Unit 4: The Shrinking World.(planning of telecommunication systems in China; teaching about global communications)(Brief Article)

Background Information

China has an antiquated phone system. Residents in Beijing, China's capital, have to line up at special booths to make international calls. That situation is about to change. China will soon leap from the Dark Ages in communications to the 21st century, thanks to a new agreement the country recently signed with AT&T. The agreement calls for American Telephone and Telegraph Company to build high-tech phone switches, which are the computerized heart of a modern phone system; make equipment for cellular and business phone systems; and even show the Chinese how to make the microelectronics that go into phone equipment.

Unit Skills: Students learn to

* understand how TVs and telephones have helped shrink today's world;

* identify which inventions of the 18th and 19th centuries advanced transportation;

* trace the history of communications in the 20th century.

 
The activities listed below suggest ways of presenting and enriching the 
content and skills in Unit 4. These activities correspond to days 16 
through 20 on the page 2 calendar matrix. 
 
 
                  Road to the Future 
 
                  Have students read and 
                   discuss pages 24 and 25. 
 
Interviewing      Enrichment. Arrange for a 
                   local TV reporter to explain 
                   to the class how a news story 
                   story is prepared and 
                   reported on the evening 
                   news. 
 
Using Technology  Enrichment. Invite a local 
                   telephone company employee 
                   to demonstrate the latest 
                   telephone equipment and new 
                   ways that people use 
                   telephones today. 
 
                  Transportation on the Move 
 
                  Have students read and 
                   discuss pages 26 and 27. 
 
Researching       Enrichment. Have groups of 
                ...