Thesis, and Using Supporting Evidence

Standards Supported While standards vary, this project supports the following from various states:

• Plans, organizes, and completes a research project on a contemporary global challenge that answers a real-world question
• Summarizes, analyzes, and evaluates a variety of valid primary and secondary sources
• Synthesizes and organizes evidence and counterarguments while conducting research
• Identifies a social studies problem, gathers and considers solutions' advantages and disadvantages, and chooses the best one
• Argues a precise and knowledgeable claim, using supporting evidence and addressing counterclaims
• Creates a presentation of social studies information using effective communication, including proper grammar and conventions, proper citations, and methods to avoid plagiarism

Tips from My Classroom

I use this to meet state and district requirements that students conduct a thesis-driven research paper.

We dedicate the last three weeks of our Global Issues course to this research project.

Providing so much scaffolding with the included handouts, tools, and sources makes it easy to differentiate to all ability levels and students, without lessening the challenge!

Like this project? Grab the rest of the course!

Global Issues is a semester-long current events, human geography, and environmental science all-in-one course that will create global citizens out of your students

• World Population, Demographics, & Poverty Unit: explore worldwide population numbers, extreme poverty, and demographics
• Growth, Globalization, & Natural Resources Unit: explore the growth and shrinking of our global population, connectivity, and resources
• Sustainability & Consumption of Water, Energy, & Garbage Unit: explore the ever-increasing water, fossil fuel, and garbage footprints

Or check out these Human Geography stand-alone units!

These units can be easily integrated into your Current Events, Human Geography, or Environmental Science course (more units coming!)

• Population Growth: a 3-week unit exploring what the simultaneous global problem of explosive population growth as well as alarming decline
• Globalization: a 4-week unit exploring the exponential growth of trade, technology, and travel that has created unbelievable global economic and cultural change
• Water Supply & Pollution: a 3-week unit exploring our finite freshwater supply and the human rights, pollution, and conservation issues that need urgent solutions
• Fossil Fuels & Alternatives: a 3-week unit exploring our addiction to oil, the harsh impact it is having on our air pollution and greenhouse gas levels, and the urgent need to switch to clean renewable energy sources
• Plastic & Garbage: a 3-week unit exploring the modern invention of garbage, landfills, and single-use disposables, the effects it is having on our oceans, and how a zero-waste lifestyle can be possible
• Global Priorities Research Project: a 2-option, 2-3 week capstone research project where students complete either a one-pager or research essay on the global issue they find most pressing

This listing is for one license for regular, non-commercial classroom use by a single teacher only. Commercial use like online teaching (ex. Outschool) or sharing with other teachers (ex. shared drive, in a Facebook group, in a professional development training) is strictly prohibited.

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