1. Lesson Design
Nashedra Strong
Genocide in Rwanda
11th
Grade U.S. History (Honors)
December 19, 2011
I. Instructional Objectives- After instruction, the students will demonstrate
their ability to list political, economic, and social issues that lead to Genocide
in Rwandawith 80% accuracy. They will explain the relationship between
nativism, imperialism, nationalism, and genocide with 80% accuracy. They
will investigate domestic and foreign policy trends since 1968 (TN
Curriculum Standard 5.0). They will be able to list the causes, course, and
effects of the Genocide in Rwanda with 80 % accuracy.
Specific performance indicator: 10.11- Analyze the impact of hemispheric
issues upon America’s course of Action in the 21st
century.
Introduction-
A. Label the Learning- “Today students we are going to discuss the effects of
Genocide in the African country of Rwanda and its origins”.
B. Relate to Student’s Frame of Reference-This semester we have had several
class discussions about how invoking a class system often leads to
revolution. If one party wins, it generally comes at a great loss to the
other party (or perceived loss). Neither team thinks that they have shared
points of interests. It is 100% competitive. As we have seen with all of
the different “occupy” movements, the mere thought of one group getting
special treatment while another group suffer is enough to make even the
most passive person become an activist.
C. Relate to Prior and Future Learning- Last week, we completed our first
lecture in the series on Genocide. We talked about the brutality that the
Somalians faced at the hands of the ruthless rebel leader Muhamad Aidid.
We discussed the United State’s decision to send in troops and even
watched scenes related to it in the movie Black Hawk Down. Later today,
you will use all of this information to develop a time line of the events
that led to the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda, Cambodia, or Darfur.
II. Involve Every Student- This semester we focused a lot on imperialism.
What’s imperialism? The opposite side of the spectrum is colonization.
Colonization occurs when another nation is being controlled by a stronger
more powerful nation. Take a few minutes and write down any pros/cons
that you can think of related to colonization (can be political, social,…etc.).
When you finish, a few of you will share your answers with the class. We
will see if any of the issues you listed posed a problem in the lecture that we
are going to discuss today.
III. Instruction
A. New Learning
B. Input-

2. 1. Students will learn about the events that led to the Genocide in
Rwanda.
A. Relevance and Importance of the Concept
Students will be able to explain how imperialism, nativism,
and nationalism contributed to the mass murder of nearly 1
million Tutsis in the African country Rwanda. They will
learn about the complexity of the United Nations’ position
when it comes to intervening in international disputes.
B. Definitions: genocide, swivet, kibosh, and foment
C. Examples and Non-examples
An example of a change of law is that the United Nations
did decide to dispatch troops to Rwanda. A non-example is
that while it was agreed that troops would be dispatched, it
would not be an international police force and it would be
months before they would actually be deployed.
2. State the Skill
A. Show Relevance and Importance of the Skill
The students will demonstrate their ability to develop an
understanding of the political, economic, and social cause
that lead to Genocide with 80% accuracy. They will work
in groups and create a timeline of events that identifies,
illustrates, explains, and interprets the causes and
progression of events that led to the Rwandan genocide and
other genocides. They will use the website Genocide Watch
to help them with this assignment. They will work in small
groups to create a poster-size timeline on construction
paper or plain white paper. Each piece of paper should
represent one year, and that year will be written in large
bold print on the top. The students will decorate their
posters with pictures (photographs or drawings), slogans,
artwork, poems, copies or re-created newspaper clipping..
The students will be encouraged to research the important
events of that year and think it terms of people and their
ideas, the government, the economy and other societal
factors that may have contributed to the hostility. When the
students are finished with their posters, we will post them
on the walls in the classroom in chronological order.
C. Participation in Learning the Skill
Every student will participate in the group activity. Each
member of the group will work on a specific part of the
project. Two people will serve as researchers while the
other people work on the layout and illustrations. They
will decide which role they will serve within their own
groups. The students will turn in a written reflection on the
next day that explains their attitudes about the assignment

3. and whether or not it changed from the beginning of the
project to the end.
D. Practice and Review
Students will exchange papers with other groups to identify
different ideas that they may have not considered. After
everyone finishes, we will discuss the summaries as a class.
This assignment may take more than one day to complete.
E. Applying the Skill
The students will complete a storyboard concept map to
demonstrate their understanding of the lecture.
IV. Monitor
I will ask questions throughout the lesson to help determine student interest and
comprehension. I will use oral review, fist to five, and thumbs up/thumbs down
to assess their level of understanding throughout the lesson. If there are
misunderstandings or confusion, I will veer off of my schedule and re-teach the
material until all students demonstrate an acceptable level of understanding. I
will also randomly call on students by writing numbers on the board and matching
those numbers to the order that they are listed in my grade book. If the number
selected belonged to a student with an IEP (I don’t have any in this particular
class) , I would have given them longer to answer the question or may have
skipped them altogether in the oral part of the review if they were one of the ones
that was easily embarrassed or humiliated by being called on publicly. I would
have gone around and spoken to them individually as we are working on the class
work assignment to make sure that they, in fact, understood the material.
V. Teaching Strategies
A. Lecture: Students will be provided with typed notes for the lecture, but they
will also be shown a power-point presentation of the material on the projector.
B. Discussion: There will be a class discussion after students complete their
group projects. * HOTS* (INTASC STANDARDS 2, 5, 6)
C. Lecture: Recitation: Students will have to orally respond to questions asked
during and after the lecture (INTASC STANDARD 4)
D. Cooperative Learning: Students will be assigned to groups and required to
create solutions for dealing with Genocide (other than threatening nuclear war).
(INTASC STANDARD 8)
VI. Description of Organization of Student Learning
Students will be seated in their desks in groups of three or four. I will move
around the room periodically to ensure that students are clear on the
instructions and on task.
VII. Lesson Evaluation
A. Students will participate in oral discussions. They will be asked to use fist to
five as well as thumbs up/thumbs down to demonstrate their level of
understanding. They will be graded on the amount of effort they put into their
storyboards.
B. Reflective evaluation will be completed as I evaluate my teaching of this
lesson. These reflections will be recorded in my personal portfolio.

4. VIII. Conclusion
The teacher will close the lesson by restating some of the highlights of covered
material and passing out graphic organizers and maps that relate to the lesson.
IX. Student Practice and Review
Students will complete a graphic organizer based on notes taken from the lecture.
They will also participate in cooperative learning activities.
X. Media and Materials
A. Chalk board: to be used as a visual aid
B. maps: to be used as a visual aid
C. Handouts: to be used as additional reinforcement
D. colored pencils as markers to be used as a visual aid
E. projector
F. DVD Ghosts of Rwanda
G. Computer: to be used for research
XI. Option
Students that finish assignments early will be allowed to help others who may be
having difficulty generating ideas.
XII. Reflection (Reflections will be recorded in journal)
A. Evaluation of lesson plan
B. Evaluation of teaching this lesson
C. Evaluation of student involvement
D. Evaluation of students’ learning