The Topic: Exploration, Encounter, & Exchange
The topic for this years contest is Exploration, Encounter, & Exchange. This leads to a realm of possibilities.
Exploration |
Exploration does not need to be literal—think of exploration as a new idea, concept, or theory that is tested. This idea can come from the fields of politics, economics, or military science. Consider the ways that political campaigns explored the use of radio, and later television and the internet, to introduce candidates to the public. How did the economic theory of mercantilism drive the exploration of the Americas and exploitation of the resources found there? How did new advancements in both strategy and technology influence the outcome of the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II?
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Encounter |
Exploration, of course, almost always leads to encounters—with different peoples, unfamiliar environments, and new ideas. Encounters are often unexpected and unpredictable, and they reveal much about those involved.
Many times encounters involve peoples, plants, and animals that have not previously interacted. |
Exchange |
Encounters can lead to many types of exchanges, whether it be goods, food, ideas, disease, or gunfire. But exchanges do not happen only in the physical realm. The sharing of ideas, beliefs, and customs can have widespread consequences for the people and cultures involved. Consider the spread of any of the world’s major religions. Sometimes the exchange of new or controversial ideas within a society can have a significant effect on how that society thinks and acts.
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