Instructional Video

An Introduction to Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Could geography really be the most logical explanation for the success rate of any given population? Jared Diamond makes his anthropological contention in his 1997 publication Guns, Germs, and Steel. A short explores his main points and uses a fictional example to clarify a complicated theory.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Use the video to deepen a unit on colonialism and international relations
  • Assign the book for summer or independent reading, along with Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu
Classroom Considerations
  • Diamond's book is controversial; consider providing a counterargument for a thorough discussion
  • You can find the full analysis of the text at the publisher's website
  • Comment section is open to the public
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • Poses Diamond's theories in such an understandable way that interest learners may want to read the book on their own
Cons
  • None