Inspired By.... Janesville: An American Story

Janesville: An American Story, by Amy Goldstein. 2017.

The 2017 Business Book of the Year. It tells the story of Janesville, Wisconsin, home of a large GM car factory – until it closed in 2008. This is the story of what happened next.
To understand modern America, you need to understand Janesville.

Teaching as I do mostly foreign children the view from outside is that America is still a land of wealth and opportunity. To see its people, react and vote, in a manner that suggests otherwise is deeply puzzling. Outside the country the US voter’s desperation for change looks merely like ignorance and hatred for everyone else. Outsiders need to understand that large parts of this once mighty nation have essentially been gutted thanks to globalisation and technological change.

This lesson hopes to address that need. With a strong focus on EAL needs and vocabulary it tries to tell the story of the negatives of globalisation. It is part of a wider mini-SOW on Globalisation I have made especially for EAL students. I’d highly recommend teaching this lesson in the context of the wider SOW so students get a real appreciation of the larger forces at work.

Hope it helps.

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