3rd: HL Global Politics-M-Tr (9:50-10:41); F (10:08-10:46) Assignments

By the time you return to school in August, you should have completed both your interviews and also the political engagement part of your work. Some possible ideas for political engagement could include: attending a community meeting/forum where your issue is being discussed, volunteering with an NGO working on your issue in some capacity, advocating on behalf of your issue with decision-makers, attending a protest, etc. Take some notes on whatever you did, and whatever you learned from the experience (attached here). Don't do anything that makes you feel unsafe or might put you in an unsafe situation, and also don't put this off until August - the earlier you get it done, the less you'll have to worry about in the fall. And... if you didn't get your 1,000+ word draft completed in June, get it done so you are prepared to finish the PEA during the first week back to school.

If you have questions in July, you can reach out to Mr. R, but in August reach out to Mr. Potter - [email protected] - who will be teaching year 2 of the class.

Note: Checkpoint one for 500-600 words is due June 8th for feedback. 1000 words due on the 14th

Attach your transcription/notes from two required PEA interviews. Include the full name of both of the people you interviewed, their contact information, as well as the questions you asked (https://classroom.google.com/c/MTM4OTMwNDk3ODg2/a/MzQzNzcyODEyODI3/details), and their responses.


If you have been struggling to get people to respond to you, screenshot proof of your attempts to make contact via email and attach them, and I'll consider that as having met the objective for now (you will still need to do this eventually).

You are responsible for researching a political topic for your Political Engagement Activity, the Global Politics Internal Assessment. You will submit the following initial Proposal Form for approval & feedback prior to determining what you can do for an engagement activity

Only one submission per group is needed. You can press 'turn it' with nothing on your doc, just make sure you make a private comment to note whose document you were working from.

 As we read excerpt from No Turning Back by Rania Abouzeid (2018) on the start of the Syrian Civil War, consider connections to what we discussed last week to the Arab Spring. Why did people begin to protest? How did Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and his security forces react to protests? Why do you think Abouzeid called her book No Turning Back? Annotate to help yourself follow and react to the events of the excerpt.

For your final project of the unit, you will research and explore a political issue (with a partner or two, or individually) connected to climate change and a political challenge facing the environment. You will build on the many climate politics-related issues we have considered over the course of the unit, and focus on a topic of your choice. This is both a final project, and also preparation for ultimately doing your HL Presentations (two 10 minute presentations on political challenges of your choice that you will do in year 2). You’ll use an organizer to get thoughts on paper, and record a presentation.

1) Identify lines, ideas or visuals that stand out to you (highlight and comment to identify/reflect) 2) Pick a pattern of similarities or a pattern of discrepancies you noticed and identify/highlight these 3) Share & discuss your pattern with your group 4) What’s important to understand about this perspective? How do you know? Be ready to share with the class.

Read the following excerpt with an eye for understanding why Figueres and Rivett-Carnac, lead negotiators for the United Nations during the historic Paris Agreement of 2015, believe the Paris agreement approach can be an effective instrument to combating climate change. Annotate to note your own points of agreement and disagreement, reactions and ideas. What are they proposing about the zero-sum paradigm?

What did the tribunal reveal about interdependence and shared responsibility for climate change? Be specific and reference details from the simulation or the simulation resources. Which actors are most responsible for climate change? Why? Why do different state and non-state actors have different perspectives on this question?

In our next couple units, we will discussing more global issues, and it will be very useful for you to have the background knowledge these chapters provide (also this is a pretty interesting book, not at all ‘textbook like,’). Focus your reading on the “big picture” issues the chapters help to introduce, and pay particular attention to the chapters views on US-China relations. Take some notes internally or modeled on this ‘chapter notes’ approach if you are reading the paper copy of the book.

Take some time to reflect on Global Politics over the course of the last term. There are a series of questions for you to consider, but focus on whatever is most important to you. Mr. R would appreciate your honesty, but don’t feel pressured to share anything you don’t want do.

We’ll read the intro source together. Then, you’ll choose your own learning adventure. Would you rather focus your learning on US-Mexico security cooperation on the war on drugs (Source 1), or US-Mexico-Northern Triangle (Guatemala, El Saldavor & Honduras) migration cooperation (Source 2)? As you read, focus on identifying 1) the policy problems (specific political issues) that impacts both the US & Mexico, and 2) least two perspectives on those policy problems (possible solutions). 3) In your view, what should the United States’ stance be on those policy problems? Consider using the slide template to be ready to share your views (attach to the same assignment).

Utilize your learning from the simulation, notes on the simulation, and the sources we read to prep for the simulation to respond. Discuss means you should consider reasons why you might agree with the claim, and reasons you might disagree with it. Don’t forget to define the key concepts (interdependence & sovereignty) and introduce the prompt. You can either complete this by yourself, or with your group. If with a group, ‘submit’ your own document with a note as to who you completed the assignment with.

A number of you expressed interest in a short interview assignment over your break. This assignment is optional, but worth extra credit if you complete it. It is designed for you to take the opportunity to learn more about a family member or friend of family’s experience and perspective on migration, violence, and the war on drugs. Interview someone you think will be comfortable responding to your questions who is 18+.

Use this organizer, or create a paper version of it and upload a photo of it when you are finished, to take some notes on Blood on the Wall, a documentary by Sebastian Junger. Consider in particular connections to power & legitimacy. Don’t feel like you need to record everything, but you will want to be able to reference your notes for a writing assignment later in the week.

With a partner (or in a group of 3) use the organizations’ websites, social media, and articles written about them to compare & contrast the two non-governmental organizations you have selected. Make sure you put your partner/s name/s in the document you are sharing.

Evaluate the claim that state sovereignty is challenged by non-state actors.

Note: We will be working on this for the next few days. You should use your knowledge of Somalia & Venezuela and examples from these 'cases' to help you respond.

Evaluate means you should consider both reasons why people might agree with the claim, and reasons people might disagree with it. Don’t forget to define the key concept (sovereignty) and introduce the prompt. Note: Although legitimacy is not mentioned in the prompt, it should be considered because when non-state actors assert their legitimacy in taking state-like actions, they are challenging the sovereignty of the state. Use the notes from the discussion, lectures, and your own reading to respond

Use your jamboard to follow along and map out a strategy to respond to the prompt.

If you want to do well in this class and on the DP exam, it is strongly recommended that in addition to regularly reading the news, you read “recommended” assigned chapters, and take notes on them. To incentivize your reading of the chapters, extra credit will be offered if you provide notes on the chapters. You can make a copy of this if you prefer to type notes, or you can handwrite notes in a similar format, and take photos of them for submission.

This week you will again do another current issue summary, but this time you will focus specifically on the role of power in the issue you choose, and to focus specifically on a story that focuses on a regional or international level - you'll have some time in class this week to work on it.

You'll be working on this throughout the rest of the week, as we get introduced to some of the main analytical tools of the class. Wait for instructions in class to start on this.

One of your teammates should make a copy of this document and share with your teammates. The teammate who made the copy will be responsible for turning the assignment in. I recommend everyone else "Turn In" their empty document.

You'll take the first five minutes of class each day to reflect on your mental state, and freewrite on a prompt (the question will change each day). Aim for a full paragraph!

We'll work on this in class today, and Thursday.

Please take the time to honestly and thoughtfully respond to the following questions (you will have time in class today!). This is an important way for me to get to know who you are, particularly since we are starting the school year in this unusual way. I will take some time to individually email each of you back, responding to what you've included.