US History · 11th Grade

Active learning ideas

Globalization & The Internet Age

Active learning helps students grasp the complexity of globalization and the internet age by making abstract economic and technological shifts concrete. These activities move beyond lectures to let students analyze data, argue perspectives, and simulate real-world decisions, which builds deeper understanding.

• Common Core State Standards
• C3: D2.Eco.15.9-12
• C3: D2.Geo.11.9-12

• 20–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Socratic Seminar
• 40 min · Whole Class

Socratic Seminar: Was NAFTA Good for America?

Students prepare by reading excerpts from pro-NAFTA arguments (Clinton administration), labor union opposition statements, and economic data on manufacturing employment and consumer prices. The seminar uses inner-outer circle format, with the outer circle tracking argument quality and evidence use.

Analyze how the internet and digital technology transformed the American economy and social life.

Facilitation Tip

For the Socratic Seminar, assign specific roles like ‘devil’s advocate’ or ‘historian’ to ensure all students participate meaningfully in the debate.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a factory worker in Ohio in 1995 and a software engineer in Silicon Valley in 1995. How might your daily life, job security, and future prospects differ due to globalization and the internet? Discuss specific examples.' Allow students 5 minutes to jot down ideas before opening the floor.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Hexagonal Thinking
• 30 min · Pairs

Data Analysis: Mapping Globalization's Impact

Provide students with county-level data on manufacturing job losses and gains from 1990 to 2000. In pairs, they map affected regions, identify patterns, and write a brief analytical paragraph connecting economic data to political shifts in those areas.

Explain the economic and political implications of free trade agreements like NAFTA.

Facilitation Tip

In the Data Analysis activity, have students work in pairs to first identify trends before debating their significance, ensuring everyone engages with the dataset.

What to look for

Provide students with a short, anonymized news clip or opinion piece from the 1990s discussing either NAFTA or the dot-com boom. Ask them to identify one specific economic claim made and one potential consequence (positive or negative) suggested by the author. Collect responses for review.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 35 min · Small Groups

Role Play: 1990s Tech Startup Pitch

Small groups research a real 1990s internet company (Amazon, eBay, Pets.com, Webvan) and create a 3-minute investor pitch explaining the business model. After pitches, the class discusses which companies survived the dot-com bust and why, connecting to broader economic principles.

Evaluate whether globalization has been a net positive or negative for American workers and industries.

Facilitation Tip

During the Role Play activity, provide students with a one-page brief of their character’s background to ground their pitches in realistic details.

What to look for

On an index card, have students write one sentence explaining how the internet changed communication for Americans in the 1990s and one sentence explaining one economic trade-off associated with free trade agreements like NAFTA.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Winners and Losers of Globalization

Present a split-screen scenario: a family benefiting from lower-cost imported goods alongside a factory worker whose plant moved overseas. Students individually identify the trade-offs, then pair up to discuss whether government policy could address both sides before sharing conclusions.

Analyze how the internet and digital technology transformed the American economy and social life.

Facilitation Tip

For the Think-Pair-Share, give students exactly 2 minutes to pair and 3 minutes to share to keep the discussion focused and equitable.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a factory worker in Ohio in 1995 and a software engineer in Silicon Valley in 1995. How might your daily life, job security, and future prospects differ due to globalization and the internet? Discuss specific examples.' Allow students 5 minutes to jot down ideas before opening the floor.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teaching this topic works best when you balance empathy with evidence. Avoid framing globalization as a zero-sum game; instead, use role-play and debates to reveal how individuals experienced these changes differently. Research shows students retain more when they connect past events to present-day issues, so link the 1990s tech boom to today’s gig economy or remote work. Be cautious of nostalgia—many students assume the 1990s were universally prosperous, so use data to challenge that assumption.

Successful learning looks like students moving beyond simplistic narratives to identify nuanced causes, consequences, and trade-offs in globalization. They should use evidence from multiple sources, respectfully debate differing views, and connect historical events to their own lives or communities.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Socratic Seminar on NAFTA, watch for students claiming NAFTA alone caused the decline of American manufacturing.

  Use the data from the Mapping Globalization activity to redirect the conversation. Have students reference the timeline of manufacturing job losses since the 1970s and ask them to identify when NAFTA’s effects became visible in the data.

• During the Data Analysis activity, watch for students assuming the internet’s commercialization began in the late 1990s.

  Refer to the timeline activity’s materials, which include ARPANET and TCP/IP milestones. Ask students to trace how military-funded research led to consumer technology, emphasizing the gradual nature of innovation.

• During the Role Play activity, watch for students assuming globalization only impacted factory workers.

  Provide character briefs that include white-collar professions such as IT support specialists or customer service representatives. Have students analyze how outsourcing affected these roles during their pitches.

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Methods used in this brief

• Socratic Seminar
• Hexagonal Thinking
• Role Play
• Think-Pair-Share