United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an international organization founded in 1945 after World War II. It is currently made up of 193 Member States. The mission and work of the UN are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter. The UN aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation in solving international problems, and be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations.
Key Functions:
- Maintaining Peace and Security: The UN Security Council is responsible for maintaining peace and security globally. It has the authority to establish peacekeeping operations, impose sanctions, and authorize the use of force when necessary.
- Promoting Sustainable Development: The UN works to promote economic and social development, improve living standards, and address global challenges such as poverty, hunger, and disease.
- Protecting Human Rights: The UN promotes and protects human rights globally, working to prevent and resolve conflicts that lead to human rights abuses.
- Providing Humanitarian Assistance: The UN provides aid to people in need during humanitarian crises such as natural disasters, conflicts, and other emergencies.
- Upholding International Law: The UN plays a key role in ensuring that international laws and treaties are observed and followed by member states.
Structure of the UN:
The UN has several main organs, including the General Assembly, the Security Council, the International Court of Justice, the Secretariat, and specialized agencies and programs. Each organ has specific functions and responsibilities within the UN system.
Study Guide:
1. What are the main purposes of the United Nations?
The main purposes of the United Nations are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation in solving international problems, and be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations.
2. What is the role of the UN Security Council?
The UN Security Council is responsible for maintaining peace and security globally. It has the authority to establish peacekeeping operations, impose sanctions, and authorize the use of force when necessary.
3. How does the UN promote sustainable development?
The UN promotes sustainable development by working to improve living standards, address global challenges such as poverty, hunger, and disease, and promote economic and social development.
4. What is the importance of upholding international law within the UN?
Upholding international law is crucial within the UN to ensure that international laws and treaties are observed and followed by member states, promoting peace, security, and cooperation among nations.
5. Name three main organs of the United Nations and briefly describe their functions.
a. General Assembly: It is the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN, where all member states have equal representation.
b. Security Council: It is responsible for maintaining peace and security globally, with the authority to establish peacekeeping operations, impose sanctions, and authorize the use of force when necessary.
c. Secretariat: It carries out the day-to-day work of the UN and is headed by the Secretary-General.
[United Nations] Related Worksheets and Study Guides:
.◂Social Studies Worksheets and Study Guides Eighth Grade. The New Millennium
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The New Millennium 
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The New Millennium Worksheet/Answer key
The New Millennium Worksheet/Answer key
The New Millennium
Worksheet/Answer keyWorksheet/Answer keyWorksheet/Answer keyThe resources above cover the following skills:
National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (NCSS)
TIME, CONTINUITY, AND CHANGE
SOCIAL STUDIES PROGRAMS SHOULD INCLUDE EXPERIENCES THAT PROVIDE FOR THE STUDY OF THE PAST AND ITS LEGACY.
KNOWLEDGE - Learners will understand:
The study of the past provides a representation of the history of communities, nations, and the world.
Concepts such as: chronology, causality, change, conflict, complexity, multiple perspectives, primary and secondary sources, and cause and effect.
That learning about the past requires the interpretation of sources, and that using varied sources provides the potential for a more balanced interpretive record of the past.
That historical interpretations of the same event may differ on the basis of such factors as conflicting evidence from varied sources, national or cultural perspectives, and the point of view of the researcher.
Key historical periods and patterns of change within and across cultures (e.g., the rise and fall of ancient civilizations, the development of technology, the rise of modern nation-states, and the establishment and breakdown of colonial systems).
The contributions of key persons, groups, and events from the past and their influence on the present.
The influences of social, geographic, economic, and cultural factors an the history of local areas, states, nations, and the world.
PEOPLE, PLACES, AND ENVIRONMENTS
SOCIAL STUDIES PROGRAMS SHOULD INCLUDE EXPERIENCES THAT PROVIDE FOR THE STUDY OF PEOPLE, PLACES, AND ENVIRONMENTS.
KNOWLEDGE - Learners will understand:
Human modifications of the environment.
PROCESSES - Learners will be able to:
Evaluate the consequences of human actions in environmental terms.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
SOCIAL STUDIES PROGRAMS SHOULD INCLUDE EXPERIENCES THAT PROVIDE FOR THE STUDY OF RELATIONSHIPS AMONG SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY.
KNOWLEDGE - Learners will understand:
Society often turns to science and technology to solve problems.
Science and technology have had both positive and negative impacts upon individuals, societies, and the environment in the past and present.
Science and technology have changed peoples' perceptions of the social and natural world, as well as their relationship to the land, economy and trade, their concept of security, and their major daily activities.
Values, beliefs, and attitudes that have been influenced by new scientific and technological knowledge (e.g., invention of the printing press, conceptions of the universe, applications of atomic energy, and genetic discoveries).
PROCESSES - Learners will be able to:
Ask and find answers to questions about the ways in which science and technology affect peoples' lives today in different places, and have done so in the past.
Seek and evaluate varied perspectives when weighing how specific applications of science and technology have impacted individuals and society.
Review sources to identify the purposes, points of view, biases, and intended audiences of reports and discussions of science and technology.
Select, organize, evaluate, and communicate information about the impact of science or technology on a society today or in the past.
PRODUCTS - Learners demonstrate understanding by:
Discussing current and past issues involving science and technology, and their consequences for society.
GLOBAL CONNECTIONS
SOCIAL STUDIES PROGRAMS SHOULD INCLUDE EXPERIENCES THAT PROVIDE FOR THE STUDY OF GLOBAL CONNECTIONS AND INTERDEPENDENCE.
KNOWLEDGE - Learners will understand:
Spatial relationships that relate to ongoing global issues (e.g., pollution, poverty, disease, and conflict) affect the health and well-being of Earth and its inhabitants.
Global problems and possibilities are not generally caused or developed by any one nation.
PROCESSES - Learners will be able to:
Explore the causes, consequences, and possible solutions related to persistent, current, and emerging global issues, such as health, resource allocation, economic development, and environmental quality.
National Standards for Civics and Government (NSCG)
What are the foundations of the American political system? What is American political culture?
The character of American political conflict. Students should be able to describe the character of American political conflict and explain factors that usually prevent violence or that lower its intensity. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Describe political conflict in the United States both historically and at present, such as conflict about
Engaging in wars
What is the relationship of the United States to other nations and to world affairs? How is the world organized politically?
Interaction among nation-states. Students should be able to explain how nation-states interact with each other. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Describe the most important means nation-states use to interact with one another
Diplomacy
United States' relations with other nation-states. Students should be able to explain how United States foreign policy is made and the means by which it is carried out. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Identify important current foreign policy issues and evaluate the means the United States is using to deal with them
International organizations. Students should be able to explain the role of major international organizations in the world today. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Describe the purposes and functions of major governmental international organizations, e.g., UN, NATO, OAS, World Court
National Center for History in Schools (NCHS)
Historical Thinking Standards
Chronological Thinking
Identify the temporal structure of a historical narrative or story.
Reconstruct patterns of historical succession and duration; explain historical continuity and change.
Historical Comprehension
Reconstruct the literal meaning of a historical passage.
Identify the central question(s) the historical narrative addresses.
Historical Analysis and Interpretation
Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas.
Analyze cause-and-effect relationships and multiple causation, including the importance of the individual, the influence of ideas.
Draw comparisons across eras and regions in order to define enduring issues.
Challenge arguments of historical inevitability.
Hold interpretations of history as tentative.
Historical Research Capabilities
Formulate historical questions.
Historical Issues-Analysis and Decision-Making
Identify issues and problems in the past.
Identify relevant historical antecedents.
United States History Content Standards
Era 10: Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)
Recent developments in foreign and domestic politics.
The student understands domestic politics in contemporary society.
The student understands major foreign policy initiatives.
World History Content Standards
Era 9: The 20th Century Since 1945: Promises and Paradoxes
The search for community, stability, and peace in an interdependent world.
The student understands how population explosion and environmental change have altered conditions of life around the world.
The student understands major sources of tension and conflict in the contemporary world and efforts that have been made to address them.
Major global trends since World War II.
The student understands major global trends since World War II.