Mr.

Bayer
Teaching/Professional Experience
10
th
Year Teaching @ Batavia
Corporate Spy before that
Education
MA Social Studies Education,
Roosevelt University *and still paying for it*
BA History, Monmouth College
Phi Alpha Theta (Honorary *Nerdy* History Fraternity)
Other
Head Wrestling Coach
Live in Batavia with wife and travel partner (Julie)
Travelled to Europe 6 times (8 Countries)
*youll see vacation pictures throughout the semester whether
you want to or not*
LETS GO!!!
A Rigorous Intro-to-Social Studies/
World Geography Class
A Skills Focus
A preparation for AP Euro (sophomore year)
Unit 1 : Introduction, Globalization and Cultures of the Americas (5 weeks)
Disciplinary Concepts:
Culture: Students will be afforded opportunities to analyze regional and global
cultures as well as their own.
Physical Geography: Students will explore the relationship between physical and cultural
geography, physical geographys interaction with political and economic systems.
Economic Systems: Students will analyze the basic development and functioning of the
modern global economy, its dominant ideologies, as well as current and historical challenges
to global capitalism.
Political Systems: Students will analyze the basic development and functioning of modern
political systems.
Population Geography: Students will explore how social scientists analyze groups by
population characteristics.
American Cultures: Throughout the introduction unit, students will explore cultural
themes related to the peoples of the Americas. Themes of globalization and migration will
be explored.
Service Learning Project: Students will be required to develop a plan to interact, provide
service to their local community and reflect on their experience.
Possible Topics for Exploration: characteristics of contemporary American culture, late 19
th
C. Indian Schools, a globalization case study in Ecuador, global warming, Is the US
Government a democracy or plutocracy?, US Healthcare vs. the world (a case study illustrating
the interaction between political and economic systems), Is the American Dream alive and well
or a fallacy?, American influence in Latin America, current migration trends in the America.
Units 2-5: A Global Perspective of Culture & Current Events (13 weeks)
Unit 2 Europe (3 weeks)
Possible Topics for Exploration: the European welfare state, the Finnish
Educational system vs. the US, European views of foreign policy, European
secularism, issues related to the European Union, Russia/Ukraine, themes in
European History and an introduction to AP European History
Unit 3 Sub-Saharan Africa (3 weeks)
Possible Topics for Exploration: animism, oral story-telling, the traditional
economy of the Baka, the role of slavery in building the modern global economy and
American Culture, impact of European colonialism in Africa, the Belgian Congo,
South Africa and apartheid, Rwandan Genocide, decolonization and political
independence movements, globalization and development
Unit 4 Southwest Asia (4 weeks)
Possible Topics for Exploration: the Palestinian-Israeli conflict w/ ***TERM
PAPER***, historical developments and modern beliefs/practices of the Abrahamic
Religions: Judaism, Christianity & Islam, traditional Abrahamic views of
women/patriarchy, religious fundamentalism in the modern world and the Islamic
Worlds contrasting views of the West, US imperial presence in Southwest Asia,
Arab Spring
Unit 5 East & South Asia (3 weeks)
Possible Topics for Exploration: History of India emphasis on the British
Colonial period and the Indian independence movement, Hinduism, the Caste
System, modern Indian cultures and Indias role in the global economy,
Buddhism/Eastern vs. Western philosophy, Japanese Education, Chinese history
with emphasis on the European and Japanese colonial period, the Cultural
Revolution, Economic Transformation, modern Chinese development, foreign policy
and political issues