Social Studies - World Geography
Lesson Plans

WG Strand 4: POLITICAL SYSTEMS

People organize themselves into distinctive groups. Geographers examine how the interactions between these groups influence the division and control of the earth's surface. Political systems have profound influences on the lives of people, including their access to resources, economic opportunities, and basic rights.

Possible Guiding Questions to Consider:

• How and why do people organize themselves into political entities?
• How do people distribute power and define roles?
• How do political structures interact on a global scale?
• Who holds the power at a variety of scales and how are decisions made?
• Why is power concentrated in certain parts of the globe?
• How do political systems protect or deny the rights of marginalized peoples?

WG Standard 4.3:

Students will explain how cooperation and conflict have many causes, such as differing ideas regarding boundaries, resource control, and land use, as well as ethnic, tribal, and national identities.

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