Rwandan Genocide Lesson

Learning Goals:

For the students to be able to define: Hutu, Tutsi, genocide, and ethnic cleansing.

Analyze reactions from the United States and European countries to Rwandan genocide and why these countries reacted in that matter.

Evaluate how the genocide that occurs in Rwanda is comparable to other mass killings that have been discussed throughout this course.

Create and defend an opinion and support it with factual evidence.

Bench Marks/ Standards:

  1. Regional and ethnic conflicts in the post-Cold War era have resulted in acts of terrorism, genocide and ethnic cleansing.
  2. Political and cultural groups have struggled to achieve self-governance and self- determination.

Methods:

Whole group, small group and individual

Activities:

Whole group: discuss the definitions of Hutu, Tutsi, genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Small group: create graffiti art of each definition- break the whole class into 4 groups, each group receives one term, they then are to define the term however they can- through pictures, through words, their choice.  Then as a group discuss each term.

Next, have those four groups begin to think as different countries- 1. USA 2. France 3.Rwanda 4. The UN at the time of the genocide, discuss how they each reacted to the crisis and the events happening- what did they do/didn’t they do?  What would have happened if they would have stepped in earlier?

Next, how does this relate to other genocides we’ve learned about?  What is different and what is the same?  Why haven’t we ended these mass killings?

 Materials:

            Paper

Prior Knowledge:

The class has already watched Hotel Rwanda, so they know what happened, also every lesson leading up to this one is what has happened in the world thus far, so the students know what has happened and about other genocides.

Feedback Strategies:

As the students are talking, make sure they are correct.  Praise good ideas and deep thought.

Evaluation Strategies:

Check for understanding; make sure that the students are able to not only tell/define the information, but also that they can think deeply about it- that they understand and can relate it to other genocides and today.