What you'll need to know...
KEY CONCEPT - How political, technological and physical processes influence global interactions
Political factors that affect global interactions:
• multi-governmental organisations (MGOs) and free trade zones
• economic migration controls and rules
Our “shrinking world” and the forces driving technological innovation:
• changing global data flow patterns and trends
• transport developments over time
• patterns and trends in communication infrastructure and use
The influence of the physical environment on global interactions:
• natural resource availability
• the potentially limiting effect of geographic isolation, at varying scales
Synthesis, evaluation and skills opportunities
How processes that influence spatial interactions are interlinked in complex ways that accelerate globalization
Political factors that affect global interactions:
• multi-governmental organisations (MGOs) and free trade zones
• economic migration controls and rules
Our “shrinking world” and the forces driving technological innovation:
• changing global data flow patterns and trends
• transport developments over time
• patterns and trends in communication infrastructure and use
The influence of the physical environment on global interactions:
• natural resource availability
• the potentially limiting effect of geographic isolation, at varying scales
Synthesis, evaluation and skills opportunities
How processes that influence spatial interactions are interlinked in complex ways that accelerate globalization
Political factors that affect global interactions...
Part 1 - Multi-governmental organisations (MGOs)...
To complete this lesson, we are going to rely a little on our memories and practice trying to commit information to memory and produce a display that builds our understanding on the European Union and its formation. Split into pairs or groups of three to complete this activity.
You will be given the following resources.
1 piece of A2 card
1 black piece of A4 paper
1 Winston Churchill cartoon with a speech bubble
1 Logos sheet
1 timeline of key events.
Task 1 - Show this map on the interactive whiteboard for up to 2 minutes. Talk through the map including any interesting information on the countries that are / are not part of the EU. Perhaps discuss why Switzerland and Norway have stayed out of the alliance, and why the UK exited back in 2022. Students should try and commit the map to memory. They then have six minutes to replicate the map on the blank piece of A4. Once finished, show the maps to the rest of the group and point out obvious TOK links in terms of spatial representation.
* Which areas of the map are accurate and why?
*Which areas of the map are inaccurate and why?
* What shapes our perception of place and space on a map?
Task 2 - Now watch the video below from start to finish. The students are not allowed to take notes whilst the video is playing and at the end, they must fill in the quote from Winston Churchill on the cartoon sheet, as well as the missing details on the timeline of key events sheet. If the students struggle, they may watch the video a second time.
Then ask the students to annotate the original two founding members of the EU as we know it now. Ask the student to then annotate the four other countries that signed the Treaty of Rome.
To complete this lesson, we are going to rely a little on our memories and practice trying to commit information to memory and produce a display that builds our understanding on the European Union and its formation. Split into pairs or groups of three to complete this activity.
You will be given the following resources.
1 piece of A2 card
1 black piece of A4 paper
1 Winston Churchill cartoon with a speech bubble
1 Logos sheet
1 timeline of key events.
Task 1 - Show this map on the interactive whiteboard for up to 2 minutes. Talk through the map including any interesting information on the countries that are / are not part of the EU. Perhaps discuss why Switzerland and Norway have stayed out of the alliance, and why the UK exited back in 2022. Students should try and commit the map to memory. They then have six minutes to replicate the map on the blank piece of A4. Once finished, show the maps to the rest of the group and point out obvious TOK links in terms of spatial representation.
* Which areas of the map are accurate and why?
*Which areas of the map are inaccurate and why?
* What shapes our perception of place and space on a map?
Task 2 - Now watch the video below from start to finish. The students are not allowed to take notes whilst the video is playing and at the end, they must fill in the quote from Winston Churchill on the cartoon sheet, as well as the missing details on the timeline of key events sheet. If the students struggle, they may watch the video a second time.
Then ask the students to annotate the original two founding members of the EU as we know it now. Ask the student to then annotate the four other countries that signed the Treaty of Rome.
Task 3 - Now ask the students to add a title to their A2 card - What we know about the EU. Ask them to cut out their map and stick it into the centre of the A2 card. Then:
1. Annotate around the map three advantages of the EU and its functioning.
2. Annotate around the map three disadvantages of the EU and its functioning.
If students are familiar with the EU, ask them to consider and recall personal geographies (travel, money, laws, peace etc.). There is a helpful list below if the students get stuck.
Task 4 - Ask the students to research the functioning of each of the organisations on the logos sheet. Each logo should then be stuck onto the sheet with annotations covering dates, countries and key people. For example, students could use this resource to find out how the UN was born and who the signatories were.
Task 5 - Watch the video below, right. Make notes on what quotas are, what a 'Free Trade Area' is and how this differs to a 'Customs Union'. Add these notes to your display, using the UK's withdrawal (Brexit) as the focus for annotations.
Task 6 - So, how does this look elsewhere? In North America, there appears to be a more simple model consisting of the USA, Canada & Mexico. It is called NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Association)

What is Nafta?
Watch the video below and make some notes on the formation and functioning of NAFTA.
Watch the video below and make some notes on the formation and functioning of NAFTA.
Task 7 - Donald Trump's first presidency & NAFTA. Watch this brief clip and make notes on the issues highlighted by Trump. Make sure you mention fair & free!
Task 8 - Donald Trump's second presidency & NAFA. Watch the video below and make notes on how Donald Trump is retaliating against NAFTA partners and why. Make a notes on:
A. What a trade deficit means
B. How Mexico and Canada have retaliated and to which areas of the USA in particular
C. What are the overall objectives of the Trump team?
D. How does this also link into the superpower battle between the USA & China?
A. What a trade deficit means
B. How Mexico and Canada have retaliated and to which areas of the USA in particular
C. What are the overall objectives of the Trump team?
D. How does this also link into the superpower battle between the USA & China?
Economic migration controls and rules...
Define: Economic Migrant
An economic migrant is someone who emigrates from one region to another to seek an improvement in living standards because the living conditions or job opportunities in the migrant's own region are not sufficient.
In your lifetime you have been witness to many well documented economic migrations. The traditional case study of Mexican migrants into the USA is a famous example and the new detention centres and separation policy introduced by the previous Trump administration have added new dimensions to the issues.
We have also seen movements of millions of people from the Middle East (Syria) and North Africa displaced by war and political unrest and seeking a new life and economic prosperity in the European Union. Germany has been a big recipient country with over 1,000,000 migrants arriving in 2016 alone. Other flows exist such as European workers to Australia to take advantage of a strong economy, higher quality of life and looking to escape from austerity.
For this brief study, we will look at economic migration controls and rules on the Mexico - USA border and further afield.
An economic migrant is someone who emigrates from one region to another to seek an improvement in living standards because the living conditions or job opportunities in the migrant's own region are not sufficient.
In your lifetime you have been witness to many well documented economic migrations. The traditional case study of Mexican migrants into the USA is a famous example and the new detention centres and separation policy introduced by the previous Trump administration have added new dimensions to the issues.
We have also seen movements of millions of people from the Middle East (Syria) and North Africa displaced by war and political unrest and seeking a new life and economic prosperity in the European Union. Germany has been a big recipient country with over 1,000,000 migrants arriving in 2016 alone. Other flows exist such as European workers to Australia to take advantage of a strong economy, higher quality of life and looking to escape from austerity.
For this brief study, we will look at economic migration controls and rules on the Mexico - USA border and further afield.
Background Research - Watch the VOX video above that traces the history of migration in the United States since a key bill (IIRAIRA) was passed by then President, Bill Clinton.
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Research - Take notes on the Vox documentary video. Focus on:
1. Why people move.
2. How they move.
3. The dangers to migrants.
4. Explain the issues at the northern and southern Mexican borders.
5. How do the USA apply pressure on Mexico to stop the flow & why does Mexico comply?
Now watch the Wall Street Journal report on the construction of the USA / Mexico border wall (both above).
6. Explain the thinking behind the construction of the Border wall.
7. What are the limitations of such a scheme?
8. Update from 2023/2024 - Watch the first video below that shows the impacts of uncontrolled migration on the Mexico / USA border. Note the section of the report where the US official is visiting Honduras (a long way from the border).
9. Linking into our last piece of work on trade and tariffs, watch the second video below and explain how tariffs are linked to the control of migration on the Mexico / USA border.
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More info here
The Shrinking World...
Need to know .... The Shrinking World.
Friction of Distance This is the reduced likelihood of people using a service the greater the distance that they live from it. Distance is an issue due to the time and costs to overcome it. e.g. reduction in commuting to IST with increasing distance from Colomiers. Friction of distance is closely related to transportation and accessibility. Time-Space Convergence This is when travel time between places decreases and distance declines in terms of its significance. It is generally brought about by transport innovations and improvements e.g. Airbus A380 can fly London to Perth in just 21 hours in 2018. Task 1 a. Watch the video (IB Geography Globalization) below. Make notes on each of the factors that James May claims to have "made the world a smaller place". b. Which factor do you think has been the most influential in shrinking our planet? |
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Transport developments over time...
To complete this work, you will need to use the worksheet below. It contains the links to the video resources you will need. Your aim to to take notes and carry out research that will enable you to answer the exam question below:
Describe and explain the changes in speed and capacity in transport over time. (12)
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Patterns & Change in Communication Infrastructure...
Preparation Learning Task - Watch the videos below in preparation for the lesson. Choose the one that matches your prior understanding!
Who Invented the Internet?
Please use either of the worksheets below to complete this short unit of analysis.
Starter: Comment on the trends shown in the charts above on your worksheet. Write a 50 word summary to describe the growth in global connectivity as well as the rise of social media and reaching the 50 million user mark. Use the information from 2015 on your worksheet and compare that to the increase numbers of active users in the first chart for 2023 below.
Task 1 - Study the six charts below carefully. It shows the patterns and trends in communication infrastructure over time. The left hand column shows the data for around the time you were born. The right hand column is the latest data (Source: World Bank). You can drag around the map as well as zoom in and when you hover over a country, it will give you the data for that year (per 100 people).
Task 2 – Compare the quantity and quality of communication technology between the three countries in your table.
Task 3 - What processes play a part in how technologically advanced these places are? (synthesis)
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Influence of the physical environment on global interactions...
Task 1 - You are going to complete a short piece of analysis to explain how the influence of the physical environment effects global interactions.
Choose any two of the four category maps below and complete a piece of analysis that explains the origins of the natural resource, the human need for that resource and the process by which this interaction takes place (between places). You can use the worksheet below.
If you click on the map, it will enlarge so that you can see a better level of detail.
Choose any two of the four category maps below and complete a piece of analysis that explains the origins of the natural resource, the human need for that resource and the process by which this interaction takes place (between places). You can use the worksheet below.
If you click on the map, it will enlarge so that you can see a better level of detail.
Geographic Isolation
On a printed out copy of this newspaper article from the Irish Independent, highlight the impacts of being a landlocked and therefore possibly remote country on people and the economy. Use the infographic below to help too.