Recently in Unit #8 Category

Lesson #35 - The Fall of the Soviet Union (and Communism)

By
Mike Vergin
on March 15, 2010 2:00 AM |
The Collapse of the Soviet Union and the Fall of Communism - Our focus shifts today to an event that, had you asked me about it two years earlier (when I was about your age), I never would have expected to see happen. The fall of the Soviet Union both significantly changed the world's political outlook, but it also dealt a fatal blow to communism's chances of competing with capitalist and democratic systems. We'll try and make sense of these events today...

Before we go too far, I want you to put yourselves in the position of a Soviet citizen, say a member of the Communist Party, in 1985. Pair up with those around you and brainstorm a list of complaints and criticisms you have about your lives. It might help to think in terms of social, economic and political issues. Think about both the Soviet Union in particular and communism in general.

Let's take a few minutes now to browse a set of Gorbachev notes that I've used when teaching this topic in other classes. (It will download as a Microsoft Word document, and you're free to use it to take some notes if that would be helpful... That's a hint.)

Here are some events I believe you need to understand to make sense of all this...

gorbachev.jpg















Gorbachev and Reform
  • glasnost
    • Chernobyl
  • perestroika
  • demokratizatsiya
ethnic tensions in the republics
rise of Boris Yeltsin

yeltsin.jpeg








August Coup - 1991
December 25, 1991 - end of the Soviet Union
Commonwealth of Independent States

soviet_union.png















I'm interested in your opinions on these questions...

  • Which factors were more important in the ending of the Soviet Union? Internal or external?
  • Should Gorbachev be remembered as a hero or a failure?
  • Is Russia better off without communism?
  • Is the world safer now than during the era of the Cold War?
  • Should communism be, in the words of Reagan, left on the "ash heap of history?"

Here's what Time had to say when it named Gorbachev one of the 100 Most Important People of the Century.


Gorbachev remains active as head of the Gorbachev Foundation.


Russia since 1991 - We've talked about Putin a number of times these past two years. Let's talk briefly about some of the issues that Russia has faced since the fall of the Soviet Union.

  • Boris Yeltsin (1991 - 1999)
  • rise of the oligarchs
  • economic transitions
russian_economy.PNG









 
chechnya.png







  • Chechnya (1991 - 2002) - insurgency continues
    • Moscow theater hostage crisis (2002)
    • Beslan school hostage crisis (2004)
  • Vladimir Putin (President 2000 - 2008) (Prime Minister 2008 - )
  • Dmitry Medvedev (President 2008 - )

medvedev_putin.jpg








I
F WE GET TIME - Changes in Central and Eastern Europe: This is the material you read for today's quiz. Since many of you are probably planning some travel these next couple weeks, we'll use that theme to approach the stories of these nations.

wall_fall.jpg








You are several others will be assigned a country. Your job is to prepare us a "travel guide" of sorts for that country. However, we won't be asking questions like, "Where should we stay?" and "What should we eat?" Instead, focus on the following:

  • If at all, how did the fading of communism affect your country?
  • How did the country reassert its independence after the decline of the Soviet Union?
  • What have been some of the key challenges facing your country?
  • Who are the people, groups and/or events we absolutely should know?

central_europe.jpg
These are the countries which we will be "touring" together today:

  • Poland
  • Hungary
  • Germany
  • Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic and Slovakia)
  • Romania
  • Yugoslavia (see below)




yugoslavia.jpg















By the way, in an attempt to minimize confusion, here's the current status of the former Yugoslavia. These countries have been created: Bosnia and Herzogovina, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, but its status is still in dispute. (The United States does recognize its independence.)


HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Tuesday, March 16th

Please do the final "regular" reading assignment of your World History career by reading Chapter 35, Section 5, "China:  Reform and Reaction." (pp. 1059-1063) The quiz will be matching.

Your final batch of Current Events is due on Tuesday, March 16th.

Your packet of Chapter 36 quizzes should be turned in by Wednesday, March 17th. Yes, you are free to use your book as you complete them.

Your "Two-Minute Review" item should be ready to present on Wednesday, March 17th.


Lesson #34 - Work Day / Final Exam Preparation

By
Mike Vergin
on March 12, 2010 2:00 AM |
As I said, you'll have all of today to get some work done after you finish the reading quiz. Here are some additional specifics... Remember that you do have two "final" reading quizzes on Monday and Tuesday with the final sections from Chapter 35.


REMINDERS: You can link to the Extra Credit option under "Pages" at the right side of the blog. That needs to be posted by the end of Sunday, April 4th to earn credit.

You are allowed to make-up daily reading quizzes to earn a score that is the average of your two attempts at the quiz. I won't have you do that today with the substitute teacher here, but you're welcome to do that up through Wednesday of next week.

Current Events: Remember that your final batch of Current Events is due to me by Tuesday, March 16th. You can either print them out or submit them as an email attachment. You can download a copy of the template for the Final Set of Current Events.

Chapter 36 Reading Quizzes: You'll receive a set of the five quizzes that accompany the reading assignments in Chapter 36. These are due back to me by Wednesday, March 17th. You are welcome to use your book as you complete these, but I do expect that everyone does their own work on these. (You're welcome to work together to answer these, but I am not okay with simply copying another's work.)

Unit #8 "Two-Minute" Reviews: We will do a final "two-minute" review on Wednesday. We'll have you draw your assignments for those today.

Unit #8 Identifications and Essay Exam Questions - This link will take you the IDs and essay choices for this unit. Remember that the essay is completed outside of class, and it should be printed out and turned in to me no later than your arrival at the Social Studies Final Exam on Friday, March 19th. You will do the identifications as part of the final exam. You'll be allowed the typical ten words of notes, but you will be expected to hand write these. (See me if you think you need an exception to this.)

OK, that should be more than enough to keep you busy today... Enjoy the weekend.


HOMEWORK for next session - Monday, March 15th

Please continue reading with Chapter 35, Section 4, "Changes in Central and Eastern Europe." (pp. 1052-1058) The quiz will be true/false.

Your final batch of Current Events is due on Tuesday, March 16th.

Your packet of Chapter 36 quizzes should be turned in by Wednesday, March 17th. Yes, you are free to use your book as you complete them.

Your "Two-Minute Review" item should be ready to present on Wednesday, March 17th.

Lesson #33 - South Africa During and After Apartheid

By
Mike Vergin
on March 11, 2010 2:00 AM |
Before we return to Africa one more time, we need to finish up some pieces from our "25 Not Quite Random Things about Latin America" activity. Let's try to do that quickly.

Your reading for today focused on the challenges of democracy in Africa. We can touch base on the Nigeria story, but the country of South Africa will be our focus for today. In particular, we'll examine the system of apartheid that was in place for decades. After that, we'll consider the threat AIDS is posing in many areas of the world by considering the case study of sub-Saharan Africa.


Apartheid in South Africa - When we last left South Africa, it had become an independent member of the British Commonwealth between the world wars. In 1948, the Afrikaner-led Nationalist Party came to power advocating a system of apartheid. For more than four decades, this become one of the most notorious governmental systems in the world.

  • How did apartheid work?
  • What was the damage done by apartheid?
  • How was apartheid opposed? (Internally? Externally?)
  • How was the system of apartheid dismantled?

Timeline of Apartheid -
  • 1948 - National Party institutes apartheid
  • 1950 - race classification, Group Areas Act passed, ANC banned
  • 1960 - Sharpeville Massacre
  • 1964 - Nelson Mandela sentenced to life imprisonment
  • 1976 - Soweto Uprising - 600 killed
  • 1977 - Stephen Biko killed in police custody
  • 1980s - international pressure increases
  • 1986 - state of emergency
  • 1989 - F.W. de Klerk becomes president
  • 1990 - Mandela released, ANC unbanned
  • 1994 - Mandela elected president in free elections

bantustans.png

The colored areas on the map show the "homelands" or Bantustans where the black African population of South Africa was forced to live during the apartheid decades.














AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa: While certainly a worldwide crisis, AIDS has struck most severely in Sub-Saharan Africa. We'll take a look at the extent of the crisis using a set of overheads that look at the "numbers" behind the crisis. (These particular overheads are from 2000, so the specific numbers are no longer accurate. However, they certainly make certain points effectively. You can find updated information below.)

aids_growth.gif














Some questions for us to consider:
  • Why has AIDS hit Sub-Saharan Africa so heavily?
  • What might be done to slow the epidemic?
  • Should (or how should) the outside world help in dealing with the effects of the epidemic?

Here are some additional resources on AIDS:

Here is the 2009 report of the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. There are a lot of links to statistics and resources.

"Death Stalks a Continent" - Time, (2001) - As the front page says, "This is a story about AIDS in Africa. Look at the pictures. Read the words. And then try not to care."

If you want some straight-forward information, the Global Issues - AIDS in Africa site is a good one to use.

"Worldwide AIDS epidemic slowing, says UN" - The Guardian, July 29, 2008. This is one of many articles suggesting that the epidemic may be slowing. (Don't confuse that with being cured.)

"FRONTLINE: The Age of AIDS" - This 2006 PBS site looks at the worldwide aspects. The timeline and map features are both interesting.


HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Friday, March 12th

Please continue your reading in Chapter 35 with Section 3, "The Collapse of the Soviet Union." (pp. 1046-1051) The quiz will be fill-in-the-blank.

Following the quiz, you will have the balance of the hour to work in preparation for the Final Exam or any other assignments you need to complete.

Remember that your final batch of Current Events is due on Tuesday, March 16th. You can download this template for your Final Set of Current Events. (Remember, you are picking stories from particular areas, not according to the AP History themes we had been using.) 

Unit #8 Exam - Identifications and Essay Questions

By
Mike Vergin
on March 10, 2010 6:00 AM |

Unit #8 Identifications: On Friday, March 19th, you will write on your choice of 5 of the 8 identifications that appear on the ID portion of the Final (Unit #8) Exam chosen from the list below. You may bring 10 words of "notes" for each of the 15 possible identifications to the exam. (Printed out, as you will not be able to use your computer.) You will need to turn in these notes, and I reserve the right to count symbols, acronyms, etc. as one or more words. Each of the five identifications is worth 5 points.

A good identification is typically in the range of 4 to 6 sentences in length. (You do need to write in complete sentences.) You should demonstrate both an understanding of just who / what the ID "is" and place it in the appropriate historical context. In addition, you need to explain the significance of the ID. In other words, answer the "So what?" question.

containment
Marshall Plan
Cultural Revolution
Khmer  Rouge
Fidel Castro
Korean War
Nikita Khrushchev
Partition of India
intifada
Six-Day War
Taliban
PRI
apartheid
glasnost
Tiananmen Square


Unit #8 Essay Exam - Questions and Format - You'll write an essay as part of the Final (Unit #8) Exam. This essay should be turned in no later than at your arrival to the Social Studies Final Exam on Friday, March 19th. Below you can find both the questions from which you will choose and the format for the essay portion on the Unit #8 Exam. The essay will be evaluated on the usual 30 point scale, and that score is doubled in PowerSchool.

Format: The actual essay will be written by hand or word-processed. You should prepare for a five-paragraph essay. That means that you should include an introduction (with a clear thesis statement), three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. (Note that the questions lend themselves to such a format. That is on purpose.)

Remember that the questions are not designed for you to tell us everything you have learned. Focus on what the question is requiring you to do.

* I want them printed out. Printing double-sided is fine.


A. Identify and explain the significance of the three specific events that you feel best represent the overall nature of the Cold War. Is the world of today more or less safe than the Cold War world? Why?

B. On Lesson #24, you were introduced to the "Doomsday Clock." (Here's the timeline. It is currently set for six minutes to midnight.) Identify and explain the significance of three factors/issues that you think should be considered foremost in deciding where to set the clock in the near future. Two years from now, what time do you think the Doomsday Clock should read? Why?

C. Imagine that you have been given complete control of the Middle East peace process. Explain your recommendation or position on each of these three issues: the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, the future of the Old City of Jerusalem, and the status of the security barrier built by Israel along the West Bank. Five years from now, will the Palestinian / Israeli situation be more or less peaceful than it is today?

D. To many, the Cold War is the dominant theme of the post-World War II world. Setting aside events that took place between the superpowers, identify and explain the significance of the three world events that you believe will come to be recognized by historians as the most important of the last half of the 20th century. Which specific individual do you believe best epitomizes the post-World War II world?

1st Hour - "25 Not Quite Random Things About Latin America"

By
Mike Vergin
on March 10, 2010 4:00 AM | | Comments (3)
Post your brief write-ups here. Remember that I was thinking something around 100 words or so, and they need to be in YOUR words, not copied from a resource.

Help us know what it is and why it's important.

4th Hour - "25 Not Quite Random Things About Latin America"

By
Mike Vergin
on March 10, 2010 3:00 AM | | Comments (0)
Post your brief write-ups here. Remember that I was thinking something around 100 words or so, and they need to be in YOUR words, not copied from a resource.

Help us know what it is and why it's important.

Lesson #32 - Checking in with Latin America (and Central Asia...)

By
Mike Vergin
on March 10, 2010 2:00 AM |
That may be the strangest lesson title yet... These two areas have relatively little in common, except that one closed Chapter 34, and the other began Chapter 35. We'll check in on some key events in both regions.

Before anything else, we can debrief a bit about yesterday's Jerusalem 2010 Peace Conference. In particular, I am interested in how this activity changed or reinforced your attitude toward the Middle East and/or any of the particular sides. As I mentioned, I intend to offer you a choice of essay questions (take home) that includes one on the Middle East.

Remember that you have a batch of Current Events due on Tuesday, March 16th. (I will be out that day, so you can expect that it will be a work day.) You'll know all the Unit #8 Identifications and Essay Questions by then. My plan is that we'll do the Chapter #35 quizzes the regular way. For Chapter 36, you will receive a packet of the five quizzes before Friday, and you can complete them on your own as assignments between then and Wednesday's final day of class.


Central Asia - As you read in Chapter 34, a number of the nations of Central Asia were created in the aftermath of the breakup of the Soviet Union. We can check in very briefly with both the Transcaucasian and Central Asian states, but then we'll focus a little bit more on Afghanistan.

central_asia.jpg

afghanistan.jpg


Latin America - I'll be honest when I tell you that the period from the end of World War II to the 1980s in Latin America is hardly one of my specialties. However, we'll do an activity below that should hit many of the most salient and important specifics from that period up to today in Latin America. 

First, I think it is interesting to take a minute and consider what the book establishes as four key practices in a democracy.

  • free elections
  • citizen participation
  • majority rule, minority rights
  • constitutional government
Whether you are looking at Latin America or elsewhere, consider the factors conditions that might both foster and threaten these practices. Let's hear some of your ideas.

latin_america.jpg

















Facebook comes to Latin America... I think I've told you that I have never seen either Facebook or MySpace. That doesn't mean that I've been living in a cave and haven't heard about last year's "25 Random Things about Me" fad. In that spirit, we're going to try and introduce you to "25 Not Quite Random Things about Latin America" as a quick assignment.

You will select one of the "things" below, and there are two components to the assignment.

First, you will have one minute (no more) to explain your thing, and its significance to the class. We will try and get as many of those in today as we can, hopefully starting with 25 minutes left in class.

Second, you will be expected to make a blog posting of 100-150 words or so regarding your topic. Give us the basic facts and significance of your item. If you want to include a link to something useful, feel free to do that. (These blog postings should be made on the entries provided, and they are due before class time tomorrow.)


Here's the Facebook-inspired list of "25 Not Quite Random Things about Latin America":

Juan and Evita Peron - Argentina
"Dirty War" - Argentina
"Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo" - Argentina

Evo Morales - Bolivia

"Lula" da Silva - Brazil

Salvador Allende - Chile
Augusto Pinochet - Chile
Isabel Allende - Chile

Gabriel Garcia Marquez - Colombia
FARC - Colombia
Plan Colombia - Colombia

Fidel Castro - Cuba
Guantanamo Bay - Cuba

"Papa Doc" and "Baby Doc" Duvalier - Haiti 
Tonton Macoute - Haiti

Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) - Mexico
Frida Kahlo - Mexico
Tlatelolco Massacre - Mexico
Chiapas - Mexico
NAFTA - Mexico
Vicente Fox - Mexico
Zapatista Army of National Liberation - Mexico

Manuel Noriega - Panama

Operation Condor - "Southern Cone" dictatorships

Hugo Chavez - Venezuela

Remember that we looked at some of the Cold War events in Central America already, so that's why terms like Contra and Sandinista are not on the list...


HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Thursday, March 11th

Please continue your reading in Chapter 35 with Section 2, "The Challenge of Democracy in Africa" (pp. 1040-1045) The quiz will be multiple choice.

Your contribution to the "25 Not Quite Random Things about Latin America" blog posting is due before the start of class time tomorrow. My expectation is somewhere between 100 to 150 words, and no credit will be given if it is not expressed in your own words. (You can go up to 250 or so words if you are really interested in your topic, but more than that is probably overkill.)

Remember that your final batch of Current Events are due on Tuesday, March 16th. You can download this template for your Final Set of Current Events. (Remember, you are picking stories from particular areas, not according to the AP History themes we had been using.) 

Lesson #31 - 2010 Jerusalem Peace Conference

By
Mike Vergin
on March 9, 2010 2:00 AM |

Welcome to today's "Jerusalem 2010 Peach Conference." We have gathered in the shadow of  the Temple Mount / Noble Sanctuary in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem. Our goal is to make meaningful progress toward a peaceful resolution of the crisis between Israelis and Palestinians.

temple_mount.jpg











Here is the format: - We'll allow groups ten minutes to meet to plan strategy and discuss issues of importance. After that, we will return to the large group. Members of "The Quartet" will assist in moving through the agenda. 

Remember to strive to be consistent with your role. You do not need to turn only to your "leaders" to speak. Everyone here should have a voice, but "agreements" need only be agreed to by the respective leaders.

Agenda for the Jerusalem 2010 Peace Conference: 

Strategy Planning (10 minutes)

Opening Statements: 

  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
  • Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
  • United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Immediate Issues:

  • How can the current tension between Israel and the Palestinians be lessened?
  • Should the security barrier/ wall on the West Bank be removed?
  • What should be done to improve conditions in Gaza?
  • What can be done to increase the safety of the citizens of Israel?

Longer Term Issues:

  • Should an independent Palestinian state be created? If so, where?
  • What should be done with the status of Jerusalem?
  • What should be the fate of Jewish settlements on the West Bank?
  • Should Palestinian refugees receive the "right of return?"
  • How can the prospect of terrorism be reduced?
  • How do we guarantee all have access to water and needed resources?

Announcement of Treaties / Agreements

Closing Remarks / Press Statements

Here's a reminder of who is present at our conference today...

Representatives of Israel

  • Israel - Benjamin Netanyahu (Prime Minister - Likud)
  • Israel - President Shimon Peres
  • Israel - Tzipi Livni (Opposition Leader - Kadima)
  • Israel - Avigdor Lieberman (Foreign Minister - leader of Yisraeli Beiteinu)
  • Israel - Ehud Barak (Defense Minister - leader of Labour)
  • Israel - soldier serving of Gaza border
  • Israel - settler living on West Bank
  • Israel - mother of three (Jerusalem)

Representatives of the Palestinians

  • Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (Fatah)
  • Palestinian -PNA Prime Minister Ismail Haniya (Gaza - Hamas)
  • Palestinian - PNA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad (West Bank - Fatah)
  • Hassan Nasrallah - Hezbollah leader (based in Lebanon)
  • Palestinian - member of Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade (in Gaza)
  • Palestinian - resident of Hebron (West Bank)
  • Palestinian - resident of Jericho (West Bank)
  • Palestinian - mother of three (Gaza)

Representatives of "The Quartet"

  • US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton
  • Russia - Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
  • United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
  • European Union - High Representative Catherine Ashton
  • Special Mideast Envoy Tony Blair

  • US President Barack Obama (since I need 22 in 4th hour...)

Here are the links from the BBC News Special Reports site, Middle East Crisis: Israel and the Palestinians: 


Here are the "Obstacles to Peace" they identified:


Here are thumbnail links to all the maps I used last time. They might again be useful.

un_partition.png



gazastrip.png




















HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Wednesday, March 10th

Please begin your reading in Chapter 35 with Section 1, "Democracy" (pp. 1033-1039) The quiz will be matching.

Remember that your final batch of Current Events are due on Tuesday, March 16th. You can download this template for your Final Set of Current Events. (Remember, you are picking stories from particular areas, not according to the AP History themes we had been using.)

We'll get you the information for the Final Exam - (Unit #8) on tomorrow's blog.

Lesson #30 - The Arab/Israeli Conflict

By
Mike Vergin
on March 8, 2010 2:00 AM |

Today, we head back to the Middle East and bring the country of Israel into the picture of the post-World War II years. We'll set you up to participate in the Jerusalem 2010 Peace Conference at our next meeting as you'll attempt to resolve decades/centuries/millenia of conflict in this region.

We'll first draw roles for our conference, then we'll do a quick overview of the major events leading up to the current situation in the region.


The "Modern" Middle East Crisis

Here's an Arab/Israeli Note-Taking Guide for these events if you'd like one...

Zionism v. anti-Semitism

World War I - collapse of the Ottoman Empire

  • Balfour Declaration - 1917

World War II - Holocaust

  • United Nations created - 1945
  • Takes up "Jewish Question"

Israel created - May 14, 1948

  • UN Partition of Palestine
  • 1948 Arab-Israeli War
  • 1948 Palestinan exodus - al Nakba
un_partition_1947.png




























Suez Crisis - 1956

Six-Day War - 1967

  • Palestinian Liberation Organization formed - 1967
1967-war.jpg


















Yom Kippur War - 1973

  • Black September - 1973

Camp David Accords signed - 1979

PLO begins intifada against Israel - 1987

  • Intifada II sparked in Jerusalem - 2000           

israel_map.png





















Jerusalem 2010 Peace Conference: You will receive one of the roles below to represent at tomorrow's conference. You won't be expected to give individual introductions, but you should come ready to represent your role from a relatively accurate position. You can expect some of these "big questions" to be on the table.

  • Should an independent Palestinian state be created? If so, where?
  • What should be done with the status of Jerusalem?
  • Should the security barrier/ wall on the West Bank be removed?
  • What should be done to improve conditions in Gaza?
  • What role, if any, does the outside world play in these negotiations?
  • Should Palestinian refugees receive the "right of return?"
  • What can be done to increase the safety of the citizens of Israel?


Representatives of Israel

  • Israel - Tzipi Livni (leader of Kadima)
  • Israel - Benjamin Netanyahu (Prime Minister - Likud)
  • Israel - President Shimon Peres
  • Israel - Avigdor Lieberman (leader of Yisraeli Beiteinu)
  • Israel - Ehud Barak (leader of Labour)
  • Israel - soldier serving of Gaza border
  • Israel - settler living on West Bank
  • Israel - mother of three (Jerusalem)

Representatives of the Palestinians

  • Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (Fatah)
  • Palestinian -PNA Prime Minister Ismail Haniya (Gaza - Hamas)
  • Palestinian - PNA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad (West Bank - Fatah)
  • Hassan Nasrallah - Hezbollah leader (based in Lebanon)
  • Palestinian - member of Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade (in Gaza)
  • Palestinian - resident of Hebron (West Bank)
  • Palestinian - resident of Jericho (West Bank)
  • Palestinian - mother of three (Gaza)

Representatives of "The Quartet"

  • US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton
  • Russia - Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
  • United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
  • European Union - High Representative Catherine Ashton
  • Special Mideast Envoy Tony Blair
  • US President Barack Obama (since I need 22 in 4th hour...)

You can certainly do much, if not all, of your preparation at the BBC News Special Reports site, Middle East Crisis: Israel and the Palestinians. Here are some specific recommendations for you to check out. 

2009 Israeli Election: Where they stand - must reading for all Israeli politicians
2009 Q& A: Israel's General Election - Confused about the 2009 election? Read this.
Who are Hamas? - explains the history of this Palestinian group.
Q & A: Gaza Conflict - explains the December 2008 Israeli advance into the Gaza Strip 

They identify some "Obstacles to Peace": Browsing these would help everyone.
Here are maps of Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.

jerusalem_67_today.gif













old_city.jpg
westbankwall.jpg





























gaza.png













































HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Tuesday, March 9th

Finish your reading in Chapter 34 with Section 5, "Central Asia Struggles" (pp. 1024 - 1027). The quiz will be true/false.

Be ready to represent "your" position at our Jerusalem Conference 2010 tomorrow.

Your Current Events, which are explained on Blog Entry #28, will be due on Tuesday, March 16th.

Lesson #29 - Decolonization and Independence in Africa

By
Mike Vergin
on March 5, 2010 2:00 AM |
We'll return to Africa again today. After we look at the various paths to independence followed across Africa, we'll turn our attention to the Rwandan genocide of 1994. (We'll return to Africa one more time to focus on the apartheid era and its aftermath in South Africa.)

Case Studies: Africa - Let's hear what you learned about the process of decolonization in these African nations.

    • Ghana
    • Kenya
    • Algeria
    • Zaire (Congo)
    • Angola
As a reminder, you were asked to do the following:

    • Describe the way in which independence was achieved in your country.
    • Explain key events and/or people in the move to independence.
    • If applicable, discuss the legacy of colonialism/imperialism in your country.
    • Evaluate the success of decolonization for your country.
    • Mention anything else that you believe to be important.
We'll take a quick look at a couple of additional "stories" that took place in the process of decolonization across Africa. In particular, we should check in on Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and a few others.

BBC: The Story of Africa - This website does a nice job with the independence movements in Africa. You might be interested in browsing around here a bit.


"The Season of Blood" - The Rwandan Genocide - Around the time many of your were born, the tiny nation of Rwanda witnessed the most concentrated killing of the 20th century. Your reading for today mentioned the event, but we'll spend some time trying to make sense of these events.

Download this Rwanda - note guide to help you with some of the terms and the chronology of events.

Here are some resources you might find interesting:

These are news articles from the time. What's most interesting is what isn't mentioned in them...

These are the very good websites that accompanied two PBS "Frontline" episodes.

Here's a chart that speaks for itself...
rwanda_population.png
















HOMEWORK for next session - Monday, March 8th

Continue your reading in Chapter 33 with Section 4, "Conflicts in the Middle East" (pp. 1017 - 1023). The quiz will be fill-in-the-blank.
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