WHG: Global Connections

How has the world become more connected?



In the year 2013, over 1 billion people are connected to Facebook, YouTube receives over 4 billion views per day, and Twitter has over 500 million users. In a world that is so connected, it raises the question: what would life be like if we didn't have Internet or cell phones? 


Believe it or not, the world was not always so “small.” Before Christopher Columbus set foot in the Bahamas, the two halves of the world did not even know that the other one existed. These days, nothing can happen without someone tweeting, tumblring, facebooking, or instagraming about it. News spreads faster than ever and the world just doesn't feel so big anymore. 


With such a big difference between your life now, and the world back then, one begins to wonder “how did we get from a world apart to a world so connected?“


Global Connections s a Project Based Learning Unit aligned to the Michigan High School Content Expectations (HSCEs). In this project, you will:

Examine the causes and consequences of the collapse of classical empires
Use historical evidence and maps to explain the spread and impact of the Plague
Analyze the growth and effects of European expansion overseas
Evaluate the factors that led to Europes increasing global power between 1500 and 1900



W-A-Y, Widening Advancements for Youth, is a non-profit organization based in Michigan, United States. In addition to creating Project Based Learning units, W-A-Y offers a personalized learning experience for students who struggle with traditional high school.


Learn about our units:

Project Based Learning
Explore Real World Issues
Learn with interactives, video instruction, audio books, and graphic organizers
Aligned to the Common Core State Standards



For more information, please visit our website, www.wayprogram.net. If you have any questions or comments, let us know at itunes@wayprogram.net.