Tiananmen Square - Tuesday, 3/21/06

Bell-Work:

• Describe what you see in this picture.
• How does it make you feel? Why?
  

Objective:
SWBAT describe what happened at Tiananmen Square in China in 1989.

Homework:
Explain in one paragraph what you think about Tiananmen Square.


Directions:

1. Read about Tiananmen Square & answer the Think Questions.
2. Define the term: "Human rights."
3. Complete Assignment #1.
4. Watch video clip of Tiananmen Square.
   

1. Reading - To find out more about Tiananmen Square, here is a link to today's reading. When you have finished reading, answer the Think Questions.
Read this page about Tiananmen Square from Fact Monster.

Think Question #1:

• The Chinese government is a communist government; the government has a lot of power, but the people have very little. For example, they do not have the right to vote for their leaders as we do in a democracy.
• The Tiananmen protesters wanted "democratic reforms". Why do you think the government did not want to do what the protestors wanted?

Think Question #2:

• Deng Xiaoping was #1 in the government; Zhao Ziyang was #2. Why did Deng "dismiss" (fire) Zhao from the government?
• Do you think Deng did the right thing?

Think Question #3:

• How many protestors were killed by the Chinese army (government)?

2. Define - Copy this definition of human rights from dal.lowell.smartedu.net.
Human Rights: The rights we have, because we are human beings. The right to life, freedom and human dignity.

Assignment #1:

1. Describe in 3 sentences what happened at Tiananmen Square and why it happened.
2. Do you believe that the Chinese government violated (broke) the Chinese people's human rights by what it did at Tiananmen Square in 1989? Why?
3. The Chinese government has not yet apologized for what happened at Tiananmen Square. As a group (1 letter per group) write the Chinese government a letter telling it why it should apologize for what it did.

Homework:
Explain in one paragraph what you think about Tiananmen Square.