Unit #8: June 2009 Archives

We'll spend our last day together reviewing the material from this unit. If you want to post anything to the blog, you can do it on this entry.

Congratulations on surviving two years.


UNIT 8:  Perspectives on the Present       

Chapter 33:  Restructuring the Postwar World (1945 - Present)       
    1    Cold War:  Superpowers Face Off
    2    Communists Take Power in China
    3    Wars in Korea and Vietnam
    4    The Cold War Divides the World
    5    The Cold War Thaws
       
Chapter 34:  The Colonies Become New Nations (1945 - Present)       
    1    The Indian Subcontinent Achieves Freedom
    2    Southeast Asian Nations Gain Independence
    3    New Nations in Africa
    4    Conflicts in the Middle East
    5    Central Asia Struggles
       
Chapter 35:  Struggles for Democracy (1945 - Present)       
    1    Democracy
    2    The Challenge of Democracy in Africa
    3    The Collapse of the Soviet Union
    4    Changes in Central and Eastern Europe
    5    China:  Reform and Reaction
       
Chapter 36:  Global Interdependence (1960 - Present)       
    1    The Impact of Science and Technology
    2    Global Economic Development
    3    Global Security Issues
    4    Terrorism
    5    Cultures Blend in a Global Age


HOMEWORK for the end of the year...

Your packet of Chapter 36 quizzes should be turned in by now.
Remember that you write the Unit #8 Essay out of class, and they are due no later than upon your arrival to the Final Exam on Thursday.

The Extra Credit - World History Film option, should you choose to do it, is due no later than Wednesday, June 3rd.

This is it. It's your last "regular" lesson in World History 9/10. We will take a look at the events in China in the midst of 1989, the same year the Berlin Wall fell in Germany and European communism was on the retreat. In China, the outcome will be different.

A reminder that your final reading quiz is today, and your final batch of Current Events are due as well.

China: Tiananmen Square and After

Let's take a quick look at some of the events leading up to Tiananmen Square.

"It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice." - Deng Xiaoping
"Poverty is not socialism. To be rich is glorious." - Deng Xiaoping
"Reform is China's second revolution." - Deng Xiaoping










To try and make sense of the events surrounding Tiananmen Square, let's try and answer these questions.

• What led the students to gather in Tiananmen Square?
• What options did the government have in dealing with the protesters?
• What happened in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989?
• What was the reaction of the world to these events?
• Why did events unfold in this manner in China?

"Massacre in Tiananmen Square" - BBC on This Day (June 4, 1989) This is the actual story that appeared on BBC News.

Here is a set of documents about Tiananmen Square released from the National Security Archives of the United States. They make for interesting browsing.

Here is the website for the documentary film, "Tiananmen: The Gate of Heavenly Peace."


China After Tiananmen:  Twenty years have passed since the events of 1989, and China has certainly undergone rapid change since then. We can briefly discuss the general direction of those changes, and there are some links below in which you may be interested.

"Chinese learned to live with reform" - This BBC story looks at the legacy of Deng's reforms thirty years after they were put in place.

"Taiwan Flashpoint" - Check this out if you're interested in learning more about China's position on Taiwan and the potential threat posed in the region.

"Where next for post-Games China?" - This takes a look at China's options following the end of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Any remaining time is yours to work on whatever needs working on...


HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Tuesday, June 2nd

Your packet of Chapter 36 quizzes should be turned in tomorrow. Yes, you are free to use your book as you complete them.

Remember that you write the Unit #8 Essay out of class, and they are due no later than upon your arrival to the Final Exam on Thursday, June 4th.

The Extra Credit - World History Film option, should you choose to do it, is due no later than the end of Wednesday, June 3rd.