Crisis in Ukraine
Kiev in Chaos: Teaching About the
Crisis in Ukraine
Introduction
If you watched the Winter Olympics
over the past two weeks, you saw that
Russia pulled off world-class athletic
competitions and dazzling opening
and closing ceremonies in Sochi...
But, by the end of the second week,
the escalating violence and instability
in nearby Ukraine cast a shadow
over the Games.
Today we will investigate the political
and economic crisis consuming
Ukraine, first by getting an overview
of the basic facts and then by digging
deeper in small research groups.
WARM UP:
• What do you know about
Ukraine?
• Where is it?
• Why is it in the news
lately?
• What events are taking
place there?
• Why?
“THE Ukraine divided,
explained”
Short video clip from the New York Times
how are divisions in Ukraine
responsible for the current unrest?
“How it all began: a
cold war battle heats
up”
1. What are the three core factors that led to the chaos, according to
the article?
2. Why does Russia feel threatened by Ukraine forming a closer
partnership with Europe?
3. Why did many Ukrainians, especially in the Western part of the
country, want Ukraine to sign political and economic agreements
with the European Union?
4. Why did street protests erupt in November 2013?
5. What were some of the government missteps that helped further
fuel the protests?
6. What additional questions do you have about what’s going on in
Ukraine?
FURTHER INVESTIGATION
TASK
• Working with your table group, you
will research a specific question about
the crisis.
RESEARCH GROUPS
1.
How did the unrest in Ukraine begin?
2.
Who is President Yanukovych, and
why has he fled?
3.
• You may conduct your own research or
use the sources provided from New
York Times (on my website.)
Who are the protesters? (Opposition
to Yanukovych)
4.
Why did the unrest in the Ukraine
escalate in the past two weeks?
• Use the butcher to answer your
question.
5.
What role do Russia and the West
play in the Ukrainian crisis?
• Be sure to write your question at the
top of your piece of paper.
6.
How will the standoff in Crimea be
resolved?
• Before the end of class, each group
will present their findings to the rest
of the class.
7.
What now? What does the future
hold for Ukraine?
• Designate roles within your group:
researchers, recorders, presenter(s).
Debriefing
• Why is the Ukraine experiencing
so much political unrest?
• What role do Russia, Europe, and
the United States play in the
turmoil?
• What do you think will happen in
Ukraine?
• What are the next moves that
Russia, the European Union and
the United States will make?
• Does what happens on the other
side of the world have
repercussions the United States?
For the world?