Genocide and Human Atrocities Around the World 2

I.) Start off with Essential Question for whole class discussion.  There is also an option to have students write a reflection paragraph on this question the day before class.

Ask class series of question:  

1.) What is genocide?  What is a crime against humanity?  

• Can you give some examples?
• Are there any currently happening in our world.
• Which countries have they occurred in?
• Why do they occur?
• Why don’t others stop them from happening?

2.) What is research or inquiry?

• What is one of the most important elements to guide your research?
•  
• How can you be sure you can trust your source?

Continue with follow up questions.

II.) Go over this power point template to show students the type of information they need to fill out for their presentation.

• Here is blank power point to help guide their research and presentation.   It is intentionally simple to help them put emphasis on their knowledge of the content rather than the Power Point: Genocide Presentation Template.pptx
• Note this is an opportunity to explain how you expect them to fill out the power point.  I always tell students the goal is to use the power point as a jumping off point.  In other words, the slides are there to get them talking – but they should say far more information than is on each slide. 
•  
• I also tell them the mark of if someone did enough research is if someone asks the presenter a question, can the presenter attempt to answer it or can they not go beyond the limited information on each slide?

III.) Divide the class up into groups for the genocide presentation project and then have the group pick which genocide or crimes against humanity they want.

Here’s list of possible options:

• Belgium Congo Genocide
• Native American Genocide
• Transatlantic Slave Trade
• Christopher Columbus Genocide
• Rwandan Genocide
• Darfur Genocide
• Japanese Genocide
• Russian ( Stalin) Genocide
• Uighur Genocide
• Rohingya Genocide
• Mao Genocide
• Armenia Genocide

IV.) Help students get started researching for their presentation.

•  
• The skill is how to help students develop real world inquiry or research skills by realizing the everyday questions they have are the key to where to start and guide their overall process.
•  
• See if the school’s media specialist can help share with students how to research online using access to your district’s research tools such as Discuss. 
•  
• The level to which you have students research is flexible.  In other words, the teacher can
• determine the type of acceptable resources for their research.  

V.) Students present their work to the class

•  The teacher can determine how many days students have to research, finish their presentation, and then present.
   
• Pick the order students will present in.
•  
• Let the class know that each presentation is a teachable moment.  After each group is done, critique what you think they did well or what they can improve on.  

VI.) Class Discussion

• Lead a class discussion on the content

This lesson is used to focus on research/inquiry based learning and clear communication, but its focus is also developing a greater awareness of crimes against humanity than often aren’t discussed in school.  The content can be sensitive, and so a teacher needs to use their professional instinct to help students appropriately present sensitive information and empathize with their subject matter.  I find this to be an important lesson for the research skills but also to help students gain a greater awareness

Students presented work