Students will be able to:

• Explain the social and economic advances that had occurred in Haiti prior to the earthquake of January, 2010.
• Articulate the horrific consequences of this earthquake.
• Describe the ways in which the economy responded to the earthquake in its immediate aftermath.  
• Provide plausible examples as to what the Haitian government could do to promote economic recovery.

If students do not report this information themselves, inform them that more than 250,000 people were killed in the earthquake and hundreds of billions of dollars of damage occurred.

Explain that at the conclusion of this class session the class will hold a mock committee meeting of Haitian leaders and try to decide what the nation needs to do to ensure that its economy is able to recover from the horrific earthquake.

Procedure:

1. Hand out Worksheet A, “Considering: ‘Despite Years of Crushing Poverty, Hope Grows in Haiti’” and read the top paragraph aloud to students.  After students have completed this worksheet, invite several students to share their answers with the class. Briefly facilitate a discussion in which students consider the variables that were present to promote hope for a more prosperous future in Haiti. Watch Despite Years of Crushing Poverty, Hope Grows in Haiti as a class.
2. After this class discussion, display Transparency A, “Considering: ‘Sites and Sounds of Haiti’” and ask students to respond to the prompts on it as they view the video entitled, “Sights and Sounds of the Haiti Disaster.” After students have completed this work, invite several to share their answers with the class. Discuss the irony in the fact that one day after Newshour aired the previous video on a feeling of hope within Haiti the terrible earthquake occurred.
3. Now distribute Worksheet B, “Considering: ‘At Garment Factory in Haiti, Garment Work Becomes Lifeline.’”  Ask students to respond to the prompts on it in groups of two or three, possibly viewthing this. After students have completed this work, invite several to share their answers with the class.
4. Display Transparency B, “A Committee Meeting of Haitian Leaders.”  Ask students to respond to the prompt on it in groups of three or four.   After students have responded to this prompt, inform students that the class is now transforming itself into a mock committee meeting of Haitian leaders. Explain that this committee has the responsibility of deciding what the Haitian government should do to ensure that its economy is able to recover after the tragedy of the earthquake. Explain that each group will first present its proposal as to what the Haitian government should do to promote economic recovery. Then students will vote on the proposal that they believe will be most effective in helping the Haitian economy.   
5. After each group has had the opportunity to present their proposal to the class, if time remains, allow students to suggest changes to different proposals. Students should collaboratively develop the most effective proposal possible. Then they should vote to accept the proposal. If no time remains, simply vote on the proposals that groups presented.

Inform students that Newshour has posted many pictures taken in the aftermath of the earthquake on Flickr. Ask students to identify one, two or three pictures and describe the image of the picture in a paragraph or two.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/newshour/sets/72157623271514632/ 

Could this image ever happen in the United States? Why or why not?