Your group will be investigating a peacekeeping operation carried out by the United Nations. It will be the job of your group to sufficiently outline and explain the fundamental mission of the UN. Moreover, your group is responsible for outlining the successes and drawbacks of the mission. Each member of the group will have a role in gathering the information, preparing the information for presentation, and presenting the information to the class.
Step One: Gathering Information
Each group member will be responsible for locating and summarizing two articles about this operation.
Also, the following roles will also be assigned:
Geographer: The geographer will construct a map of the region in question. Points of interest will include:
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Political boundaries
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Rivers/Lakes/Bodies of Water
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Major Cities/Towns
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Representation of the conflicting parties and the UN Peacekeepers
Fact finders: Fact finders will investigate the political history of the area of study and the history of the UN involvement.
General
These fact finders will outline the political history of the region in question and the history of the conflicting parties involved. The historian(s) should include a description of the culture of each conflicting party (language, nationality, type of government, type of economy).
Related to UN Involvement
These fact finders will summarize the history of UN involvement and give detailed information about 3-5 significant developments that transpire in this operation
All groups will present their findings to the class. As students listen to each presentation, they will record commentary on whether they feel the operation was a success. The teacher will evaluate student’s commentary for assessment and feedback.
Appendix 8
Lesson: Letters from Peacekeepers
Overview: Students will analyze letters written by peacekeepers in the field. Students will be asked to identify the conditions that soldiers are working under, the attitudes of soldiers toward their duty, descriptions of duty, and description of purpose.
Objective:
Students will read letters from Eyewitness to Peace: Letters from Canadian Peacekeepers.
Students will discuss orally and write responses to questions about the soldier’s working conditions, descriptions of duty, description of purpose, and attitudes.
Materials Needed:
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1.Excerpts from letters in Eyewitness To Peace
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2.Question Bank
Procedure:
1.Teacher might start by showing a picture of a peacekeeping soldier. Teacher may ask students to discuss what the students see in the photograph and discuss what the daily life of a soldier might be. Students will offer responses.
2. Students will receive a worksheet with questions about the letters. Excerpts of letters will be read in class. Students will be encouraged to write down their observations on the worksheet. Students will be invited to discuss responses.
3. Students may be asked to write a hypothetical letter to a peacekeeper asking him or her questions about what he or she does.
Sample Question Bank
What role does the author have in the peacekeeping process?
Does the author of the letter appear to believe in his mission?
What responsibilities does this peacekeeper have?
What positive and negative implications does the author make about what he or she is witnessing?
Appendix 9:
Lesson: Model UN Simulation
Overview Students will study and set up a limited model UN and address an important global issue. Students will gather information for this activity from on line and printed material. Creating and sending a delegation to a local model UN conference for high school students may be the culminating activity of the unit.
Objective: Students will study and set up a limited model UN and address an important global issue. Students will gather information for this activity from on-line and printed material.
Materials Needed:
1.Cyberschoolbus guide to setting up and participating in a model UN: http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/modelun_new/over.html
2. List of model UN sites:
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a. www.scsy.org Yale Model UN Conference Site
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b. others are included in the unit bibliography
Procedure: Organize the class into delegates who represent different interests on a controversial issue such as stopping the fighting in the Middle East or Bosnia. Provide a general outline of the perspective that each delegate should take. However, allow the delegates opportunity to research information about the issue at hand. Call an assembly of the delegates and allow delegates to openly speak in turn about his or her perspective. After all delegates have spoken and after the teacher feels that adequate coverage has been given to the issue, have the delegates vote on a resolution and develop a plan of implementation.
To participate in a model UN conference:
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Refer to the guidelines in the Cyberschoolbus site.
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Locate and contact a conference leader in your area
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Register for the conference by the suggested registration dates
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Organize the students into the awarded delegation assignment.
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Complete preparation work in time for the conference.