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Welcome to the global issues web site. This site presents numerous global issues, aiming to show how they are inter-related.

This content area provides a context in which children can explore the connections between self, family, community and the world at large.  Each area of emphasis within Human Studies and Global Citizenship plays a critical role in deepening children’s understanding of how their world works. Exploration by teachers, children, and families extends into the study of how people can most successfully communicate, collaborate, and connect within the context of the community.  As with other curriculum areas, teachers look for and create opportunities for relating this content to real life. Exploring identity, relationships and the ways we interact and communicate integrates social development, empathy, and the pursuit of understanding one another throughout the daily life of the school. Children expand these opportunities by reflecting upon the characteristics and experiences, past and present, of diverse cultures and populations of the world.  As the children mature, this area of the core curriculum supports their ability to grasp increasingly abstract concepts and complex ideas about human beings and the world at large.

When Hiram Cuevas from Virginia wanted his students to understand the Black Saturday bushfire tragedy that had befallen Victoria in 2009, our students arrived at school before the start of the school day, and his stayed late, so that we could establish a meaningful discussion around the events. Our students and staff were so touched that kids and teachers in a school as far away as Virginia were interested and concerned about events in our part of the world.

Probably most important: establish good connections with the teachers you will be working with. Remain in constant contact, double check your time zones (including quirks like daylight savings time policies in each community), and test your connections before starting time.