Stage 1 Modern History | Tuesday Double, Week 3

Lesson Title: The Rwandan Genocide – Sharing Date: Tuesday 15th May
the blame.
Prior knowledge:

This lesson is part of a 7-week unit on Genocides, which will cover the Rwandan Genocide,
Cambodian Genocide and Armenian Genocide. This is the second week on this unit. In the first
week students looked at:

Lesson 1 + 2 (Tuesday double, Week 2)

- The definition of genocide
- A brief overview of a range of genocides throughout history (south sudan, Armenia,
Cambodia, Rwanda, the Holocaust, Russia)
- The background of Rwanda (ethnic groups in Rwanda, existing tensions before the
genocide, colonisation by Germany and Belgium, independence, 1959 Rwandan
Revolution)

Lesson 3 (Wednesday single, Week 2)

- No lesson (11s on excursion)

Lesson 4 + 5 (Friday double, week 2)

- Recap of the lead up to the genocide
- Hate speech & propaganda in Rwanda
- The Rwandan Civil War (began before the genocide and continued throughout)
- What happened during the genocide? (perpetrators, victims, methods)
- How did the genocide end? (takeover by Tutsi rebels)
- Survivor testimony – students read firsthand accounts of the genocide from those who
lived through it

Lesson objective(s):

Students will know:

- There was no single person, or group of people, which can be held entirely accountable
for the Rwandan Genocide.
- The international response to the Rwandan Genocide was minimal.

Students will understand:

- History, by its very nature, is subjective, and events will be interpreted differently by
different people.

Students will be able to:

- Outline an argument using historical evidence.

Lesson outline:

1. Activity: Plickers quiz (10 minutes)

 Plickers is a website/app which allows the teacher to enter in a class list and assign
each student a ‘plickers card.’ In class, a question will display on the board and
students will hold up their card, tilting it a certain way, to answer A, B, C, or D. The
 teacher then scans the room using the mobile app, collecting each student’s answer
without displaying to the students what their peers chose.
 This will be used as a formative assessment tool, using questions based on the
previous lessons’ content to check for student understanding.

2. Content: Recap of last week (5 minutes)

 As this topic is very content heavy, each lesson will have a short recap of what was
covered in the previous lesson in order to jog students’ memory.

3. Content: International response to the genocide (10 minutes)
 International response will be a main focus in this lesson. Having already looked at
what happened in Rwanda during the genocide, students will now examine how the
rest of the world responded to these events.
 What did the UN do?
 What did other countries do?
 This will cover both during the genocide, and post genocide.

4. Activity: Short answer question (5 minutes)

 Using the Rwandan Genocide as an example, answer the following question:
Do we have a responsibility to help other countries in situations such as this?
Why/why not?
 Students will answer the above question via google forms.

5. Content: Sharing the blame (10 minutes)

 Quick run through of the 6 groups involved in the genocide; hutu leaders, regular
hutu, tutsi rebels, Belgian colonists, Rwandan media, UN / other countries.

6. Activity: Playing the blame game (20 minutes)

 Students split into groups using the app "team shake"
 This app randomly sorts students into groups, but also allows the teacher to indicate
which students should not be placed together.
 Back wall has the names of the 6 groups
 Each group given information on the 6 groups which they read through to decide who
was most at fault
 In their groups, students number these people from 1-6 (1 being the most at fault)
 When directed, students take the number cards they have been given
and sticked them to the group labels at the back of the room (hopefully they all have
slightly different orders!!)
 In their groups, students will also be required to write a short paragraph (and assign a
speaker) which explains their decisions.

7. Activity: In Their Own Words

 After discussing who they believe is at fault for the genocide, students will read
through some primary accounts from both victims and perpetrators of the genocide.
 They will consider who these people blame for the genocide.

8. Closing: Exit Card

 Students will complete a short exit card which asks them to write; one question
about the Rwandan genocide, and one thing they have enjoyed learning/found
interesting.
  The questions students list will help to identify what they have or have not
understood in the course so far.
 The “one thing you found interesting” will also help to determine student knowledge
as well as provide feedback on the activities completed so far and allow for future
lesson planning.

Learner Assessment:
- Visual assessment – participation in group discussions.
- Written assessment – short answer question
- Written/oral assessment – explanation of decisions in “playing the blame game” activity
- Exit card
Lesson Evaluation:
To do post lesson.