PREVENTING DEADLY CONFLICT: CHRONOLOGY

DAY 1

Activities and Procedures:
The first day’s lesson is primarily teacher centered, using a lecture/discussion format.

Using the chalkboard or overhead, provide students with a working definition of "deadly conflict."

Distribute Handout #1: world map to students. Give examples of such conflicts and map their locations. The teacher should use a large world map to show students areas of deadly conflict in the 1990’s, those that are potential conflicts as well as those that have reached the flash point. Students should locate and label these areas of conflict. Discuss some of these areas briefly.

Following this discussion, the teacher should pose the question, "Should we care about deadly conflict? Should the United States remain isolated from global conflict and take care of its own problems? At this point engaging the students in the question is more important than convincing every student that he/she should care. During this activity, the teacher will use quotes, video clips, poems and pictures to show the human costs of deadly conflicts. The teacher will discuss the implications of cases where nations have chosen to remain isolated from world affairs. Using both present and historic examples the teacher can demonstrate that isolation seldom benefits a nation.

Teacher Notes: Remember that this unit is carefully designed to be completed in 15 days. If it is the teacher’s goal to stay within this framework, there will be time for more active engagement by students in following activities that will require analysis, academic rigor and assessment. The goal should be to complete the activities for Day 1 in one class period.

Homework:
1. Distribute Handout #2: Possible Causes of Deadly Conflict. Assign 2 or 3 students to a country that has reached a flashpoint of deadly conflict in the 1990’s. Students will need to research their assigned country and the causes of conflict by Day 4.

2. Distribute Handout #3: Student Log and Handout #4: Student Log Rubric. Explain the assignment and student expectations. Assign the due date for the completed log.

3. Learning log entry #1

Teacher prompts and questions
Level of debate and reaction to essential question
Reflective paragraph, learning log. Students are asked to keep a learning log with at least 6 entries. This log will be graded according to a defined rubric.

Materials Needed
Carnegie Report - Preventing Deadly Conflict: Important background material for teacher
World map (wall)
Handout #1 Student desk map of world
Video clips, poems, pictures and quotes
Handout #2 Possible Causes of Deadly Conflict
Handout #3 Student Log
Handout #4 Student Log Rubric

DAY 2 and 3

Activities and Procedures
A carpenter’s tool box is used in this lesson to help students make the connection to tools that a nation or international organization can use when dealing with global conflicts.

Using an overhead projector and a transparency of a toolbox , the teacher leads students in a

lecture/discussion/note-taking activity designed to provide students with information and examples of tools of foreign policy. Students receive Handout #5: Tools of Foreign Policy and take notes on the tools as the teacher discusses them. Following this activity, students are given a list of actions taken by nations or international organizations and asked to apply the correct tool to the action. This is best done in small groups where student discussion can take place on each action. When students are finished applying the tools, a whole class discussion of these examples is helpful to student understanding.

Teacher Notes: This lesson should take two class periods. The first class should be used to introduce and discuss the tools with the students engaged in note-taking and discussion. The second class should be used to place students in groups to apply the tools, followed by whole class discussion.

Homework:
1. Learning log entry #2
2. Continue researching causes of conflict in their assigned area.
Checking for Understanding/ Assessment Strategies
Learning log
Accuracy in the application of the tools
Possible quiz on tools and application

Materials Needed
Tool box transparencies for teacher use
Handout #5: Tools of Foreign Policy
Background readings for teacher use:

DAY 4-7

Activities and Procedures for Day 4
Begin class with a discussion of the homework assigned on Day 1. Students were asked to research a conflict in one area of the world and look for causes of that conflict. Students should use their completed Handout #2 to discuss commonalities in the various conflicts. This activity should last about 10 minutes.

In the second activity of the class, a discussion should take place with the purpose of outlining the work of the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict. Information on Handout #2 was derived from the work of the Commission, as was Handout #6: Essential Elements of Effective Preventative Action. Distribute Handout #6 and discuss all three elements.

For the final activity of Day 4 distribute Handout #7: The Making and Unmaking of Yugoslavia. This outline reviews the major historical events leading up to the breakup of Yugoslavia. This is the case study to be used to engage the students in the work of the Carnegie Commission and preventive action.

Materials Needed
Handout #6: Essential Elements of Effective Preventive Action
Handout #7: The Making and Unmaking of Yugoslavia

DAY 5:

Activities and Procedures
Teacher should introduce the film "Land of the Demons". Distribute Handout #8: Possible Causes of Deadly Conflict in Bosnia and Handout #9: Essential Elements of Effective preventative Action to the entire class. Divide the class into 4 groups.

Groups 1 & 2 will view the film looking specifically for causes of the conflict. They will use Handout #8 to cite specific examples of causes they observe in the Bosnian conflict.

Groups 3 & 4 will view the film looking specifically for efforts to resolve the Bosnian conflict. They will use Handout #9 to cite specific examples of Efforts To Resolve Root Causes and Efforts To Alleviate Risk Factors (At Flash Point)

View Film, stopping to elaborate as necessary.

Materials Needed
Film "Land of the Demons" ABC video, available in Social Studies School Service Catalogue
Handout #8: Possible Causes of Deadly Conflict in Bosnia
Handout #9: Essential Elements of Effective Preventive Actions

Finish film "Land of the Demons". Upon completion of the film, student groups 1 & 2 should identify the causes of deadly conflict in Bosnia using the Handout #8: Possible Causes of Deadly Conflict in Bosnia. They should discuss their answers in their small group.

Student groups 3 & 4 should identify the preventative actions taken in Bosnia, using Handout #9: Essential Elements of Effective Preventative Actions. They also, should discuss their answers in their small groups.

Groups 1 & 2 will then present their findings of possible causes to the rest of the class, using large pieces of newsprint, a transparency or the chalkboard. Groups 3 & 4 will complete their Handout #9 from these presentations.

Groups 3 & 4 will then present their findings of preventative actions taken in Bosnia to the rest

of the class, using large pieces of newsprint, a transparency or the chalkboard. Groups 1 & 2 will complete their Handout #8 from these presentations.

Homework:
1. Learning log entry #3
2. Students will respond to the question. "What could have been done in Bosnia?" by
checking off those actions under Handout #9.

Materials Needed:
Film: "Land of the Demons"

DAY 7

Activities and Procedures
Class begins with a homework check. Students are then placed in groups of 4-5 to discuss what actions could have been taken in Bosnia. Using large pieces of newsprint, transparencies or the chalkboard, each group will present their ideas about actions which could have been taken at various stages. Lead a discussion of reasons for action or non-action.

Homework: Learning log #4

DAY 8 The Work of the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict

Activities and Procedures
The task of the teacher is to present the work of the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict. In particular, the teacher should focus on the Essential Elements of Preventative Actions (Handout #9). This information will enable the students to complete the final major task of the unit. The task will be to analyze a potential conflict and to respond with appropriate actions, based on their knowledge of the work of the Carnegie Commission.

Distribute Case Study: Extremadura. Explain the requirements and expectations of this activity. Students will read the Case Study: Extremadura to become familiar with a fictional country that has reached the flash point of deadly conflict. Students will be divided into 6 groups of 3-5 students. Because of their expertise in dealing with issues involving deadly conflict, the student groups will analyze the situation and make the following recommendations to a United Nations Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict:

1. What efforts to alleviate risk factors should be attempted?

2. What early reactions to signs of trouble would your committee have taken?

3. What efforts to resolve the root causes of the conflict would your committee have taken?

In making recommendations to the UN Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict, each student group should use all appropriate tools of foreign policy. Each of the three questions should be addressed with a minimum of three recommendations. Each recommendation must be supported by citing specific historic examples of when this particular tool of foreign policy was used. Was it a success or a failure?

Materials Needed:
Case Study: Extremadura

DAY 9 & 10

Activities and Procedures
Students will work in the media center to make recommendations for the UN Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict. They will research to be able to cite specific historic examples of the success or failure of the use of various tools of foreign policy.

Activities and Procedures
Students will use this day as an organization day to prepare to give their oral presentation to the UN Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict. Each group should write their recommendations on newsprint to help in their presentation.

Materials Needed:
Large pieces of newsprint and markers

DAY 12 and 13

Activities and Procedures
Group presentations before the UN Commission on Deadly Conflict

• Step #1

1. Two groups should be selected to present their proposals for question #1.
2. Each group should post their findings and detail to the class their recommendations and rationales for those recommendations.
3. Encourage class discussion on these proposals and any other proposals from other groups who did not present during this segment.

• Step #2

1. Two new groups should be selected to present their proposals for question #2
2. Folllow parts 2&3 from step #1

• Step #3

1. Select the last two groups to present their proposals for question #3
2. Assign the remaining groups roles to enhance the discussion during this presentation.
   

   Suggested roles:
   	Current Bolivar government	Rebel provisional government
   	United States	United Nations
   	OAS members	Refugee groups

3. As asigned groups make their recommendations, the special interest groups can interject their support or non-support of the proposals to add greater depth to the final presentation

Homework:
Learning log #5

DAY 14

Activities and Procedure
Debriefing day: This class period is used to bring closure to the unit, discuss the learning that has taken place, seek out student input on the unit, etc.

Homework:
Learning log #6