1. 1990 to PRESENT

2. ESSENTIAL QUESTION How did the Cold War end?

3. MIKHAIL GORBACHEV Soviet leader, introduced political and economic reforms in his nation.

4. FALL OF BERLIN WALL Symbol of the end of the Cold War. Soviet Union no longer exists.

5. ESSENTIAL QUESTION What were some conflicts since 1990?

6. PERSIAN GULF WAR I Iraq invades Kuwait. U.S leads mission to liberate Kuwait.

7. U.N. PROPOSITION 151 Israelites and Palestinians continue to fight over control of homeland.

8. BOSNIAN GENOCIDE “Ethnic Cleansing” in Balkan Region.

9. 9/11 Terrorists attack World Trade Center, Pentagon and fail to hit White House.

10. GULF WAR II U.S invades Iraq, looking for WMD’s. Saddam Hussein is executed.

11. PATRIOT ACT U.S gov. authorizes phone tapping, searches of business records to help catch terrorists.

12. ESSENTIAL QUESTION What about environmental issues?

13. NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION Increasing number of nations with Weapons of Mass Destruction. EXAMPLES: North Korea, Iran

14. GLOBAL WARMING Effects of pollution are raising temperatures. Ice caps melting, habitats affected.

15. MALTHUS British economist, predicts that human population will soon outnumber resources.

16. GREEN REVOLUTION People organize to stop global warming.

17. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Building new homes and businesses that do not do further damage to environment.

18. KYOTO PROTOCOL World Wide agreement to limit carbon emissions that cause global warming. U.S has refused to sign it.

19. ESSENTIAL QUESTION What about cultural issues?

20. DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS United Nations proposes all humans are entitled to “life, liberty and security”.

21. GENDER EQUITY Correcting imbalance of education, employment, family rights for women.

22. WORLD BANK Gives loans, advice and other resources to ‘developing’ nations.

23. OUTSOURCING ‘Developed’ nations place factories in nations with no labor unions, few labor laws.

24. INTERNET Computerized information and communications system.

25. GLOBALIZATION Increasing cultural and economic connections in nations throughout the world.