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In the wake of a flawed presidential election in December
2007, fighting erupted in Kenya, previously a model of democracy
and economic success for other African nations. After
political leaders settled their differences, the rest of the
country worked to rebuild.
Part 1:
1. Introduce students to Kenya by having them work in pairs to complete Comparing Life in Kenya and the U.S. activity.
2. On the overhead, place a copy of the Comparing Life in Kenya and the U.S. table and select volunteers to share what they learned about the facts pertaining to each country. Record these so all groups can check their work for accuracy.
3. Discuss the questions on page 2 of the Comparing Life
in Kenya and the U.S. Activity and encourage groups to share
their answers to each question. Use this discussion
as an opportunity to:
- Focus on specific challenges/problems faced by both countries,
particularly by Kenya.
- Discuss how violence and unrest play into the problems facing
both countries.
- Discuss stereotypes and misconceptions and how these are shaped.
4. Using the Kenya PowerPoint, review the basic information provided so that students get an understanding of the geography, people, industries, and social and political issues related to Kenya.
5. So that students can gain a greater understanding
of how political and social issues impact the daily lives
of Kenyans, access Margaret Warner's reports from Kenya.
These can be found at Kenya's
Unrest by clicking on the video
collection link. Watch selections from the reports
listed below. Possible discussion questions for each
follow.
NOTE: Depending on the amount of time available and the scope of the study of Kenya, teachers may elect to watch only one or two of the video segments as the focus of the lesson or they may use them as a series. These reports could also be viewed individually by pairs or small groups of students who can then summarize their learning for classmates.
- Kenya Works to Mend Divisions (The video series as a whole)
- What caused the political controversy in Kenya?
- What is the political deal that was reached?
- What is a coalition government?
- What does Kofi Annan believe is necessary in order for Kenya to become strong again?
- Questions Linger After Kenya's Political Deal
- What caused the ethnic violence?
- What is ethnic cleansing?
- Why are constitutional changes being considered/made?
- What is the power sharing agreement?
- How will this agreement improve the lives of regular people?
- Lacking Welfare System, Kenya's Poor Make Due
- How do the Kenyan people cope with poverty? Give specific examples.
- How is this system different than what happens in the U.S.?
- Kenya Grapples with Violence's Psychological Toll
- Give specific examples of what causes psychological stress for Kenyans
- What is the cause of the ethnic unrest in the country?
- How can a country go from normal to total destruction
in two weeks?
- What caused this downfall in the country?
- Why do some citizens feel it is important to have a
"personal plan B"?
- Kenyans Await Results of Political Deal
- What is the deal that has been approved by the Kenyan government?
- What worries do people have about this governmental change?
- What does Prime Minister Raila Odinga predict could
happen as a result of these changes in the structure of
the government?
- What do you think will happen in Kenya? Why?
- Violence Stems from Ethnic, Economic Disparities
- What are some of the economic disparities between various ethnic groups? Explain.
- In terms of how the ethnic groups view one another, describe their attitudes about each other or specifically mentioned groups.
- In what ways have commerce across Kenya been affected by ethnic unrest?
- Based upon the comments of Raila Odinga, what do you believe
will happen in Kenya politically and socially?
- Kenyans Work to Rebuild Communities
- Describe how ethnic violence spurred by the presidential election have affected the Kenyan people.
- Describe life in the refugee camps
- Explain why people have lost faith in the country's
political leadership
- What steps of people taken to escape being victims of ethnic violence
- What have the economic effects of the unrest been on individuals? Industry? Transportation?
- What do the Kenyan people think must happen in order for the government to succeed and for Kenya to remain a strong, united country?
- Kenya's Tourism Industry Slumps After Violence
- List specific ways the tourism industry has been affected by the ethnic violence in Kenya.
- In what ways is this an economic disaster for the country?
- How are local residents being affected by the lack of tourists?
- What changes have been noted by Kenyans in the way people
are interacting with one another, particularly the young?
Part 2:
NOTE: Depending on the specific focus of your lesson, there are several ways to proceed as you begin Part 2. Those with a short amount of time or a specific area of focus should select one or two of the subject areas listed and have students create projects based on that topic. For those who want a lesson with a broader view or who have a greater amount of time available, all topics could be selected.
6. Explain to students that they will now have an opportunity to learn more about important aspects of life in Kenya. Break students into small groups or pairs. From the Project List on the Project Guidelines, have students select the topic they would like to use as the focus of their project.
7. Distribute the Project Guidelines and review them with the class. Provide at least one class period for students to work with their partner to prepare their project.
8. When all projects have been completed, provide class time for project presentations.
Part 3:
9. As a final discussion, go back to the most important
issues students identified when they completed question 4
on the Comparing Life in Kenya and the U.S. Activity
Talk in detail about what was learned to confirm or dispel
these ideas. Close the discussion by returning to the
Kenya PowerPoint and discussing the slides again. Discussion
points could include:
- Studying the regional map and natural resources available and looking at which ethnic groups claim particular areas of the country
- Unemployment and reasons why these level might be so high
- The importance of tourism and international travel to
Kenya's economy
- Malaria and its effects and ways to control it
- The results of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on families and the
practice of "inheriting" female spouses and how
this contributes to the problem
- Political crisis in Kenya following the December 2007
election
- Explain why having an understanding of the lifestyle of the average Kenyan is important for U.S. citizens.
- Discuss reasons why Kofi Annan and other world leaders are working to mediate problems in the Kenyan government.
Continue to watch developments in Kenya by having students watch newscasts, cut out articles from news sources, and present them as current events to the class. Set aside a poster board in an area of the classroom and note updates in a timeline format. See if student predictions about political and social events are correct or not.
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