LESSON PLAN:THE HAITIAN POLITICAL CRISIS: WHAT ROLE SHOULD THE U.S. PLAY IN FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS?

By Lisa Prososki, an independent educational consultant and former middle school and high school social studies, English, reading and technology teacher.

Subjects: Social Studies, Government, World Cultures

Estimated Time: Three 50-minute class periods plus additional time for extension activities

Lesson Objectives:
Students will:

1. Formulate opinions based on reasons, facts, examples and individual ideas.
2. Share and debate opinions during class discussions.
3. Evaluate cause and effect relationships while learning about the history of Haiti, the
political turmoil endured by the Haitian people over the past 50 years, and the recent
removal of Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power.
4. Analyze U.S. involvement in and foreign relations with countries such as Haiti, Iraq,
Afghanistan and others.
5. Conduct relevant research and use it to support their opinions and arguments in
writing and class discussions.

Correlation to National Standards

Background:
Since it declared independence from France in 1804, Haiti has experienced a series of ruthless leaders, military coups and political turmoil. Most recently, rebels forced the resignation of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide because of alleged corruption, broken promises, and economic and social problems. Now the United States and France, among others, have deployed troops and are taking on the task of restoring and maintaining law and order and assisting with the reorganization of the Haitian government. Meanwhile, Aristide claims he has not resigned but was removed from power, and placed in exile against his will by the United States. Ironically, it was the United States who helped Aristide regain his position as president in 1994 after a military coup removed him from power in 1991.

Materials Needed:
1. Game sheets with questions from Step 1 below for each group of four students.

2. Optional: small prize to give to member of each winning team when students play the game in Steps 1-2.

3. Access to photocopies or online versions of the NewsHour articles listed below:

• "Civil Unrest Spreads Through Island Nation of Haiti"
  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june04/haiti_2-09.html
• "U.S. Mulls Sending Marines to Haiti"
  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/Haiti_02-27-04.html
• "President of Haiti Resigns, U.S. Troops Enter Caribbean Nation"
  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan_june04/Haiti_3-01.html

4. Access to photocopies or online versions of the PBS program "Journey to the Planet Earth." Country Profiles found at:
http://www.pbs.org/journeytoplanetearth/profiles/haiti.html

5. Current newspaper, news magazines, Internet news resources and other library research materials that students can use in the game in Steps 1-2 as well as for completing the assignment explained in Step 9 and the extension activities.

6. Mailing and e-mail addresses for government officials such as Secretary of State Colin Powell, President Bush, presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and congressional representatives.

Procedures:
1. Create interest and focus attention by telling students they are going to play a game based on a current world event. Break students into random teams of four. Give each team a specific work area in the classroom. In the center of the work area, place a pen or pencil and a paper that contains the questions listed below. Be sure the questions are face down so students cannot see them.

• Who is Jean-Bertrand Aristide?
• What country is he from?
• What is the major event that happened in this country in February 2004?
• What caused this event to take place?
• What role/involvement does the U.S. have in this event?

Once all students arrive in their groups, explain the rules of the game:

• All groups should work quietly to prevent other teams from learning their answers.
• Groups should use their knowledge of current world events to answer the questions.
• Groups should write the answers to their questions on the papers provided.
• Groups will get a total of 5 minutes to answer the questions.
• Outside resources available within the classroom (newspapers, magazines, Internet, etc.) can be used on a first-come, first-served basis.
• When answers are completed, teams must submit their papers to the teacher.
• The team with the most correct answers wins.

2. Facilitate the game using the guidelines above. When all teams are finished/time has been called, collect all papers. Have a short class discussion using the questions from the game. Read each question aloud and ask for volunteers to answer it. Have students provide as much information as they can for each question. Following the discussion, ask each team to discuss how many questions they believe they had
correct. While students discuss, quickly review each team's answers and determine the game's winner. Announce the winning team and number correct. Present a reward at this time if you choose.

3. Explain that throughout the next few days students will be learning more about the conflict in Haiti and the role of the United States in this situation. In addition, they will be examining the political issues surrounding U.S. involvement in Haiti and other countries throughout the world. Finally, they will be discussing the role of the United States as a world "watchdog" of sorts and whether or not they support this type of U.S. involvement in other countries.

4. Introduce students to Haiti by giving them a brief overview of the country. The Web site for the program "Journey to the Planet Earth" includes Country Profiles and describes Haiti. This can be found by going to
http://www.pbs.org/journeytoplanetearth/profiles/haiti.html. Pay specific attention to the Background, Location, Population, Religions, Literacy, Government type, Economy overview, Population below poverty line, Labor force, and Unemployment rate. This will give students some basic information about the country as well as some indication about why people might be dissatisfied with the government. Discuss each section briefly.

5. Introduce students to the more direct and specific causes for Aristide's removal from office by sharing the NewsHour Extra story entitled "Civil Unrest Spreads Through Island Nation of Haiti." Access the story at
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june04/Haiti_2-09.html. Take time to discuss the third paragraph of the article as well as the section titled "Aristide" specifically. This will supply students with the background necessary to understand the causes of the unrest and ultimate removal of Aristide from power. Pay specific attention to the accusations of corruption and violence in the Aristide regime, the loss of international aid after the 2000 elections, and the economic poverty that the majority of Haitians endure.

6. Now introduce students to the role of the United States in the Haitian political turmoil. The article "U.S. Mulls Sending Marines to Haiti" available at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/Haiti_02-27-04.html describes some of the reasons for U.S. involvement in the situation with quotes from Secretary of State Colin Powell as well as President Bush. This article also brings up the point that the United States is already involved in several similar situations, specifically, but not limited to, Iraq and Afghanistan. Next, share the article "President of Haiti Resigns; U.S. Troops Enter Caribbean Nation" available at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/Jan_june04/Haiti_3-01.html to illustrate U.S. reaction to the Aristide resignation and outline the planned scope of U.S. involvement in the reorganization of the Haitian government.

7. Use the articles as a springboard for discussion about the role of the United States as a world "watchdog." Many students pose questions such as "Why is the United States always involved in solving the problems of other countries?" or "We have enough problems in our own country, why do we have to be involved in what is happening with the leadership and lives of people living outside of the United States?" when talking about this issue. Lead a classroom discussion about the role of the United States in world politics using questions like:

• In what way is U.S. involvement in the creation and maintenance of other countries' governments a good thing? Conversely, how is it bad?
• If the United States can only afford to intervene in only a few crises, how should the president decide which countries to help?
• What could happen if the United States adopted a "stay at home" attitude (nationalism) and refrained from involvement in world political struggles?
• As a world Super Power, what obligation does the United States have to help other countries develop and prosper?
• Should the United States encourage other countries to adopt governments or leaders that support U.S. world policy? How?
• Why does the United States use its economic resources to assist other countries when there are plenty or U.S. citizens who could benefit from assistance here instead?

8. As you facilitate the discussion, many students will have diverse opinions about the role of the United States as a world "watchdog" and "protector." Encourage students to give specific examples to support their opinions throughout this discussion. The more specific information that is generated, the more students will be prepared to complete the research steps needed to present their final ideas. Encourage students to debate their points of view with one another throughout the discussion. Be sure to mediate the discussion, correct inaccuracies, and pose additional questions as the discussion warrants.

9. Once the class discussion is complete, each student will need to choose a point of view that he/she supports and write a one page essay about the role of the United States in the development, reorganization, and maintenance of foreign governments. Students will need to use reasons, facts, and examples to illustrate their point of view.

Extension Activities:

1. Have your students write a letter that can be sent to a government official. Some to suggest might be Colin Powell, President Bush, presidential candidate John Kerry, their local congressional representative, etc. Students should clearly articulate their point of view. Some questions that might guide students as they prepare their letters could include:

• Should the United States be involved in the creation and maintenance of governments for other countries, specifically places like Haiti, Iraq and Afghanistan?
• Should we be sending troops, aid, financial resources, advisors, etc. to other countries?
• What is the U.S. responsibility to protect and watch over other countries?
• Because of our wealth, political power, and strength as a world leader, is the United States obligated to assist other countries and share our wealth by providing financial or military assistance or leadership in the process of forming and maintaining governments?

Once all students have completed their letters, they should get back into the small groups formed in Step 1 and share what they have written. If time permits, allow students to discuss varying points of view in their small groups. Letters should then be mailed or e-mailed to the addressee so students can experience involvement in sharing their political opinions with key decision makers in government.

2. Take a historical look at U.S. involvement in world politics. Work as a class to determine key countries where U.S. involvement has resulted in the shaping or creation of a new government. Create a timeline chronicling America's role in the formation of these governments. Assign each student to a specific event and
have them create a poster describing the who, what, when, where, why, and how of U.S. involvement. Use pictures of relevant political figures as well as a map of the country on each poster. Display the posters in chronological order and have each student share what he/she learned.

3. Examine current political cartoons related to U.S. involvement in Haiti. Have students identify the message of each cartoon. Using their own opinions about the U.S. involvement in Haiti and other countries (Iraq, Afghanistan), have students work individually or in pairs to create their own political cartoon, complete with
caption. Students should display the cartoons and share them with their classmates.

4. Invite a local politician or international affairs professor to speak with students about the role of the United States in world politics. Have students prepare questions in advance and ask them when the guest visits the classroom. In addition, encourage students to express why they support or are concerned about U.S. foreign relations. If the guest is a politician, encourage students to make sure he or she explains on a more in-depth level the reasons for U.S. foreign policy.

National Standards

Relevant National Standards:
McRel Compendium of K-12 Standards Addressed:

World History
Standard 44: Understand the search for community, stability, and peace in an
interdependent world

Civics
Standard 22: Understands how the world is organized politically into nation-states, how
nation-states interact with one another, and issues surrounding U.S. foreign
policy.
Standard 23: Understands the impact of significant political and nonpolitical
developments on the United States and other nations

Thinking and Reasoning
Standard 1: Understands and applies the basic principles of presenting an argument

Language Arts
Listening and Speaking
Standard 8: Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes

Reading
Standard 7: Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of
informational texts.

Writing
Standard 1: Uses general skills and strategies of the writing process
Standard 4: Gathers and uses information for research purposes

Author Lisa Prososki is an independent educational consultant who taught middle school and high school social studies, English, reading and technology courses for 12 years. Prososki has worked with PBS TeacherSource and has authored and edited many lesson plans and materials for various PBS programs over the past nine years. In addition to conducting workshops for teachers at various state and national meetings, Prososki works as an editor, creates a wide range of educational and training materials for corporate clients, and has authored one book.

To find out more about opportunities to contribute to this site, contact Leah Clapman at extra@newshour.org.