Grade 11- The Horrors of Ultranationalism
A. To what extent are ultranationalist actions and policies a root cause of
genocide?
B. Create a visual representation explaining the roots, effects and
aftermath of an ultranationalist event that resulted in genocide.
This critical challenge addresses Overarching Critical Inquiry: In Pursuit of
National Interests
Suggested Activities
Students explore to what extent ultranationalism is a root cause of genocide and
create a presentation to portray an ultranationalist action that led to a
catastrophic abuse of human rights.
The selection of topics, identification of suitable reference material and handling
of discussions must be done with sensitivity as some students, because of their
backgrounds, may be upset by the issues raised.
A. To what extent are ultranationalist actions and policies a root cause of
genocide?
Explore the causes of catastrophic abuse
Share with the class a newspaper article or show a video about a recent act of
catastrophic human rights abuse. After discussing the factors leading up to the
abuse, invite students to speculate on the reasons why events such as these
occur. Explore the extent to which ultranationalism is a root cause of some or
even many of these abuses.
A possible source of background information on current catastrophic
human rights abuse and genocide can be found at National
Geographic Video:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/places/countriesplaces/sudan/sudan_theactivist.html
There are 9 video clips on this page that teachers can use to add to
their own knowledge about this topic or share with their classes as an
introduction to the issue of genocide and ultranationalism.
Preparation to research human rights abuses
Organize students in groups and assign each group an incident of genocide,
such of those listed below:
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the Holocaust
the 1932–1933 famine in Ukraine
Saddam Hussein's attack on the Kurds
the Armenian genocide
ethnic cleansing in Bosnia
the massacre in Rwanda
the Rape of Nanking.
Because of the disturbing nature of these events, preselect the sites that
students will use to gather information about their assigned incidents. In addition,
caution students about the need for thoughtful and sensitive presentation and
discussion of the details of these events.
Possible sources of information:
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum http://www.ushmm.org/
- Holocaust Education in Canada http://www.bnaibrith.ca/league/hh-teachers/educan00.html
- Ukrainian Genocide and Famine Foundation http://www.ukrainiangenocide.com/
“Harvest of Despair” – video
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3897393411603039499&q=harvest+of+despair&ei=PY0cSMu3
BKTAqwO4nImwAQ&hl=en
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BBC Articles –Ukraninan Famine http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7111296.stm
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Armenian Genocide Documentary April 22nd, 2008 (Part 1
and 2) - http://youtube.com/watch?v=JrRapMs5HWk
Aremnian Genocide Discussion Forum http://www.armeniangenocide.com
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Timelines, Newsreports, and Video and Audio Testimony
from survivors of the Armenian Genocide http://theforgotten.org/intro.html
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A “pop culture” hook piece for Bosnia – Feature Film
“Behind Enemy Lines”
Bosnia- New York Times Archives http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/bosniaandherzegovina/index.ht
ml?8qa&scp=1-spot&sq=bosnia&st=nyt
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The Hague Declares Bosnia Killings a Genocide – News article
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/world/europe/27hague.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=feb+27+20
07&st=nyt&oref=slogin
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A Cry From the Grave – 11 part BBC Documentary
http://youtube.com/watch?v=X-DUsQyklUM
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PBS Site Ghosts of Rwanda – video, interviews, timeline,
analysis - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/
Rwanda Feature Films – Shake Hands With the Devil (movie) , Hotel Rwanda,
Shake Hands With the Devil (documentary)
- Rape of Nanking Video (2 part) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoW2WYdOsvg
- The Rape of Nanking Site - http://www.tribo.org/nanking/
Irish Chang Movie Site - http://www.irischangthemovie.com/home.html
Saddam Hussein and Kurds – Human Rights Watch Website
http://www.hrw.org/reports/1993/iraqanfal/
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Case Study from Gendercide.org – Iraq and the Kurds http://www.gendercide.org/case_anfal.html
Research acts of catastrophic human rights abuse
Provide students with a recording chart to help them research their assigned
events. The chart might be organized around the 5Ws:
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Who? Who was involved?
What? What led to the abuses? What ultranationalist policies were enacted
officially or unofficially? What were the primary interests of the
ultranationalist group?
Where? Where did the event occur?
When? When did the event take place and when did the world react to the
event?
Why? Why did one group resort to policies of genocide?
How? How might the abuses have been prevented?
Stress the importance of asking critical questions, such as why these abuses
occur and what might be done to prevent them. Direct students to create a
comprehensive list of factors that contributed to the abuse. Encourage students
to look for immediate causes, indirect causes and historical conditions that may
have contributed to the situation.
To structure and assess this activity, you may want to adapt the chart and rubric
found in Collecting Information (Support Material).
There are many opportunities for employing technologies to produce
a digital historical narrative here. Teachers can have students create:
- PowerPoint presentations including photos, text, and music
appropriate to the theme, time period, or mood. Students can
either be directly involved in the presentation of the material or
can set up the software to advance the slides automatically as
the audience views and learns about the group’s topic.
- Students might also be asked to produce a short video
documentary about their assigned incident of genocide utilizing
images and information accessed through searching the
internet. Students could use digital cameras/video cameras
and/or cell phones – digital voice recorders to record
themselves speaking about their incidents of genocide.
Students could then be asked to assemble their media and
information in software suites such as I-movie, Windows Movie
Maker, or other software that has the capacity to splice together
video, photo, voice, and music files into a cohesive whole.
- Students could also use Voicethread (voicethread.com) to
produce an individual or group project that answers the 5W’s
and How questions using images appropriate to their assigned
incident.
- Students could also create a podcast using a telephone to
record their voices by accessing G-Cast www.gcast.com .
- Students could also produce a multimedia timeline project of
their assigned incident of genocide using
http://www.xtimeline.com/signup.aspx
Identify causal relationships
Invite students to illustrate the dynamic interactions among causal factors that led
to genocide in their assigned event by creating a web. Suggest that students
record the causes on paper, on the board or on an overhead. Ask students to
draw a circle (of varying sizes) around each cause to represent the factor's
magnitude or significance. Direct students to draw arrows connecting the various
circles and annotate the arrows with a short description of the effects of factors
on each other.
To structure this activity, you may want to adapt the graphic found in Web of
Effects (Support Material). Use the following information on World War II to
demonstrate use of the Web of Effects.
Possible Causes of World War II
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failure of the League of Nations
militarism (arms race)
worldwide depression
imperialism (territorial rise of totalitarian dictatorships)
appeasement
Treaty of Versailles.
Determine and rate relative significance
After students have diagrammed the contributing factors to their assigned
incident, ask each group to identify which of these factors are related to
ultranationalism. Ask students to rate the extent to which the incident was a
result of ultranationalism on a scale from Little or No Effect to The Dominant
Factor.
There are opportunities to use sites such as:
- www.classtools.com
- Jigsaw
- Diamond 9
- Target Diagram
The Intel Visual Ranking tool is another possible online
tool that teachers can use to have students rank factors
that lead to their incident of untranationalism and/or
genocide.
http://educate.intel.com/en/thinkingtools/Visualranking/
B. Create a visual representation explaining the roots, effects and
aftermath of an ultranationalist event that resulted in genocide.
Prepare presentations
Encourage students to locate information, including visual and graphic
representations of the incident, for use in their visual presentations; e.g., video,
electronic slide show, poster. Remind students of, or have them generate, criteria
for effective presentations:
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informative (the 5 Ws)
concise
convincing
appropriate for the intended purpose and audience
easy to understand, read and view.
Discuss with the class the intended audience for these presentations, such as a
school assembly, a community program or a Web site. Agree as a class on the
intended audience. Remind the students that the purpose of the presentation is
to inform audiences about the dangers of ultranationalism and to suggest what
nations might do to prevent human rights abuses.
www.bighugelabs.com – Teachers could use this site as a tech
connection opportunity to create magazine covers, posters, or other
visual media.
Mixbook - http://www.mixbook.com/ and http://notebook.zoho.com
are two sites that could be used to put together a visual presentation
of their incident of genocide.
If students are creating a poster, this is a possible set of additional
criteria that students or teachers could use to create an effective
poster:
http://www.ncsu.edu/project/posters/NewSite/CreatePosterOverview.
html
Download free poster creation software – Poster Forge
http://www.tucows.com/preview/515958
Create quick and easy wanted, wild west, and inspirational
style/themed posters.
Present the findings
Arrange for each group to present its work to the identified audience.
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Specific Outcomes
This critical challenge may address these outcomes:
Curriculum Outcomes Addressed: 20-1
Specific Outcome 2.2
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Specific Outcome 2.7
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Specific Outcome 2.8
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Specific Outcome S.1.1 Specific Outcome S.1.6 -
Students will appreciate that the pursuit of national interest has positive and
negative consequences (TCC, GC, PADM)
Students will analyze nationalism and ultranationalism during times of conflict
(causes of the First and Second World Wars, examples of nationalism and
ultranationalism from the First and Second World Wars, ultranationalism in
Japan, interments in Canada, conscription crises) (PADM, TCC, GC, LPP)
Students will analyze ultranationalism as a cause of genocide (the Holocaust,
1932–1933 famine in Ukraine, contemporary examples) (TCC, PADM, GC)
Students will evaluate ideas and information from multiple sources
Students will synthesize information from contemporary and historical issues to
develop an informed position
Specific Outcome S.2.1 Specific Outcome S.2.2 Specific Outcome S.2.4 Specific Outcome S.2.5 Specific Outcome S.2.8 -
Specific Outcome S.4.2
Specific Outcome S.5.4
Specific Outcome S.5.5
Specific Outcome S.7.3
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Specific Outcome S.7.4 Specific Outcome S.7.5 Specific Outcome S.7.6 Specific Outcome S.7.7
Specific Outcome S.7.8
Specific Outcome S.7.9
Specific Outcome S.7.12
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Specific Outcome S.7.13 Specific Outcome S.8.1 Specific Outcome S.8.2 Specific Outcome S.8.3 Specific Outcome S.8.5 Specific Outcome S.8.6 Specific Outcome S.8.7 Specific Outcome S.8.8 Specific Outcome S.8.9 Specific Outcome S.8.11 Specific Outcome S.9.5 -
Students will analyze multiple historical and contemporary perspectives within
and across cultures
Students will analyze connections among patterns of historical change by
identifying cause and effect relationships
Students will evaluate the impact of significant historical periods and patterns of
change on the contemporary world
Students will discern historical facts from historical interpretations through an
examination of multiple sources
Students will demonstrate an understanding of how changes in technology can
benefit or harm society— in the context of the present, the future and various
historical time periods
Students will develop inquiry strategies to make decisions and solve problems
Students will demonstrate leadership during discussions and group work
Students will respect the points of view and perspectives of others
Students will draw pertinent conclusions based on evidence derived from
research
Students will demonstrate proficiency in the use of research tools and strategies
to investigate issues
Students will consult a wide variety of sources, including oral histories, that
reflect varied perspectives on particular issues
Students will integrate and synthesize argumentation and evidence to provide an
informed opinion on a research question or an issue of inquiry
Students will develop, refine and apply questions to address an issue
Students will select and analyze relevant information when conducting research
Students will plan and perform complex searches, using digital sources
Students will record relevant data for acknowledging sources of information, and
cite sources correctly
Students will respect ownership and integrity of information
Students will communicate effectively to express a point of view in a variety of
situations
Students will use skills of formal and informal discussion and/or debate to
persuasively express informed viewpoints on an issue
Students will ask respectful and relevant questions of others to clarify viewpoints
Students will use a variety of oral, visual and print sources to present informed
positions on issues
Students will apply information technologies for context (situation, audience and
purpose) to extend and communicate understanding of complex issues
Students will use appropriate presentation software to demonstrate personal
understandings
Students will compose, revise and edit text
Students will apply general principles of graphic layout and design to a
document in process
Students will apply principles of graphic design to enhance meaning and engage
audiences
Students will demonstrate discriminatory selection of electronically accessed
information that is relevant to a particular topic
Curriculum Outcomes Addressed: 20-2
Specific Outcome 2.2 Specific Outcome 2.8 -
Specific Outcome 2.9 Specific Outcome S.1.1 Specific Outcome S.2.1 Specific Outcome S.2.2 -
Students will appreciate that the pursuit of national interest has positive and
negative consequences (TCC)
Students will analyze nationalism and ultranationalism during times of conflict
(causes of the First and Second World Wars, examples of nationalism and
ultranationalism from the First and Second World Wars, internments in Canada,
conscription crises) (PADM, TCC, GC, LPP)
Students will examine ultranationalism as a cause of genocide (the Holocaust,
1932–33 famine in Ukraine, contemporary examples) (TCC, PADM, GC)
Students will analyze ideas and information from multiple sources
Students will understand diverse historical and contemporary perspectives within
and across cultures
Students will analyze connections among patterns of historical change by
identifying cause and effect relationships
Specific Outcome S.2.4 - Students will identify and describe the impact of significant historical periods and
patterns of change on society today
Specific Outcome S.2.5 Students will understand the difference between historical facts and historical
interpretations
Specific Outcome S.2.8 - Students will describe how changes in technology can benefit or harm society
Specific Outcome S.4.2 Students will use inquiry processes to make decisions and solve problems
Specific Outcome S.5.4 Students will consider the points of view and perspectives of others
Specific Outcome S.5.6 Students will demonstrate cooperativeness in groups to solve problems
Specific Outcome S.7.2 - Students will develop conclusions based on evidence gathered through research
of a wide variety of sources
Specific Outcome S.7.3 Students will use research tools and methods to investigate issues
Specific Outcome S.7.4 - Students will consult a wide variety of sources, including oral histories, that reflect
varied perspectives on particular issues
Specific Outcome S.7.5 - Students will revise questions on an issue as new information becomes available
Specific Outcome S.7.6 Students will select relevant information when conducting research
Specific Outcome S.7.7 Students will cite sources correctly to respect the ownership and integrity of
information
Specific Outcome S.7.9 Students will plan and perform searches using digital sources
Specific Outcome S.8.1 Students will communicate effectively in a variety of situations
Specific Outcome S.8.2 Students will engage in respectful discussion
Specific Outcome S.8.3 - Students will use a variety of oral, visual and print sources to present informed
positions on issues
Specific Outcome S.8.6 Students will use technology to compose, revise and edit text
Specific Outcome S.8.7 Students will employ technologies to adapt information for context (situation,
audience and purpose)
Specific Outcome S.9.5 Students will demonstrate discriminatory selection of electronically accessed
information
C
Citizenship
I
ER Economics and Resources LPP
CC Culture and Community
GC
Identity
TCC Time, Continuity and Change
The Land: Places and
People
Global Connections
PADM Power, Authority, and Decision
Making
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References
Title:
Host:
Description:
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The Web site contains a variety of materials, including an introduction to the Holocaust,
a Holocaust encyclopedia, an education section for teachers and students, online
workshops, films and videos, and a collections and archives section.
Navigation Tips:
Click on a topic in the left-hand-side menu or in the menu at the top of the screen to
access information. Scroll down and click on For Teachers under Education in the lefthand-side menu, then click on Teaching Material and Resources, then scroll down and
click on History of the Holocaust: An Overview to access this document.
URL:
http://www.ushmm.org
Title:
Ukraine Marks Great Famine Anniversary
Host:
Description:
BBC News
The Web site contains a 2003 BBC article with information about the 1932–33 famine–
genocide (Holodomor) in Ukraine.
Navigation Tips:
Scroll down to view complete text and images.
URL:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3229000.stm
Title:
Host:
Description:
The Forgotten People: The Attack at Hajabja
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
The Web site contains CBC's The Fifth Estate broadcast of March 26, 2003, that
provides information about the attack on the Kurds at Hajabja. Text, photographs and an
interview are included.
Navigation Tips: Scroll down to view text and images. Click underlines terms within the text or on topics in
the left-hand-side menu to access additional information.
URL:
http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/kurds/attack.html
Title:
Host:
Description:
Armenian Genocide
Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies: University of Minnesota
The Web site contains information about the Armenian genocide of 1915–22, including a
virtual museum, primary documents, political cartoons, photographs and educational
materials. In addition, the Web site contains information about the Holocaust.
Navigation Tips:
Scroll down to access text. Click on topics in the left-hand-side menu to access
information. Click on Educational Resources to access multimedia resources with
interviews of survivors and other teaching resources.
URL:
http://chgs.umn.edu/histories/armenian/
Title:
Host:
Description:
Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo: An Accounting
U.S. Department of State
The Web site contains a December 1999 U.S. State Department report on atrocities
committed against Kosovar Albanians from March to June 1999. The information in the
report is drawn from a variety of organizations and from sources that were compiled by
the U.S. State Department.
Navigation Tips: Scroll down to access text. Click on highlighted topics to access specific sections of the
report. The appendix contains an annotated list of Web sites that provide additional
information.
URL:
http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/kosovoii/homepage.html#exe
Title:
Host:
Description:
Rwanda Genocide: Ten Years On
BBC News
The Web site contains a 2004 BBC news special on the 10-year anniversary of the 1994
Rwandan genocide. Text, reports, speeches, videos, a timeline and an audio slideshow
are provided.
Navigation Tips:
Scroll down and click on photographs or topics to access information.
URL:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/africa/2004/rwanda/default.stm
Title:
Treaty of Versailles: Overview
Host:
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
Description:
The Web site contains an overview of selected clauses from the Treaty of Versailles.
Navigation Tips: Scroll down to access complete text. Click on highlighted terms within the text to access
additional information.
URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Versailles#Overview
Title:
Host:
Description:
The Great War: Evaluating the Treaty of Versailles
EDSITEment
The Web site contains a lesson plan on evaluating the Treaty of Versailles. Extensive
background links, primary documents and photographs are provided.
Navigation Tips: Scroll down to access complete text. Click on Treaty of Versailles under Preparing to
Teach this Lesson to review the contentious Article 231. Scroll further down to Selected
EDSITEment Websites for before and after photographs, photographs of destruction and
other background links.
URL:
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=424