Wide Angle. Printable Pages

Lesson Plans - power & politics - preparation

Resources

Case-Specific Resources:

"Chechen Women Seek Bush's Ear on Untold Bloodshed," Reuters
http://www.amina.com/news/042902.html
This article (the last article on this page) is an excellent introduction, providing an overview of the current state of affairs in the war in Chechnya. It also provides statistics on the death tolls on both sides, the refugee crisis, and the disappearances. From Chechen Republic Online

"Bloodshed, Fear in Chechnya's Wasteland," Reuters
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/430523
This article highlights the impact of the Russian occupation on Chechen civilians. It also addresses the effects of the deadly tactics employed by Chechen rebels.

Regional Map of Chechnya.
http://www.amina.com/maps/chechnyaregion.gif
A good regional map from Chechen Republic Online highlighting the republic of Chechnya.

Chechen Children's Drawings
http://www.idee.org/chchilddraw.htm
Very powerful pictures drawn by Chechen children depicting their daily realities in a war-torn society.

"Abuse and Lawlessness Continue in Chechnya." Human Rights Watch News
http://hrw.org/press/2002/02/russia0228.htm
An overview of the 51-page Human Rights Watch report entitled "Swept Under: Torture, Forced Disappearances, and Extrajudicial Killings During Sweep Operations in Chechnya." This site also provides links to a photo gallery and video clip dealing with the stories of those who have "disappeared."

General Background Resources:

"A Just Cause, Not a Just War," THE PROGRESSIVE
http://www.forusa.org/nonviolence/UnjustWar_Zinn.html
A provocative article from December 2001 about whether any war can really be "just." Zinn argues that, in the case of September 11th and the ensuing War on Terrorism, a "just cause" has been confused with a "just war." Use this article to explore the question of whether retaliatory violence is ever justifiable.

"A Chechnya Primer," TIME.com
http://www.time.com/time/daily/special/ russia/chechnya.html
A good background piece on Chechnya: its ethnic makeup, the importance of Chechnya to Russia, and Chechnya's prospects in its battle with Russia.

"The Most Durable Power," Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/
Visit the "Quotes" area of this Stanford University site to access a brief excerpt of Dr. King's sermon about the pursuit of justice through non-violent means.

Quote from the Autobiography of Malcolm X
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAmalcolmX.htm
In this famous quote -- located under "(8) On his return from Mecca, Malcolm X explained his new views on racism and violence (March, 1964)" -- the civil rights leader expresses his philosophy of fighting racism by any means necessary.

Materials

Teachers will need the following to prepare and implement this lesson: Internet access; a world map in the classroom; an understanding of the Academic Controversy process; copies of Student Handouts. If students do not have Internet access in the classroom, teachers will need to photocopy and prepare Resource Packets for students using materials from the Resources above. Teachers should select materials that are most appropriate for their students' reading level, and the packets should include a variety of different resources - for example, articles and essays, maps, graphs and other visuals, and primary documents. For the Resource Packets, teachers will want to include a number of selections from the "Case-Specific," and "General Background" sections of the Resources.

Students will need the following to complete this lesson: Resource Packets provided by their teachers; paper and pens; an understanding of the Academic Controversy process; copies of Student Handouts. Internet access in the classroom is a helpful resource, and if it's available, the teacher can assign more "investigative" research tasks.