Waves of Global Change:
An Educators Handbook for Teaching a Holistic World History
by Dr. Denise R. Ames

Veteran educator Dr. Denise R. Ames has written this handbook specifically for pre-service teachers and educators from kindergarten through university, with the goal of distinguishing this holistic approach to world history from traditional methods of teaching the subject.

Illustrated, index, glossary, source notes, and bibliography. 

Each chapter includes “Questions to Consider,” spurring critical thinking and “seeing” the information differently. Organized into eight chapters, the book is chock full of activities, suggestions, pictures, and graphic organizers to heighten understanding!

Price $14.95, 158 pgs. 

The purpose of this book is to help educators conceptualize and teach world history in a more holistic way by applying a systems approach, adopting a global perspective, and examining historical patterns. By outlining the principles of the holistic world history model for direct classroom use, the book serves as a valuable resource for understanding the model and integrating its components into a thought-provoking and challenging world history course.

Chapter Descriptions: Waves of Global Change: An Educator’s Handbook for Teaching a Holistic World History

  • 1. An Introduction to a Holistic Teaching Model for Educators

    … introduces the principles of a holistic approach used in this world history course.

  • 2. Systems Thinking: An Approach to Understanding a Holistic World History

    … describes the principles of systems thinking and offers suggestions for applying them to the study of world history.

  • 3. Worldviews: The Way We Look at the World


    … examines five worldviews—indigenous, modern, fundamentalist, globalized, and transformative—that shape contemporary ways of thinking.

  • 4. Waves of Global Change: A Holistic World History Model

    … outlines the structure of the holistic framework, detailing its five waves, five comparative currents, and twenty-five sub-currents.  

  • 5. 20 Advantages of a Holistic World History Model

    … lists and explains the twenty advantages, providing examples for each.”

  • 6. Circle of Learning


    … illustrates an approach to teaching world history that incorporates six skill levels: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create.

  • 7. World History Teaching Tools and Strategies

    … highlights fourteen suggestions and examples for bringing this holistic world history approach to life.

  • 8. Strengths and Weaknesses of this Holistic World History Model

    … provides a final assessment of this holistic teaching approach.