Tiananmen Square and Human Rights - Wednesday, 3/22/06 & Thursday 3/23/06

Bell-Work:

• What happened at Tiananmen Square in 1989? (2 sentences)

Objective: SWBAT explain how the idea of human rights relates to the Tiananmen Square Protests.

Homework:

• Wednesday: Is it important that people respect human rights? Why or why not? (1 paragraph)
• Thursday: How are political cartoons a good way to tell other people you opinion? Explain. (1 paragraph)

Think Question #1:
What are human rights?


The first group of people that claimed that their human rights were being violated were Americans. At the time, the United States was a colony of Great Britain. The Americans decided that their human rights were being violated because they did not have a voice in parliament: they wanted democracy. The British sent their army to America to stop the Americans from being independent and having democracy. This led to a war between America and Great Britain called the Revolutionary War. America won, and the Americans created the United States of America and had freedom and democracy.

Human Rights: The rights we have, because we are human beings. The right to life, freedom and human dignity.

Now, back to China...
This is a picture of the "goddess of democracy." The protesters at Tiananmen Square created this statue and put it up in the square as a way to send the message to the Chinese government that they wanted democracy. Of course, the Chinese government did not want to give the people the democracy they wanted....

(This Polish monument to Tiananmen Square, shows tank tracks and a destroyed bicycle.)

Think Question #2:

• How was the Chinese government's response to the Tiananmen protesters similar to the British response to the Americans who wanted democracy?

(Deng Xiaoping, China's leader during the Tiananmen protests.)

Assignment #1:
Write 1 paragraph to explain what this political cartoon means.
Remember: When you interpret a political cartoon, take the picture, the words and what you know about history and put it all together to come up with the message.

Assignment #2:

• Using what you know about Tiananmen Square, draw your own political cartoon.
• Come up with words and pictures to put together to tell the rest of the class what you think about Tiananmen Square.
  
• You will have today and tomorrow to complete this assignment. Work together as a group and try to be original.
• Don't copy the idea that you saw in the political cartoon above.
• Don't copy other people's ideas.
• Work together!
• When we complete our political cartoons, we will have a Gallery Walk.
• Each group will get to put their cartoons on display, like in an art gallery.
• You will get the chance to show other people your work, and see other groups the work that you did.
• DO YOU BEST!!! Others will be looking at your work.

Assignment #3: Complete the Gallery Walk worksheet.

Homework:

• Wednesday: Is it important that people respect human rights? Why or why not? (1 paragraph)
• Thursday: How are political cartoons a good way to tell other people you opinion? Explain. (1 paragraph)