The results for our class when I asked students to think about five things that come to mind when we think about Africa. I mean, the comparison with Europe makes the differences pretty startling, right?
Dear class,
Today is always one of my favorite days to teach. Not because it is particularly fun to talk about genocide, but because it is SO important that we stop ignoring it, and especially the continent of Africa. If I ignored it, when would you hear about it? What associations would you continue to make? Here's what happened in class today:
Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 20: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Soundtrack: "My Generation" by The Who. Selected for today because it is your generation that can change the world for the better. Lyrics here.
AGENDA 12/4/15:
News Brief – Britney
Debrief Pop Quiz
Scream Bloody Murder
United Nations Speech
Homework: Read the blog, and look at for Rwanda resources, and continue working on your United Nations speech. Next news brief: Mandy.
News Brief: Britney had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: BBC.com - Boko Haram crisis: Cameroon troops 'free 900 hostages'. This is a good news story out of Africa! Hopefully, more hostages will be freed soon. We found Cameroon on the world map packet and noted we did a news brief there.
Mandy was selected to do the next news brief.
We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):
Finally, we checked in about the weekend and what everyone is up to. I will be in Columbus, Ohio, watching the Timbers play for the MLS Cup! I will be back to school on Tuesday.
Debrief Pop Quiz: I always enjoy looking at what we know when it comes to Europe and Africa. Here is the PowerPoint with the combined results for your class answers:
It was only fair that I showed my own results, from when I was given this quiz when I was in graduate school, and I said much the same thing. Here's my actual paper from 2008:
Scream Bloody Murder: This was a section of a documentary from CNN, that aired in 2008 (not so coincidentally, right as I was about to teach this unit for the first time). Here are the three videos I showed in class (caution: some of the material is graphic and difficult to watch and/or listen to):
United Nations Speech: I hope that you watched those videos and felt frustrated, angry, and upset. The fact that the United Nations (the global community of countries) and the United States (as the most powerful country in the world) did little, if anything, to prevent or stop the worst genocide in modern world history, is awful.
So, the final assignment for the unit and before break is a speech before a mock United Nations, in class. You will be pretending that it is April 24, 1994 - the actual date that arguments were ongoing at the United Nations Security Council about how to respond to the conflict in Rwanda.
There are a few steps in the process to prepare for the speech, which will be given on Wednesday, December 16th. The first is to write a persuasive essay (in the form of a speech you could give). This is due in class (TWO COPIES, typed) next Thursday, December 10th. Here's the assignment:
As a reminder, this will eventually be a formal speech before break that you give as a part of a group, in front of the class, with myself and another teacher and/or administrator (your class will most likely have Westview Vice Principal Aki Mori) listening. You are going to need to persuade us to act and do something!
1) The United Nations definition of genocide, as agreed to by the world in 1949. This is helpful, because if you can persuade the United Nations that genocide is occurring in Rwanda, they HAVE to act (because that's what they agreed to).
2) The Eight Stages of Genocide. I read over the stages, but not all of the content describing them. There is a lot of information that might help you craft your speech! You can certainly talk about every stage of genocide, occurring in Rwanda, up to April 24, 1994. Here are some hints on how to do this.
3) A reading that goes over more of the history in Rwanda, what happened during the genocide, and the end. Remember, you can't talk about anything after April 24, 1994, but you can make predictions as to what will happen if the United Nations refuses to act! The reading is pages 5-10 here:
Another resource that might help could be your Cornell Notes from last class, which was on this presentation:
There is definitely a LOT to think about here. I am confident that you can write a five paragraph essay in a week! Next class, I will go over the concept of imperialism and colonialism more, and then give the rest of the class as prep time. The typed copy of your individual speech will be due the following class.
Please be sure to ask me if you have any questions or need help in any way! I'm really excited to see what you can come up with! :-)
Hi I missed class today but could you link the videos to and email and send it to me? (they aren't working for me on the website). Thank you!
ReplyDeletemchand10@bsd48.org
Done! :-)
DeleteIt's not like our stereotypes about Africa aren't true. Studies show that Africa has the lowest developmental rate in the entire world. Not that everywhere in Africa you will find poverty of course, but the vast majority of the land in Africa is poverty. Simply because of that, Africa has extremely little influence over the America superpower. Africa, compared to the exponentially advancing first-world countries, can be considered to be very primitive.
ReplyDeleteThat's why (at least how I'm seeing it) people are consistently turning a blind eye on the state of Africa. Europe is always known because it has a powerful influence over American culture. That's where we get so much trade, diplomacy, and support. That's where our religious influence, cheeses, wines, and lifelong allies are. But Africa doesn't have that, therefore it is not much of an influence.
But that doesn't stop people from helping Africa. Lots of people recognize that Africa needs help, and there are hundreds if not thousands of wholehearted charitable organizations that donate their lives in helping those people. My family donates every year to help Africans. The only problem is that it doesn't seem to be helping much as it potentially could.
The difference in Africa compared to other third-world countries is that when other countries are in a poor state, they cooperatively try to help each other and restore their country to their once former glory. During the aftermath of the Japan tsunami, the Japanese borrowed money and worked together. Within only ten years you couldn't even tell there was a tsunami.
Africa doesn't do that. Tell me if I'm wrong, but because of that, that's why Africa become tractable, because they weren't as unified. That's how Africans became easy targets long ago, and that's why today Africans have such small advancement, even to this day with worldwide support.
Thank you for your very interesting comment. I wish you had identified yourself, so I could follow up with you in person! I'm glad you are thinking about these issues and I appreciate your comment. I will push back by saying that just because we don't get things from Africa, as insinuated in your post, does not mean that the people of Africa aren't human beings, worthy of our attention, study in class, and respect, rather than hugely stereotyping negatively, as the class totally did (and every class does).
DeleteIt's great that people (and your family) donate money to people in Africa. I hope that doesn't mean that our collective conscious is assuaged, because it seems clear that our lack of knowledge about the entire continent is damaging, too. We will continue to analyze why this is. I will mightily push back your point on the countries of Africa not helping each other. Guess who the main peacekeeping force in the region is? The African Union, who has done incredibly important work in protecting and safeguarding regions in chaos. To say that "Africa doesn't do that" (or is not advancing - some technology in Africa, especially with mobile payments, is further advanced than our own) is simply not being informed. That's okay, though. We will continue to learn about it!
Do you think if the UN sent troops to Rwanda, the genocide wouldn't have happened?
ReplyDeleteHi there,
DeleteI don't think it is possible to know. That said, it is *more likely* that more people's lives would be saved? I think the answer is unarguably yes. Even the UN commander on the ground, Romeo Dallaire, said as much in the documentary we watched today. In hindsight, so does former President Bill Clinton: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/02/bill-clinton-regrets-rwanda-now-not-so-much-in-1994/
The Timbers won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYes sir!!!!! See you on Tuesday! :-)
DeleteDo you know how many people were killed until April 24th 1994 in Rwanda?
ReplyDeleteI don't, but most estimates have the majority of the killing done in the first few weeks. It is safe to say it was over 100,000.
DeleteDo we have to type this UN thing?
ReplyDeleteYes, please! You will need two copies, anyway - one for me, one for your group.
DeleteThis is due December 10th not next class right? Do we have to make a rough draft and a final draft or is this just the final draft?
ReplyDeleteBurning the midnight oil, I see! Yes, as stated on the assignment sheet, this is due in class on December 10. Do your best with getting it as good as it can be/final draft, please!
Delete