Global Updates From World View
January 2009

World View's Book of the Year

Hot, Flat, and Crowded
by Thomas L. Friedman

Global Education in NC The European Union Awards Gift of International Education to Chapel Hill Students Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools has been awarded a grant through the European Union from December 2008 - December 2009. In 2007 Smith Middle School submitted a proposal to the EU that was funded for 51,000 euros. This year's award is for 67,000 euros (about $86,000) and will fund "Getting to Know Europe" activities such as Smith Middle School's Belgian exchange program, Chapel Hill High's exchange program to Normandy, district middle-school geography contest for Europe Day in May, and professional development for EU learning. To read the full story and to see more photographs, click here. Smith Middle School student proudly holds the EU flag as he stands next to the Eiffel Tower that decorates Ms. McMahon's classroom.

In a detailed an often frightening account of the relationship between globalization and the environment, Thomas Friedman’s latest book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded, discusses the desperate need for a green revolution. Arguing that the convergence of global warming, the flattening of the world, and the increases in population has resulted in a “hot, flat, and crowded” existence, Friedman boldly asserts that we are living in the dawn of a new time: The Energy-Climate Era. In this era we must adapt, innovate, and revolutionize the way we produce and consume energy – or die trying.

For the skeptics out there, Friedman points out that there are many reasons to “go green” other than the obvious protection of our planet. Friedman points out that the pollution that large-scale manufacturers produce is not just harmful for the earth, but also results in waste of their valuable resources, energy, and materials. By this token, companies that eliminate waste will be cleaner, more efficient, and more competitive. Another advantage of exploring renewable energy is that our current addiction to oil is benefiting intolerant and anti-modern petro-dictatorships like that of Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Friedman is careful to point out that a green revolution has advantages for everyone.

When he has you convinced of the necessity to be green, Friedman insists that doing so is not easy, despite what you may have heard. A simple buzz-word or a list of “10 Easy Steps to Being Green” is not going to do the trick. We need a true revolution in order to take control of the Energy-Climate Era. Though this may sounds like a hard pill to swallow, coming from Friedman who is arguably the king of buzz-words, buzz-phrases, and acronyms, he has a point. It’s true that turning off your thermostat or switching out your old bulbs for the energy-efficient variety helps, but we need a much bigger movement centered on innovation and government regulation in order to make the changes that are necessary.

So what is Friedman’s vote on how to tackle this issue? On page 246 of his 400-plus page book, he says: “my favorite renewable energy is an ecosystem for energy innovation.” It is going to take the commitment of brilliant minds and a plethora of new ideas. Not only does a green revolution need to be innovative, says Friedman, but it also needs to be cheap. Only if we nurture the cheapest emissions-free electrons to fulfill our energy needs will both the average CEO and the average Joe be open to living and working in a clean way. And who should lead this revolution? America , of course! But we need to solve our own problems before we can influence the rest of the world. If we can do all that, says Friedman, then we might by able to stay ahead of the pack in terms of being green, and hopefully inspire the world in turn through our leadership.

Hot, Flat, and Crowded : why we need a green revolution - and how it can renew America
by Thomas L. Friedman
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York: 2008

Reviewed by Katharine Lang, Assistant Program Manager, World View
and editor of World View’s print newsletter, ThinkGlobal

Teaching about presidential inaugurations

Inaugurations, from the American Memory Learning Page
A supplement to the “I Do Solemnly Swear…: Presidential Inaugurations digital exhibit, this set of resources for teachers spans the history of presidential inaugurations in the U.S., and uses primary sources to teach about them.

I Do Solemnly Swear: Presidential Inaugurations
This set of five lesson plans from Edsitement uses archival materials to help students understand the history of and the Constitutional basis for inaugurations and the oath of office. It includes ideas for extending the lessons and links for further reading for both teachers and students.

The Online NewsHour: Inauguration 2005
This set of five lesson plans was posted on the PBS website for the 2005 inauguration, but the materials have continuing relevance. Four of the lessons cover historical inaugurations, and the fifth, “The Inauguration and the Media,” is easily adaptable for the 2009 inauguration.

Inauguration, from C-SPAN.ORG
Another set of lesson plans that were posted for the 2005 inauguration but continue to be useful. Five lessons cover the historical inaugurations of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and George W. Bush. Includes a worksheet for students to organize historical research and a set of contemporary discussion questions that are easily adaptable for the 2009 inauguration.

“Teaching with Documents: FDR’s First Inaugural Address.”
This lesson plan from the National Archives uses primary sources to teach about Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s first inaugural address in the context of the Great Depression and the launch of the New Deal. Students view the manuscript of FDR’s first inaugural address and photographs of New Deal projects, and draw connections between the two.

A Tale of Two Leaders: Comparing Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Barack Obama
In this New York Times lesson plan, students compare the economic realities of 1933 with those of today, and then compare the strategies of leaders during the Great Depression with the strategies of today’s leaders.

Inauguration 2009

Presidential 09 Inauguration
The official website of the 2009 presidential inauguration from the District of Columbia. Includes an events calendar, biographical information about Barack Obama and Joe Biden, photographs of historical inaugurations, fun facts, and links to other inauguration websites.

"A New Birth of Freedom" — 2009 Inaugural Theme
The theme of the 2009 presidential inauguration is “A New Birth of Freedom.” This page from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies explains the historical background of the theme, which celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.

About LEARN NC
LEARN NC, an agency of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Education, serves more than 30,000 teachers and students daily. LEARN NC delivers lesson plans, best practices and classroom content at no cost to schools in 50 states, 145

For more valuable resources, please visit www.learnnc.org/

The European Union awards gift of International Education
to Chapel Hill Students

Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools has been awarded a grant through the European Union from December 2008 - December 2009. In 2007 Smith Middle School submitted a proposal to the EU that was funded for 51,000 euros. This year's award is for 67,000 euros (about $86,000) and will fund "Getting to Know Europe" activities such as Smith Middle School's Belgian exchange program, Chapel Hill High's exchange program to Normandy, district middle-school geography contest for Europe Day in May and professional development for EU learning. The goal for this proposal is for faculty, students, and the community to gain a greater understanding of the European Union as well as the many connections between North Carolina and the EU. In March students from Chapel Hill High will visit Paris, learn about WWII in Normandy, attend classes at an International school in Bretagne and tour the European Commission and Parliament in Brussels. Smith Middle School will follow the same itinerary for Paris but will spend one day in Normandy and 6 days with host families in Liege, Belgium. While there, they will attend a Belgian middle school, visit Bastogne where the Battle of the Bulge was fought, visit an American WWII cemetery and attend sessions at the European Commission and Parliament in Brussels. This trip will be filmed by UNC TV for a documentary to be released next summer.

To learn more about the European Union: http://europa.eu

World View applauds Smith Middle School teacher Robin McMahon and the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools for their global education efforts!

Students in Ms. McMahon's French class at Smith Middle School are excited to be learning about the European Union!		The Eiffel Tower in blue, celebrating the French President's appointment to the EU.

Students practice currency exchanges using real Euros. There are 16 countries using the Euro with Slovakia being the newest to join the Euro-zone.

** photographs used with permission