Contemporary World Issues

Media Literacy

International Relations

World Events and Issues

Issue Resolution

Explain how cultural, geographic, political, and social points of view can influence media descriptions of current international events.

Compare the presentation of world events in various media, including cable news services, international news sources, Internet news sources, network television, print, public broadcasting, and social media.

Explain how public opinion polling is implemented, and describe how polling methods can produce intentional and unintentional bias and flawed samplings.

Compare and contrast the functions and powers of United States government entities which shape official responses to international issues and events.

Describe the roles of international governmental organizations (IGOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in addressing international issues and crises.

Evaluate the extent to which nations have successfully collaborated to achieve broad international goals, citing specific instances.

Outline the causes and progressions of current conflicts around the world, including interstate, intrastate, and extrastate conflicts.

Identify and analyze recent incidents of human rights abuse across the world, utilizing a variety of sources.

Evaluate the impact of economic globalization on worldwide trends and on individual nations and regions.

Explain how scientific and technological changes impact the worldwide economy and the process of globalization.

Identify and describe strategies that facilitate public discussion on current events.

Research a current world issue or conflict and present information regarding its effects on the quality of life for individuals, groups, or countries.

Compare and contrast how several sources cover the same events and explain how their varied perspectives influence audience perceptions about the events themselves.

Describe the impact of current news stories and the issues they present on the individual and on local, national, and international communities.

Relate current news stories to past events and broader historical trends.

Locate on a map the areas affected by events reported in national and international news stories.

Explain how to determine the reliability of news stories and their sources.

Describe the use and misuse of different media platforms, including the use of social media and artificial intelligence (AI).

Critique viewpoints presented in cable news commentary, editorials, political cartoons, and social media algorithms.

Interpret statistics included in current news stores related to political, social, and economic issues.

Explain how foreign policy is created, how it can be influenced, and how it can be limited.

Describe the various roles and functions of the modern American military.

Explain the structure and roles of the United Nations and its specialized agencies and programs.

Explain the benefits and limitations of non-government entities resolving international events and crises.

Describe the functions of modern-day alliance systems, regional organizations, and multinational corporations and cartels.

Investigate and explain how individuals and non-governmental groups may cause or perpetuate conflict, citing specific cases.

Formulate possible means to prevent and resolve modern conflicts.

Draw conclusions about the effects of conflicts on populations.

Compare the individual rights, opportunities, and privileges of United States citizens to those of citizens of other countries.

Describe key rights and beliefs related to human rights as embedded in the Declaration of Independence, Geneva Conventions, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Critique how countries and international organizations respond to human rights violations, giving examples from recent history.

Identify recurring historical patterns in economic development around the world.

Describe the costs and benefits of trade among nations in an interdependent world.

Compare ways in which different countries address individual needs, national economic problems, and social issues.

Evaluate the positive and negative impacts of scientific and technological changes on society and on the environment.

Construct a possible solution to a global issue or conflict.

Describe means of implementing a possible solution to a global issue, analyzing its benefits and costs.